If you have been granted temporary residence in the Republic of Serbia, and you still want to apply for Free Access to the Labour Market, it is necessary that after applying for Free Access to Labour market you personally contact the authority that granted you temporary residence in the Republic of Serbia and submit a request for termination of the temporary residence permit.

You can apply for a temporary residence permit in the Republic of Serbia on one of the grounds prescribed by the Law on Foreigners at the regional police administration office after the Free Access to the Labour Market has been revoked at your request.

The ID card or passport of the Republic of Albania or the Republic of North Macedonia, the scanned copy of which you enclose with the request for Free access to the labour market, should be valid for at least 90 days from the day of submitting the request for Free access to the labour market.

You can apply for Approval for Free access to the labour market if you are in the territory of the Republic of Serbia or in the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia or the Republic of Albania.

If your request for Free access to the labour market is approved and you Approval for Free Access to the Labour Market is delivered by email while you are still in your home country, you need to register your residence address in the Republic of Serbia upon entering the Republic of Serbia.

Upon entering the Republic of Serbia, you are required to report a foreign citizen’s residence within 24 hours, in accordance with the national legislation. The registration of a foreign citizen’s residence is regulated by your landlord, accommodation facility or you personally if you own real estate in the Republic of Serbia.

As a citizen of a country signatory to the Agreement on Free Access to the Labour Market, i.e. the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia or the Republic of Albania, you can apply for Free Access to the Labour Market in a country that is a signatory to the Agreement but is not your home country, or the country of which you are a citizen.

Since you can also apply for free access to the labour market from the country of which you are a citizen, or from abroad, you are not obliged to enter the address where you will be staying when applying.

However, after your request for Free access to the labour market is approved, and after you enter the Republic of Serbia and start activities for which you have been granted Free access to the labour market, you are obliged to make the change within 5 days from the day you register at the address of residence in the Republic of Serbia through this application, referring to your request number entered on your Approval for Free Access to the Labour Market.

You must register your place of residence within 24 hours of entering the Republic of Serbia, at the competent police station, and the registration is performed by your landlord, accommodation facility or you personally in case you own real estate in the RS where you will be staying. The registration of the foreign citizen’s residence must be done every time the address of residence is changed during the validity period of the Permit for free access to the labour market.

Prior to the Agreement on Conditions for Free Access to the Labour Market in the Western Balkans, in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Serbia, in order for a foreign citizen to work in the Republic of Serbia, it was necessary for a foreign citizen to regulate their stay in the Republic of Serbia and for that citizen to be issued a work permit.

The Agreement allows citizens of the Contracting Parties to the Agreement who have registered, and after the completion of the registration under the conditions prescribed by the Agreement, received the Approval for Free Access to the Labour Market entry, stay and work in the host Party or free access to the labour market of the host Party.

The Approval for Free Access to the Labour Market is a document authorizing residence and work in the Republic of Serbia.

The Approval for Free Access to the Labour Market enables a foreign citizen to exercise the right to work without the need to obtain a work permit and a residence permit in the host country.

Upon entering the RS, a foreign citizen is required to report the address of residence to the competent police station within 24 hours.

The Approval for Free Access to the Labour Market allows citizens of the Contracting Parties to the Agreement to reside and work in the territory of the host State (Party) for up to two years, with the possibility of re-submitting the request under the conditions prescribed by the Agreement.

Citizens of the Contracting Parties to the Agreement who for any reason do not use the benefits provided by the Agreement on Conditions for Free Access to the Labour Market in the Western Balkans will be subject to the domestic legislation of the host state which regulates the stay and work of foreign citizens.

Permit for free access to the labour market applies only to the applicant.

Family members must regulate their stay in a different way according to the Law on Foreign Citizens, and it is important to note that family reunification cannot be the basis of stay.

In the event that there is no other suitable reason, a person who has been granted a Permit for free access to the labour market should switch to temporary residence in accordance with the Law on Foreign Citizens so that their family members can also regulate their stay in the RS on the basis of family reunification.

National Employment Service of the Republic of Serbia www.nsz.gov.rs

With the support and assistance of the National Employment Agency, you will be informed about the conditions and opportunities for employment in the Republic of Serbia, and registering on the website of the National Agency will allow you insight into vacancies, with the possibility that the profile you created on the website will be available to employers who can offer you the job you are looking for.

The procedure on the website is very simple and involves recording all relevant information regarding your professional competencies.

For all additional information and job search support, you can contact the National Employment Agency via email: openbalkan@nsz.gov.rs

Yes, the services of the National Employment Agency of the Republic of Serbia are free of charge.