SerbiaAsylum / refugee statusLimited

Azil in Serbia

Azil is a status of international protection: it is granted to a foreign national who fears persecution at home or risks serious harm on return. Applications are considered by the Asylum Office of the Ministry of the Interior, and appeals against its decisions are heard by the Asylum Commission under the government. Accommodation and integration are handled by the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration. The applicant proves a personal threat; money and investment play no part.

Visa term

Depends on the form of protection

Threshold

There are no investment or property requirements

Processing time

No specific time limit is stated; longer than for an ordinary residence permit

Work

The conditions for work are not set out

Source: kirs.gov.rs — on asylum: right of asylum and subsidiary protection

What protection is available and who is entitled to it

Serbia recognises three forms of international protection — depending on the nature of the threat and on whether it concerns one person or a whole group of people.

Refugee status — for personal persecution

The applicant has a well-founded fear of persecution on grounds of race, sex, language, religion, nationality, membership of a social group or political opinion
The person cannot or does not wish to seek protection from their state of origin
The decision on the application is taken by the Asylum Office of the Ministry of the Interior; a refusal may be appealed to the Asylum Commission

Subsidiary protection — where there is a risk of serious harm

Return home threatens the applicant with “serious harm” without the formal signs of persecution set out in the refugee convention
The person likewise cannot or does not wish to seek protection from their own state
The application goes through the same procedure and the same authority as an application for refugee status

Temporary protection — in a mass influx

Protection is introduced not on an individual application but by a decision of the Government of Serbia for a whole group of displaced persons at once
It applies where people cannot return home because of mass upheaval — this is what Serbia did for Ukrainian citizens by the decision of 18 March 2022
Reception and settling in are handled by the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration, not by the Asylum Office

When the programme is not a fit

I want to move to Serbia to work or start a business, but I face no persecution at home

an economic reason for moving gives no right to azil — arrange an ordinary residence permit through employment or company registration, not asylum

I am simply looking for a residence permit in order to live in Serbia lawfully, with no history of threats

consider a residence permit through property, work or self-employment — these routes are open to everyone and do not require you to prove persecution

I need a predictable and quick status — I am planning to move within the next few months

KIRS does not publish a time limit for considering an asylum application and describes it as longer than for an ordinary residence permit; for clear timelines use the standard grounds of temporary residence

I plan to obtain permanent residence or Serbian citizenship in future and want to see the whole route in advance

KIRS does not set out a separate route from asylum status to permanent residence or citizenship — an ordinary residence permit offers a more predictable path to permanent status

Documents to gather

KIRS does not publish an open list of the applicant's personal documents — the contents of the package and the form of the application are set by separate rulebooks of the Ministry of the Interior.

An asylum application (zahtev za azil) — in the form laid down by the rulebook on the content and the templates of the application and accompanying documents
A medical examination of the applicant — mandatory; the way it is carried out is described by a separate rulebook on medical examinations
The applicant's personal documents if available — a passport and other papers confirming identity, where the person has them

How the process runs

KIRS does not publish a step-by-step guide with timelines in days — the sequence below is assembled from the description of the authorities' roles on the page “O azilu”.

1
Filing the asylum application
The foreign national files an application (zahtev za azil); the procedure is then run by the Asylum Office — a unit of the Ministry of the Interior that considers and decides on all applications.
2
Accommodation while the case is considered
The Commissariat for Refugees and Migration provides the material conditions of reception — a place in one of the asylum centres or reception centres for as long as the proceedings last.
3
Decision of the Asylum Office
The Asylum Office issues a decision: refugee status, subsidiary protection or refusal. The ground for refusal is the absence of a well-founded risk of persecution or serious harm, not the economic reasons for moving.
4
Appeal to the Asylum Commission
If refused, the applicant appeals against the decision to the Asylum Commission — it consists of a chair and eight members, appointed by the Government for four years.
5
Application to the Administrative Court
A final decision of the Asylum Commission may be challenged before the Administrative Court — this is the last instance in the procedure.
6
The decision takes effect and the status is granted
Once the decision takes effect, the person formally receives refugee status or subsidiary protection; the Commissariat then brings them into the accommodation and integration programmes.

Timelines and rights

Residence

Actual residence in the country is mandatory

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

A separate route to permanent residence is not set out

Route to citizenship

No special route is described

Frequently asked questions about Azil

Which authority in Serbia decides who is granted refugee status?

Applications are considered and decided by the Asylum Office — a separate unit of the Ministry of the Interior. If the Office refuses, the appeal is heard by the Asylum Commission (a chair and eight members appointed by the Government for four years); its decision may in turn be challenged before the Administrative Court.

How does refugee status differ from subsidiary and temporary protection?

Refugee status is granted for a personal well-founded fear of persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion. Subsidiary protection is granted where a person faces “serious harm” on return home, but without the signs of persecution. Temporary protection is introduced not by the Asylum Office but by the Government by its own decision — for a whole group of people caught up in a mass flow of displaced persons at once.

Where do asylum seekers live while the case is being heard?

In the asylum centres and reception centres run by KIRS — there are six asylum centres and eight reception centres across the country. Krnjača near Belgrade, for example, has a thousand places, and Preševo also a thousand; all the centres are open, and entry and exit are free from six in the morning until ten at night in winter and until eleven in summer.

What assistance can you expect after asylum status is granted?

KIRS helps with housing — a room for temporary use or financial assistance towards rent — for a maximum of one year from the day the decision takes effect. Compulsory Serbian language classes, a programme introducing the country's culture and practical guides in four languages are also provided.

What happens if asylum is refused?

A rejected applicant may use the voluntary return programme: KIRS provides up-to-date information on the situation in the country of origin and, until the day of departure, keeps the person's right to housing, food, medical care and schooling for children. The current programme covers 2022–2025.

Other ways to move to Serbia

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Serbia.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 8 August 2026.