Workforce Mobility & Immigration in Serbia
Work permit and residence permit coordination for foreign employees and key staff, distinct from Serbia's non-EU/EEA status.
SerbiaCurrency
RSD (Serbian dinar) — many contracts reference EUR
Free movement
Not applicable — work permit generally required for all nationalities
Main non-EU route
Serbia is not an EU member; EU and many other nationals can enter visa-free for short stays
Registration deadline
Typically within 1–2 weeks of arrival
Housing — single employee
~€450–700/month (1-bed, central)
Housing — family of four
~€850–1,300/month (3-bed)
Moving workforce into Serbia
Serbia applies a flat 15% corporate income tax rate uniformly to resident and foreign companies earning Serbian-source income, with no municipal surcharge and no minimum tax — one of the lowest and structurally simplest corporate rates in Europe. The d.o.o., Serbia's standard limited liability company, can be formed with as little as RSD 100 in share capital and registered remotely through the Business Registers Agency (APR).
Discuss your Serbia relocation planSerbia is not an EU/EEA member
Serbia is not an EU member; EU and many other nationals can enter visa-free for short stays, but a residence and work permit is required for employment
Confirm the right route for a hireWhat sits with the company
Once the right to work is confirmed, payroll registration follows — see our Payroll & Workforce Management in Serbia guide for the employer registration steps that come next.
Set up a relocation processWhat it costs to house a relocating employee
Figures below are indicative for Belgrade, Serbia's primary market for relocating employees — a company relocating multiple staff should budget by destination city, not a single national number.
| Item | Single employee | Family of four |
|---|---|---|
| Typical apartment | 1-bedroom | 3-bedroom |
| Rent (Belgrade) | ~€450–700/month (1-bed, central) | ~€850–1,300/month (3-bed) |
| Security deposit | Typically 1–2 months' rent, by negotiation | Typically 1–2 months' rent, by negotiation |
Frequently asked questions
Talk to a Serbia mobility expert
Companies treating Serbia purely as a low-cost contractor base without assessing the independence test exposure are taking on retroactive reclassification risk that can be substantial once a relationship is examined closely — particularly for long-tenured, single-client arrangements common in IT outsourcing. Structuring the relationship correctly from the outset is materially cheaper than correcting it after a tax authority review.