There are several types of employment and the documents you need to submit differs depending on which type of employment you will have, i.e. what kind of work you will do in the Republic of Serbia.

We recommend that you carefully read the description of each ground. In most cases, your ground for stay is evident; however, it may also happen that you hesitate in choosing between two or more grounds. Pay particular attention to the documents you need to submit to substantiate the validity of the employment grounds.

It may also happen that no ground fits your situation at first glance. In this case too, we recommend starting from the contract you have and the type of employer offering employment. This information will be the main guidance in defining the grounds of employment on which to apply for a visa D. If in doubt, consult with your employer before contacting the consular mission of the Republic of Serbia.

There are several types of employment that serve as grounds and you can only choose one:

1. Employment on the basis of an employment contract or other contract proving the employment in accordance with labor regulations (this ground is also called narrow-sense employment)

If you concluded with the employer an (draft) employment contract or other contract proving the employment in accordance with labor regulations outside the employment relationship (temporary and periodical work contract, contract for work, etc.) in accordance with the law.

2. Self-employment (entry in the registration decision)

If you are registered in the Business Registers Agency of the Republic of Serbia as a shareholder in a company or a sole proprietor, or as a sole or controlling shareholder in another form of business activity.

3. Business and technical cooperation contract (assigned or delegated person)

If you are employed abroad and your employer assigns you to work for a specified period of time with the employer in the Republic of Serbia on grounds of concluded business and technical cooperation contract with the employer from the Republic of Serbia.

4. Intra-corporate transfer

If you have been employed in a company abroad on managerial or specialist positions for at least one year and the employer temporarily assigns, i.e. transfers you to work in a branch, representative office, or subsidiary company registered in the Republic of Serbia for a specified period of time.

5. Independent professional

If you are a self-employed individual, i.e. sole proprietor registered for performing activities abroad who performs work on the territory of the Republic of Serbia on grounds of a contract directly concluded with a local employer.

6. Training and practice

If you have completed appropriate education and pursue specialization, professional development, professional practice, internship, training in the Republic of Serbia during which you are paid for your work by employers in the Republic of Serbia.

7. Volunteering

If you are registered as a volunteer in an organization registered in the register of volunteers in the Republic of Serbia, in accordance with the Law on Volunteering.

8. Accredited foreign journalist

If you are registered as a representative of foreign media in the record of representatives of foreign media maintained in the ministry in charge of information and public affairs in the Republic of Serbia, you can apply on this ground.

9. Project implementation in cooperation with the public authorities of the Republic of Serbia

If you are engaged as an expert in the implementation of projects in cooperation with public authorities of the Republic of Serbia and have a document of engagement issued by the public authority.

10. Engagement as a member of the authors' or actors' crew that produces an audiovisual work on the territory of the Republic of Serbia

If you are engaged in the production of an audiovisual work, i.e. as a member of the authors’ and actors' crew that produces an audiovisual work on the territory of the Republic of Serbia.

Purposes of stay and required documentation

Below you can see a detailed list of required documents for each reason separately.

For all documents marked with *, in this article you can read a detailed explanation.

1. Employment on the basis of an employment contract or other contract exercising rights in accordance with the Labour Law (employment in the narrow sense)

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. registration certificate of a legal entity, business association, sports association or an entrepreneur;
7. proposal of an employment contract, temporary work contract or other contract proving the employment of a foreign citizen in the RS in accordance with labour regulations (signed by the employer and the foreign citizen);
8. excerpt from the rulebook on the organization and systematization of jobs, or if the employer has less than 10 employees, the employer's statement containing the name and description of the jobs, the type and degree of the required professional qualification, i.e. education and other special conditions for working on the jobs for the position;
9. diploma, certificate, i.e. other public document on the acquired appropriate type and level of the required professional qualification, i.e. education and a certified translation thereof;
10. authorization for the submission of the request/power of attorney* (if the request is submitted by the employer on behalf of a foreign citizen);
11. statement by the landlord* that they agree that the foreign citizen has a registered residential address.

2. Self-employment (entry in the decision on registration)

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. registration certificate of the employer from the Republic of Serbia;
7. authorization for the submission of the request/power of attorney* (if the request is submitted by the employer on behalf of a foreign citizen);
8. statement by the landlord* that they agree that the foreign citizen has a registered residential address.

3. Contract on business and technical cooperation (referred persons)

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. concluded contract between the employer for whom work is performed or services provided and a foreign employer, which must include the place and time limit for performing the work and a certified translation thereof;
7. registration certificate of the employer from the Republic of Serbia;
8. confirmation from a foreign employer that the foreign citizen has been employed, i.e. engaged for at least one year with that employer and a certified translation thereof;
9. act of a foreign employer on referring a foreign citizen to work temporarily in the Republic of Serbia and a certified translation thereof;
10. authorization for the submission of the request/power of attorney* (if the request is submitted by the employer on behalf of a foreign citizen);
11. statement by the landlord* that they agree that the foreign citizen has a registered residential address.

4. Movement within the company

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. registration certificate of the employer from the Republic of Serbia;
7. confirmation from a foreign employer that the foreign citizen has been employed, i.e. engaged for at least one year by a foreign employer at managerial or specialist jobs for certain fields, and a certified translation thereof;
8. act of a foreign employer on referring a foreign citizen to the Republic of Serbia for temporary work at managerial or specialist jobs for certain fields, and a certified translation thereof;
9. authorization for the submission of the request/power of attorney* (if the request is submitted by the employer on behalf of a foreign citizen);
10. statement by the landlord* that they agree that the foreign citizen has a registered residential address.

5. Independent professional

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. decision on the registration of an independent professional and a certified translation thereof;
7. concluded contract with the employer or the end user of services, which contains a time limit for performing the work and a certified translation thereof;
8. diploma, i.e. certificate of acquired appropriate higher education, i.e. technical qualifications issued by an accredited educational institution and a certified translation thereof;
9. certificate of work experience in the profession and a certified translation thereof;
10. authorization for the submission of the request/power of attorney* (if the request is submitted by the employer on behalf of a foreign citizen);
11. statement by the landlord* that they agree that the foreign citizen has a registered residential address.

6. Training and development

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. diploma, certificate, i.e. other document on the appropriate type and level of the required professional qualification, i.e. education and a certified translation thereof;
7. concluded contract on training, internship, professional practice, work practice, professional training, i.e. development, which must include the place and duration;
8. registration certificate of the employer from the Republic of Serbia that organizes training/internship/qualification programmes;
9. authorization for the submission of the request/power of attorney* (if the request is submitted by the employer on behalf of a foreign citizen);
10. statement by the landlord* that they agree that the foreign citizen has a registered residential address.

7. Volunteering

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. registration certificate of the employer (volunteering organizer) from the Republic of Serbia;
7. confirmation that the volunteering organizer is registered in the records of the volunteering organizers (if the volunteering is performed in a company or public enterprise, the consent of the ministry responsible for work on the volunteering programme is also attached);
8. volunteering contract;
9. proof of appropriate and valid health insurance*;
10. proof of having sufficient available financial resources for living expenses during the intended stay*.

8. Accredited foreign journalist

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. accreditation of the ministry responsible for culture and information in the Republic of Serbia.

9. Realization of the project in cooperation with the state authorities of the Republic of Serbia

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. letter from the competent state authority, local self-government unit or other organization or association about the need to hire a foreign citizen, his/her function and the time period of the engagement.

10. Realization of an audio-visual work (engagement of a member of the author's and acting team that produces an audio-visual work on the territory of the RS)

Required documentation:

1. a completed visa application form (within online application, or a printed copy if applying at a diplomatic-consular mission);
2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from the Republic of Serbia, containing at least two consecutive blank pages and issued within the last 10 years);
3. applicant’s photo*;
4. proof of the paid fee for submitting a visa application, if submitted at a diplomatic-consular representation. If you are submitting the request in electronic form, the payment will be made in the final step of the process, and the request will be submitted to the competent authority, once the payment has been recorded;
5. invitation letter*;
6. certificate on the engagement of a foreign citizen in the production of an author's work or an audio-visual work with the time period of engagement, issued by a business entity from the Republic of Serbia;
7. certificate of engagement of a foreign citizen in the RS for the creation of an author's work or an audio-visual work with the time period of engagement, issued by a foreign business entity (translated by a certified translator into Serbian);
8. registration certificate of a business entity from the Republic of Serbia;
9. contract on business cooperation concluded between a domestic and a foreign business entity (translated into Serbian by a certified translator).

Apply for a D visa

Important note: The information provided on this website is solely informative and as such have been tailored to the citizenship, intention of stay in the Republic of Serbia and all other parameters that you have selected through the My Entry / Visa / Residence Guide. It is not legal advice or instruction nor applies to individual situations. For more detailed information on applicable laws and by-laws, as well as on your rights and obligations, we recommend that you visit Law on Foreigners and Law on Employment of Foreigners.

Last updated: 22.01.2025.