SerbiaStudy

Study residence permit in Serbia

Temporary residence for study is a residence permit in Serbia for foreign nationals studying at a verified Serbian institution: at a university, at school, on Serbian language courses or on an exchange programme, or carrying out research work. The decision is taken by the Ministry of the Interior through its territorial administrations; the application is filed on the Welcome to Serbia portal. Expulsion or a change of institution means the ground of stay has to be changed.

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

Who can obtain a study residence permit

MUP divides the ground of “study” into two cases — enrolment at a Serbian institution and arrival on an exchange or research programme. In both cases the documents confirm the fact of study or work, not income or capital.

You study at a Serbian institution

You have been admitted to a Serbian university — for a bachelor's, master's or doctoral programme
You study at a Serbian school — primary or secondary
You are taking a verified Serbian language course

You come on an exchange or for research

You take part in an international student exchange
You take part in an international pupil exchange
You carry out research work at a Serbian institute or university

When the programme is not a fit

I want to move to Serbia to work as an employee, not to study

Arrange a dozvola za boravak i rad (the single permit) on the ground of employment rather than a student residence permit

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

Apply for stalno nastanjenje (permanent settlement) — study counts towards this term at half value only

I want to bring my whole family to Serbia and am not going to study myself

The ground of spajanje porodice (family reunification) with a relative already living in Serbia, rather than “study”

I am an investor or a co-owner of a Serbian company — study is not my case

Consider the ground of “investor” or the visa for foreign company owners

What it costs

Fee for filing the application (taksa za podnesak)	430 RSD
Fee for approval of temporary residenceThe general MUP rate for grounds without a separate tariff, including study	23 450 RSD
Fee for citizens of North Macedonia, Mongolia, Cyprus and BelarusThese citizens pay only the fee for filing the application	0 RSD
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. the “Fee for citizens of North Macedonia, Mongolia, Cyprus and Belarus” branch replaces the “Fee for approval of temporary residence” line — 430 RSD. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	23 880 RSD

Paid separately

The single permit (visa and work permit) — RSD 22,770 at the general rate — it is not issued on the ground of study, and students work up to 16 hours a week without it
Tuition at a university, school or language course — Set by the educational institution itself; not included in the MUP state fee

Documents to gather

The list depends on the particular ground within “study” (university, school, language course, exchange, research work), but the common set is as follows:

A completed application form — filed electronically at eforeigner.welcometoserbia.gov.rs through an eID.gov.rs account, or in person at the territorial MUP administration for foreigners
A passport or identity card valid for at least 3 months longer than the period of stay requested
Confirmation of enrolment at a verified educational institution — a university, a school, a Serbian language course, an exchange programme or research work, depending on the ground
A photograph in the prescribed format
Confirmation of the address of intended residence in Serbia
A receipt for payment of the filing and approval fees
For recognition of a foreign degree or school certificate — an application to the Qualifications Agency (Agencija za kvalifikacije)

How the process runs

The application is filed entirely electronically through the eForeigner personal account.

1
Registration in the eID system
The foreign national creates an account on the electronic identification portal eid.gov.rs — this is a mandatory condition for filing the application through eforeigner.welcometoserbia.gov.rs.
2
Filing the form and uploading documents
In the personal account you fill in personal data, travel document data and the address of intended residence, choose the ground of stay (study) and attach supporting documents — each file up to 5 MB.
3
Payment of the fees
The system calculates the amount of the fees from the data entered; payment is accepted in dinars by bank card on the portal.
4
Consideration of the application by MUP
30 days
The Ministry of the Interior considers the application and the documents; the general time limit for a decision is 30 days from the day of due filing.
5
Receiving the decision of approval
The status of the application is tracked in the “My applications” section of the personal account; after approval the foreign national receives the decision on temporary residence on the ground of study.

Timelines and rights

Work

With a student residence permit you may work without a single permit — up to 16 hours a week. Income through a student or youth cooperative is taxed at 20% with a deduction of 40% for standard expenses.

Who you can bring with you

The ground of “study” does not give family members an automatic residence permit — they file a separate application for family reunification.

A spouse or a partner in a common-law marriage

Files a separate application on the ground of marriage or de facto cohabitation; after approval adult family members automatically gain the right to work.

Minor children

Are included in the family reunification application; the exact list of documents depends on whether a D visa or temporary residence straight away is being arranged.

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.

A renewal application is filed no earlier than 3 months before the current permit expires and no later than the last day of its term. If the stay is currently arranged under a D visa, the new ground must match the purpose stated in the visa. The maximum term of a permit on the ground of study is up to 3 years, depending on the particular case.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Years of study count towards the three-year term for stalno nastanjenje at half value: 4 years at university give 2 years of qualifying 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 Study residence permit

How many days does MUP take to consider an application for a study residence permit?

The general time limit for a decision is 30 days from the day the application is filed with all the documents.

Can you work on a student residence permit, and for how many hours?

Yes, without the single permit — up to 16 hours a week. Income through a student or youth cooperative is taxed at 20% on the base less standard expenses, and the employer additionally pays contributions for pension (4%) and health (2%) insurance on the gross amount.

How much does it cost to file an application for a study residence permit?

The fee for filing the application is RSD 430 and the fee for approval of temporary residence is RSD 23,450 (the general MUP rate; there is no separate tariff for study). Citizens of North Macedonia, Mongolia, Cyprus and Belarus pay only the filing fee.

Do years of study count towards the term for permanent settlement (stalno nastanjenje)?

Yes, but at half value only: 4 years at university, for example, give 2 years of qualifying residence. Stalno nastanjenje itself requires 3 continuous years of residence on temporary residence, with absences of up to 10 months in total or one absence of up to 6 months in a row allowed.

When should you apply to renew a student residence permit?

No earlier than 3 months before the current permit expires and no later than the last day of its term. If the stay is currently arranged under a D visa, the new ground must match the purpose stated in the visa.

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.