SERBIA DESTINATION GUIDE

Transcription

1 SERBIA DESTINATION GUIDE 1. Basic Info Capital: Belgrade Population: 9,840,000 milion Area: 88,361 sq. km Currency: 100 RSD 1 EUR Unemployment rate: 19% 2. General Conditions of Entry and Visa Information The Serbian Government adopted the Law on Foreigners in 2008, allowing Serbia to regulate issues of entry, movement and stay of foreigners on its territory. The clauses in the law are compatible with the standards of the Schengen Agreement, entry and movement of foreigners in the EU. Under the terms of the Law on Foreigners, foreign nationals can enter and stay in the Republic of Serbia with a valid travel document which includes a visa or residence permit, unless defined otherwise by law or international agreements. The adoption of the Law on Foreigners has introduced a range of novelties such as the different types of visas - Airport transit visa A, Transit visa B, Short-stay visa C and Temporary stay visa D. Airport Transit visa A The Government is allowed to determine whether certain passengers, such as for example those arriving from countries where there are strong terrorist organisations, need the Airport transit "A" visas. A foreigner can be issued an Airport transit visa, upon request, for one or more passes through the international transit area of the airport, with which a foreigner can stay in that area for up to 24 hours during one passage. Transit visa B A Transit visa B is issued for one, two or more transits through the territory Republic of Serbia. It is issued for a period not exceeding six months, and the duration of the stay of one transit may not exceed five days. This visa can be issued to foreigners who have visas to enter the country to which they are travelling to or through whose territory they are continuing their journey, if they are not obliged to possess visas under international agreements. It may also be issued to a group of passengers which was formed before the decision to travel had been made, and who are together passing through the territory of the Republic of Serbia. This Guide has been updated as part of the Migration for Development in the Western Balkans (MIDWEB) project, which received financial assistance from the European Commission IPA 2009 Multi-beneficiary Programme 2. Revised April 2011

2 Short stay visa C A Short stay visa "C" visa is valid for a shorter stay. It is issued for tourist, business and other trips, and an uninterrupted stay or the total duration of several consecutive stays of a foreigner may not exceed 90 days in a period of six months, counting from the date of first entry into Serbia. The visa for short stay and multiple entries is issued with a validity of one year and it may be issued for even longer periods of time for staff of foreign diplomatic or consular missions, on condition of reciprocity. A visa for short stay with a validity of up to 30 days may be issued to a group of at least 5 and a maximum of 50 persons and which was formed before the decision to travel had been made, if the members of such groups are entering the territory of Serbia together, staying in it or leaving it in a group, by which the person who is leading the group is obliged to have a separate visa, if required. Temporary stay visa D A Temporary stay visa is a permit for entry and temporary stay of foreigners in the Republic of Serbia. A foreign national who intends to stay for more than 90 days is obliged to obtain a Temporary stay visa "D" from the competent authorities in the Republic of Serbia In 2003, the Government of then Serbia and Montenegro brought the Decision on the Abolishment of the Visas for the Entry and Stay in Serbia up to 90 days (for the list of countries, visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at: Citizens of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro do not require visas to enter Serbia for a stay up to 90 days. Citizens of the countries needing visa to enter and stay in Serbia, have to present a valid passport, a letter of invitation (verified by the competent Serbian authority) or an invitation by a company for a business visit or a receipt of an authorized tourist company certifying that the travel arrangement has been paid for (letter of credit or other payment receipt); return ticket; proof of sufficient funds in hard currency and certificate that a health fund shall cover the medical costs in Serbia, if any. Transit visa applicants are required to obtain the visa for the country they will enter after the transit through Serbia. For further information visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at: Entry into the Republic of Serbia may be denied to a foreigner if he/she: - does not possess a valid passport or visa, if required; - does not have sufficient funds to cover living expenses during his/her stay in Serbia, to return to his/her country or origin or transit to another country, or is not in some other way provided support during the stay in Serbia; - does not meet the conditions for transit entry into a third country; - has a ban on crossing the border or is considered as an international felon; - does not possess a certificate of vaccination or other evidence that he/she has not been infected, and is coming from an area affected by an epidemic of infectious diseases; Entry may also be denied in case that there are reasons related to the protection of public order or security of the Republic of Serbia and its citizens and there are reasonable grounds to believe that the intended purpose of stay will not be used. 2

3 3. Immigration for Employment Purposes a) Conditions of entry and stay of foreign workers Foreign citizens may be employed if they have temporary or permanent residence in the Republic of Serbia and if they obtain a work permit. A description is provided below on the various permits and necessary procedures. Work permit Once a residence permit has been obtained, the foreigner can apply for a work permit. In order to obtain a work permit, the following documents should be submitted to the National Employment Service and the process usually takes seven days: - completed application form for the work permit; - written explanation on the company s need for a particular professional profile; - copy from a valid passport (pages with the photograph and approved residence permit). Types of work permits and duration Personal work permit A personal work permit is a work permit on the basis of which a foreigner can establish a work contract or some other agreement in accordance with the law for any employer on the territory of the Republic of Serbia and shall exercise the rights established by the regulations on employment. Employment permit On the basis of this permit, a foreigner can establish a work contract or some other agreement in accordance with the law with a particular employer to undertake work under the act of work organisation and classification. The permit is issued at the request of the employer, for whom the foreigner is to perform the job, in case that there no interested local citizens and equivalent persons who are registered as being unemployed. If the competent authorities determine that, based on the situation on the labour market, there will be a lack of certain professional profiles in the next two years, an employment permit can be issued for a period longer than two years, provided that the request for the employment of a foreigner is filed by the same employer for whom the foreigner has worked uninterrupted for at least one year. Business licenses This permit is issued for a foreign entrepreneur who has registered his/her activity in accordance with the law, and with which he/she can carry out work. A business permit is issued to a foreigner who has the status of founder, in accordance with law, to perform management tasks. The permit is issued for a period of no more than two years and may be extended if at the time of submitting the application for extension the conditions governing the issuance of business permits have been fulfilled. Renewal After 6 months, the foreigner has the right to renew his/her residence and work permit. The renewal process takes about two weeks. For more information on necessary information consult the MSC staff to provide you with necessary information, and/or visit the Ministry of Internal Affairs website at: 3

4 b) Job search websites If you wish to live and work in Serbia, before you apply for permit to work you would have to find a job in Serbia and provide necessary documents to prove you have a working contract from a Serbian or Serbian based employer. You may consult several job search websites in Serbia at: National Employment Service in Serbia at: 4. Immigration for Study Purposes a) Conditions of Entry and Stay for Students If a person wants to study in Serbia, he/she will need to obtain a temporary residence permit based on different conditions depending on whether a person wants to engage in studies, trainings, academic fellowships or language courses. Permits are issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia, Department for Foreigners. For a temporary stay to be granted on the grounds of studies or specialization, training and practice, in addition to the payment of the prescribed tax, it is necessary to submit a certificate issued by the faculty, school or other institution, and proof of the means of subsistence (acknowledgment of the provider of scholarship or of a bank). If permission for temporary stay is applied for on these grounds, foreigners are requested to submit the application within 3 days from the day of their arrival in Serbia. For more information on necessary information consult the MSC staff to provide you with necessary information and/or visit the Ministry of Internal Affairs website at: b) List of main universities and colleges: University of Belgrade University of Novi Sad University of Nis University of Kragujevac Belgrade Open School Petnica Science Centre 5. Residence Permit Residence permit As mentioned above, a person can obtain a temporary residence permit based on specific conditions. In addition to the conditions based on the working arrangement, a person can obtain a temporary residence permit based on: marriage with a citizen of Serbia (according to common law marriage), family reunion (for family members of Serbian citizens, and family members of foreigners with residence status in Serbia), medical treatments and a private visit. The procedure for granting permission for temporary stay on all grounds normally takes up to 15 days. 4

5 In order to obtain a residence permit, a foreigner must submit the following documents: - a valid passport; - registration of residence ("White Card "); - two photographs 4x 3cm format; - employment contract (in Serbian, where it notes that employment will begin after the residence permit has been obtained); - written explanation on the need for employment of foreign nationals printed with the company s letterhead (in Serbian, where it notes that employment will begin after the residence permit has been obtained, with information on how long it will last, job description and whether the foreigner receives a salary locally or from abroad); - decision of the Agency for Business Registers which verifies the registration information of the company and the latest changes. If the entity is a Representative Office, similar information can be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; - certificate of tax paid for the previous quarter. The Law on Movement and Stay of Foreigners regulates the issue of permanent residence of foreigners in the Republic of Serbia. Permanent residence can be granted to a foreigner: - whose immediate member of the family (spouse, child, parent) is a Serbian citizen or is a foreigner who is granted permanent residence; - who is married to a citizen of Serbia; - who is of Serbian descent; - has invested funds to carry out economic or other activities A foreigner must apply for permanent residence at the branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in his/her place of residence. The following documents must be submitted with the request: - a valid passport; - two photographs 4x3cm format; - health certificate; - certificate or other document of qualification (certified copy or translation); - Birth certificate (certified copy or translation); - Marriage certificate (certified copy or translation); - Registration of residence (regional police headquarters, police stations and police offices; - proof of means of subsistence. For more information on necessary information consult the MSC staff to provide you with necessary information and/or visit the Ministry of Internal Affairs website at: 6. Asylum Procedure A person has a right to apply for asylum in the Republic of Serbia. The issues of asylum are resolved in cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs Department of Border Police s Office for Asylum Issues and the UN High Commission for Refugees Mission (UNHCR) in Serbia. From mid-april 2008, asylum applications are determined only by the Department of Border Police s Office for Asylum. The process of resolving asylum issues does not take longer than two weeks, but may take longer due to some asylum seekers demands. For more information on necessary consult the MSC staff to provide you with necessary information and/or visit the Ministry of Internal Affairs website at: 5

6 7. Family Reunification The request for authorization for temporary residence for family reunification should be submitted by the foreigner a close family member of a citizen of the Republic of Serbia or a foreigner who has a permanent or temporary residence. According to the law, the following are considered as close family members: spouses, their minor children born between a married or unmarried couple, minor adoptees or stepchildren. Exceptionally, under the law, other relatives can also be considered as immediate family members, in case that there are important or humanitarian grounds for family reunification in the Republic of Serbia. The fulfilment of these conditions is regulated by the Minister in charge of internal affairs, with consent from the Minister in charge of social policy. 8. Health Care System According to the Law on Medical Insurance (2005), foreigners with residence permits based on different conditions (see above: sections 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.) have a right to medical insurance in the Republic of Serbia. Persons enjoying health insurance in Serbia are obliged to pay mandatory health insurance according to their financial possibilities. For detailed information see the website of Ministry of Health (Ministry of Health provides information in English language) and the website of Republican Department for Health Insurance: (the website does not provide information in English language. Note: for further information consult the MSC staff). 9. Social Insurance System The social insurance system in the Republic of Serbia is linked to the health insurance and care system. All the conditions for the health care for foreigners residing in Serbia apply accordingly to the social insurance system. See Section Housing For apartment/house rents: (English) (English) (Serbian only) 11. Recognition of Diplomas A person who wishes to continue his/her education in the Republic of Serbia is obliged to seek recognition of school certificates obtained abroad. The request is put forward by the interested party, while parents or guardians should make the request on behalf of minors. The procedure is initiated by filing a request by registered mail or in person at the reception desk (No. 1) of the Directorate of Joint Services of the Republican Authorities in Belgrade, Nemanjina Street 22. The Application Form can be obtained at the same counter, or at the seat of the School Administration of the Ministry of Education. A guide to recognition of foreign school diplomas and certificates is available at the website of the Ministry of Education and Science (in Serbian only): 6

7 12. Support Services Offered to Migrants IOM in the Republic of Serbia Address: Drziceva 11, Belgrade, Serbia Tel.: Website: Novi Sad Humanitarian Centre Address:, Arse Teodorovica 3, Novi Sad, Serbia Tel.: ( ) Website: Serbian Refugee Council Address: Admirala Geprata 8/35, Belgrade, Serbia Tel./Fax: Anti-trafficking Centre Address: Resavska ¼, Belgrade, Serbia Tel./Fax: Mob.: Website: NGO ATINA Address: Milutina Bojica 3, Belgrade, Serbia Tel.: Website: Acquisition of Nationality Serbian citizenship laws are based on the principle of descent which means that citizenship is acquired at birth if one parent is a Serbian citizen, or by adoption by a Serbian citizen, or by naturalization through application (through marriage with a Serbian citizen, or a person with a permanent residence permit). The application for citizenship is submitted to the Consular Departments in the Embassies of Serbia (if based outside of Serbia) or Ministry of Internal Affairs if in Serbia. For further information visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: Other Useful Contacts and Information For the list of the Embassies and Consular Departments of the Republic of Serbia in your respective country, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: Embassy in Albania Donika Kastrioti 9/1, TIRANA Tel.: / , ambatira@icc-al.org Website: 7

8 Embassy in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia St. Pitu Guli 8, SKOPJE Tel.: / , , , srbamb@unet.com.mk Website: Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina Obala Maka Dizdara 3a Sarajevo Ambassador, Grujica Spasovic Tel.: / , srbamba@bih.net.ba 8