Stricter Enforcement of Lease Agreement Requirements

The situation

Due to stricter enforcement of an existing rule, residence permit applicants in Serbia will now need to submit the following documents with their application, whereas previously, the Serbian Foreigners Department accepted these documents after the residence permit application was submitted:

• For leased accommodations:
  • Signed lease agreement;
  • Statement from the landlord confirming that the applicant will live in the apartment; and
  • White card (address registration card).
     
• For hotel or leased apartment:
  • Hotel booking confirmation, listing the check-in and check-out dates;
  • Statement from the hotel confirming that the applicant will stay there, printed on hotel letterhead and signed by a hotel representative; and
  • White card (address registration card) provided by hotel or accommodation. 

Impact

Applicants must now secure an accommodation and obtain a signed confirmation and other required documents before they submit their residence permit application. Previously, most applicants were able to submit their application and then secure their accommodation.

Employers should plan for a one- to two-week delay in start dates due to longer document gathering times.

Background

Over the past months, Serbian authorities have restricted some immigration requirements for foreign workers, specifically by imposing new limits on intracompany transfers, requiring more supporting documents for work and residence permit applications and introducing a new background check on visa and residence permit applicants.

In contrast, neighboring countries such as Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania are streamlining immigration policies to attract more foreign talent.

Looking ahead

In light of recent policy changes, Fragomen expects further immigration restrictions to be introduced in Serbia in the coming months.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].