Serbia residence permit through company registration

How residence through a business works

The most common company form in Serbia is the limited liability company. A foreigner can be its sole member and director. The company is registered with the Business Registers Agency, and the minimum share capital is 100 dinars, about $1. After registration, an owner working in their company applies for a single residence and work permit.

• The single permit replaces the former two documents, a temporary residence permit and a work permit, and is issued as a biometric card.
• Term - up to three years, renewable.
• Filing - through the online portal for foreigners; review usually takes up to 15 days.

Registering as a sole trader is another basis, often chosen by freelancers.

How to register an LLC in Serbia

1. Name and articles. We choose an available name and prepare the founding act with your share and capital from 100 dinars.
2. Director and address. The foreign owner can be the director; a registered address in Serbia is required.
3. Signatures. The founder's signature on the founding act is certified by a notary in Serbia or under a power of attorney.
4. Registration. The Business Registers Agency registers the company and assigns the tax and registration numbers at the same time, usually within a few working days.
5. Account. After registration we open the company's bank account; a company seal is optional.

LLC or sole trader

The flat tax is not available to everyone: the tax office checks whether the trader is in fact working as one client's employee. We choose the form before registration.

How much Serbian residence costs in 2026

• state fee for the single permit - about 22,770 dinars;
• biometric card - 2,190 dinars;
• total state fees - about 24,960 dinars, about $239 per adult;
• company registration and minimum capital of 100 dinars;
• health insurance, rent, document translation;
• company accounting - monthly while the company operates;
• our support, if you hand registration and filing to us.

You need to show living funds in a personal Serbian bank account. Each family member gets their own permit and pays fees; a manager will calculate the total for your family in the chat. Dollar amounts use the rate of 6 October 2026, about 105 dinars per dollar, rounded up.

Documents for Serbian residence

• an application on the portal for foreigners;
• a valid passport and copy;
• a photo;
• fee receipts;
• a register extract showing your company's registration;
• a document on your work in the company, such as the director appointment decision;
• a lease with a copy of the owner's ID and proof of ownership, or proof of your own home;
• health insurance;
• proof of funds in a Serbian bank account;
• police address registration.

Foreign-language documents are translated into Serbian by a court translator, and documents from other countries need an apostille. Your passport must be valid longer than the permit you want: the card is not issued beyond the passport's validity, so replace an old passport before filing.

Entry and address registration

Russian citizens enter Serbia visa-free for up to 30 days, nationals of many other countries for 90 days within 180. The company and the permit application must be done within that time. Every foreigner must register their address with the police within 24 hours of moving in: a hotel does it for guests, and for a rented flat the owner or you do it. The address registration certificate is needed for the permit application.

How long the whole process takes

Company registration takes a few working days, opening accounts usually one to two weeks because of bank checks, the single permit application is decided within 15 days, and then the card is produced. In practice it takes about six to eight weeks from entry to card, so the 30-day visa-free period for Russian citizens is usually not enough for everything: the application is filed within that period, and you then stay lawfully in Serbia on the filing receipt.

Working for foreign clients and closing the company

A Serbian company can work with clients from any country: invoice them, receive payments into its account and pay taxes in Serbia. If you decide to close the company, the basis for the permit disappears: before liquidation you need another basis, such as employment or family reunification, or the permit will be cancelled.

What to check before applying

• a company with no activity or set up only for residence: the police may check the office, contracts and turnover;
• no health insurance or living funds in the account;
• an unregistered address or a lease without proof of the owner's title;
• breaches on previous visits, such as overstaying the visa-free period;
• a security threat or criminal record;
• documents without a court translator's translation or an apostille.

Renewal must be filed before the card expires: once the permit lapses you have to start again.

Family

The company owner's spouse and minor children get temporary residence through family reunification. You need apostilled and translated marriage and birth certificates, insurance for each and proof of sufficient funds for the whole family. Children can attend Serbian state and private schools.

Permanent residence and citizenship

• Permanent residence. Since 2024 you can apply after three years of continuous temporary residence; previously five were required.
• Citizenship. Under the citizenship law you can apply after three years of permanent residence. As a rule you must give up your previous citizenship or show you will be released from it, and declare in writing that you consider Serbia your state.

More on citizenship: Serbian citizenship.

Taxes for a company owner

• corporate income tax - 15%;
• dividend tax for the owner - 15%;
• salary tax - 10%, plus mandatory social contributions;
• VAT - 20% if registered.

You become a Serbian tax resident by living in the country more than 183 days within 12 months or having your centre of vital interests in Serbia. See taxes in Serbia.

How to renew the permit

Renewal is filed through the same portal before the card expires. You need fresh account statements, a valid lease and insurance, and proof that the company operates: taxes and contributions paid, client contracts, account turnover. A permit obtained as the owner of your own company allows work in that company: employment with another employer needs a separate basis. If you have moved, register the new address before filing.

What the company needs to operate

The company must keep books and file reports, so you need an accountant from day one. A company bank account is opened after registration, and the bank checks the owner and the source of funds. If the owner pays themselves a director's salary, the company withholds tax and contributions. Regular turnover and contracts also help with renewal: the police check whether the company actually operates.

Risks and what can change

• Checks on real business. Empty companies without turnover are a common reason for refusing renewal.
• Fixed costs. Accounting, taxes and contributions are due even if income is small.
• Banks. Serbian banks closely check clients from sanctioned countries, so opening an account can take time.
• Rules change. The Law on Foreigners was substantially revised in 2023 and 2024, so we check the procedure on the filing date.

Alternatives

• Serbian residence through business investment - if you invest capital in a company.
• Serbian residence by investment - other investment options.
• Montenegro residence - a neighbouring country by the sea.
• Bulgarian residence - inside the European Union.

What changed and what we rely on

Since 1 February 2024, amendments to the Law on Foreigners apply: a single residence and work permit for up to three years, filing through the portal for foreigners and permanent residence after three years of temporary residence. Sources: Serbia's Law on Foreigners and Law on Employment of Foreigners, the interior ministry's portal for foreigners, the Business Registers Agency and the Serbian tax administration; checked on 6 October 2026.

Benefits of a residence permit through business

How to get Serbian residence through a business: step by step

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