SerbiaInvestment and business

Investor and start-up permit in Serbia

The residence permit for investors and start-up founders brings together the grounds connected with a foreign national's economic activity: investment in a local company, participation in a start-up or talent programme, starting your own business. The decision is taken by the Serbian Ministry of the Interior; documents are filed on the Welcome to Serbia portal or in person. Registering a company does not guarantee status — the authority also checks the general conditions of the Law on Foreigners.

Source: welcometoserbia.gov.rs — Potrebna vam je dozvola za privremeni boravak

Who can obtain the status: an investor or an entrepreneur

The Welcome to Serbia portal groups investors and business founders into a single set of grounds for stay, but their requirements differ.

Investor

Invests tangible or intangible assets in a registered Serbian company
Holds at least EUR 50,000, or the equivalent in dinars or another currency, in an account with a Serbian bank before filing the application
Arranges a long-stay visa for entry or a temporary residence permit on the ground of investment

Business or start-up founder

Registers a company in Serbia — this can be done electronically, without a visit to the registering authority in person
Arranges the single permit card as a self-employed person or as someone working in their own company
Confirms that the stay is connected with genuine work in the registered business, not merely with the fact of its registration

When the programme is not a fit

I want to take a job with a Serbian company rather than start my own business

The single permit card on the ground of an employment contract — the documents for it are filed by the employer

I have no capital to invest and am not planning to register a business

The grounds of temporary residence through study, Serbian origin or other programmes not connected with business

I want to move to a spouse or a relative who already lives in Serbia

The family reunification programme (spajanje porodice)

I have already lived in Serbia for three continuous years on temporary residence and want to secure my status

An application for stalno nastanjenje (permanent residence) — this is the next step after temporary residence, not a separate visa

Documents to gather

The exact list depends on the particular ground — investment, start-up or self-employment — but the portal names the requirements common to all of them.

A passport valid for at least 3 months longer than the period of stay requested
For an investor — confirmation of the tangible or intangible assets invested in a registered Serbian company
For an investor — a statement from a Serbian bank showing at least EUR 50,000, or the equivalent in dinars or another currency, in the account
For a company owner planning a long stay — a long-stay visa or an application for the single residence and work permit card
An electronic application on the eForeigner portal, or filing in person at the territorial unit of the Ministry of the Interior — for the grounds of temporary residence not connected with the single permit card

How the process runs

The general procedure for the grounds of temporary residence, including investment and start-ups.

1
Filing the application
The foreign national files the application on the eForeigner portal. For the single permit card filing is only electronic; for the other grounds of temporary residence the application may also be filed in person at the territorial unit of the Ministry of the Interior for the address.
2
Consideration of the application
up to 30 days (15 days for the single permit card)
The Ministry of the Interior checks the documents and the general conditions of the Law on Foreigners. A decision on temporary residence is taken within 30 days from the filing of a duly completed application, and on the single residence and work permit card within 15 days.
3
Notification of the decision
The applicant receives a notification in the eSanduk electronic mailbox on the Welcome to Serbia portal.
4
Biometrics and issue of the card
The applicant attends the territorial unit of the Ministry of the Interior, goes through biometric registration and receives the residence permit card, or the residence and work permit card.

Timelines and rights

Work

The right to work is given by the single residence and work permit. Its grounds include self-employment, work in your own company, an intra-company transfer and independent professions.

Who you can bring with you

The family joins separately, on the ground of family reunification (spajanje porodice), rather than automatically with the investor's or founder's status.

A spouse or a partner in an extramarital union

Joins a foreign national with approved temporary or permanent residence in Serbia; for a marriage with a Serbian citizen a separate set of documents applies

Other family members

Join on the ground of kinship with a Serbian citizen or with a foreign national on temporary or permanent residence; the list of documents depends on the type of kinship

Adult family members after approval

Automatically gain the right to work in Serbia together with the status obtained through family reunification

Trips, renewal and the grace period

For stalno nastanjenje, 3 years of continuous residence are counted. Absences of 10 months in total, or one absence of 6 months in a row, are allowed.

An application to renew temporary residence is filed no earlier than 3 months before the current permit expires and no later than the date of its expiry. The portal advises filing in advance so as not to be left without status while the decision is still pending. A renewal, like the initial permit, is issued within a maximum of 3 years depending on the ground and the purpose of stay.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Investor and start-up permit	Employment residence permit	Azil
Visa term	Temporary residence is granted for up to 3 years depending on the ground and the purpose of stay	The term depends on the contract; temporary residence with renewal	Depends on the form of protection
Grounds	Investment, participation in a start-up programme or in a talent attraction programme	Employment contract	Persecution
Work	The right to work is given by the single residence and work permit	Yes, this is the main ground; the permit goes through the National Employment Service	The conditions for work are not set out
Residence	For stalno nastanjenje, 3 years of continuous residence are counted	An address; compliance with the terms of employment	Actual residence in the country is mandatory

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Stalno nastanjenje is granted after 3 years of continuous residence under approved temporary residence.

Route to citizenship

Under article 14 of the citizenship law, a foreign national with approved stalno nastanjenje is admitted if they attach a release from their previous citizenship or proof that they will obtain one after admission.

Frequently asked questions about Investor and start-up permit

How much has to be invested in order to obtain a residence permit on the ground of investment?

The Welcome to Serbia portal requires confirmation that funds have been invested in a registered Serbian company and that at least EUR 50,000 — or the equivalent in dinars or another foreign currency — is held in an account with a Serbian bank at the time the application is filed.

How long does a decision on a temporary residence application take?

The general time limit for a decision is 30 days from the filing of a duly completed application. If the ground is the single residence and work permit card, the time limit is shorter: 15 days.

Is registering a company in Serbia enough on its own to obtain a residence permit?

No. The portal states explicitly that registering a company is a lawful purpose of stay but does not in itself guarantee approval; the Ministry of the Interior additionally checks compliance with the general conditions of the Law on Foreigners, including the absence of entry bans and security threats.

When should the application to renew the residence permit be filed?

No earlier than 3 months before the current permit expires and no later than the date of its expiry. Filing as early as possible is advised so as not to be left in the country without status while awaiting the decision.

Can a spouse or partner move together with an investor or a start-up founder?

Yes, on the separate ground of family reunification. Adult family members who have been granted residence on that ground automatically gain the right to work in Serbia.

After how many years can you apply for permanent residence (stalno nastanjenje)?

After 3 years of continuous residence on the ground of approved temporary residence. During that period repeated absences of up to 10 months in total, or a single absence of up to 6 months in a row, are allowed. The application for permanent residence is filed no earlier than 60 days before the current permit expires.

Do you have to renounce your current citizenship on admission to Serbian citizenship?

Yes. The applicant must provide a release certificate from their previous citizenship or proof that they will obtain one after admission to Serbian citizenship. The decision on admission is taken by the Serbian Ministry of the Interior.

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: 7 August 2026.