Serbia work permit for Bangladeshi, Nepali and Indian workers: the unified permit explained

Short answer: Since 1 February 2024 most foreign workers in Serbia need one unified permit for residence and work, applied for online, and workers from Bangladesh, Nepal and India usually first enter on a D visa based on a real job offer from a Serbian employer.

Thousands of workers from Bangladesh, Nepal and India now come to Serbia for jobs in construction, factories, delivery, warehouses and hotels. The rules changed in 2024, and many agents still explain them wrongly. This guide gives you the basic picture in plain English, based on the official government portal.

We cannot give legal advice for your case. But after reading this you will know the main steps, the right words, and where to check every claim yourself.

Facts below were checked against official Serbian sources as of November 2026.

The short version

1. A real Serbian employer offers you a job.
2. You get a D visa for employment (long-stay visa) before you travel.
3. You arrive and your address is registered with the police (the white card).
4. You or your employer apply online for the unified permit (residence + work).
5. The decision should come within 15 days of a complete application.
6. The permit can be valid for up to three years and can be extended.

The most important word in this list is real. Everything depends on a genuine employer and a genuine contract.

What the unified permit is

Before 2024, a foreign worker in Serbia needed two things: a temporary residence permit and a separate work permit from the National Employment Service. That took a long time.

Since 1 February 2024, Serbia uses one combined document called the unified permit. In Serbian: jedinstvena dozvola, or the "permit for temporary residence and work".

Key facts from the official portal welcometoserbia.gov.rs:

• One application covers both residence and work.
• It is submitted electronically through the eForeigner portal: eforeigner.welcometoserbia.gov.rs.
• A decision is made within 15 days from a complete ("orderly") application.
• It can be issued for up to three years (36 months), based on your contract and evidence.
• The foreigner can apply, or the employer can apply on the worker's behalf, even for several workers at once.

Step 1: a real job offer

Everything starts with the employer. A Serbian company that wants to hire you will usually prepare:

• an invitation letter;
• a proposed or signed employment contract;
• the company's registration certificate;
• an extract from its job systematization (list of positions), or a statement if it has fewer than 10 employees.

You will often need your diploma or qualification, with a certified translation.

How to check that the employer exists

Ask for the company's full legal name and its registration number (matični broj). Then search it on the Serbian Business Registers Agency website, apr.gov.rs. If you cannot find the company, or the details do not match the contract, stop and ask questions.

Step 2: the D visa for employment

Citizens of Bangladesh, Nepal and India need a visa to enter Serbia. For work, the right visa is the D visa (long stay), purpose: employment.

According to the official D visa page, you can apply:

• online, through the e-Application Visa portal linked from welcometoserbia.gov.rs, or
• in person at a Serbian embassy or consulate, with a printed form.

Documents listed for all applicants include:

The embassy can ask for more documents. Serbia does not have an embassy in every South Asian country, so check which mission covers your country on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Many South Asian applicants are served by the Serbian embassy in New Delhi, but confirm this for your passport before you book anything.

We do not list visa fees here because they change. Ask the embassy or check the official visa portal.

Step 3: arrival and police registration

When you land, your address must be registered with the police within 24 hours. Usually your employer, landlord or hotel does this. You get a stamped paper called the white card.

Do not skip this. It is needed for the unified permit. Read our full guide: white card and police registration in Serbia.

Step 4: applying for the unified permit

The application goes through the eForeigner portal. If you need a visa to enter Serbia (as South Asian workers do), you come first on the D visa. If someone does not need a visa, the portal says they may apply after arriving.

Things to prepare (your employer will tell you the exact list for your case):

• your passport and a copy of the visa page;
• the white card (address registration);
• the employment contract;
• the employer's documents;
• proof of health insurance (an employee is normally insured through the employer once employed);
• a recent photo;
• proof of paying the administrative fees.

After approval, you receive a residence permit card for foreigners. Keep it safe. You will use it for the bank, your SIM card and almost every office. See opening a bank account in Serbia for the next step.

Your rights as a worker

Once you are legally employed, you are covered by Serbian labour law like other employees. Some basics to know:

• You should have a written contract in a language you understand, or a translation.
• Your salary must be paid into a bank account, with a payslip.
• Your employer pays social contributions (pension, health). Ask for proof that you are registered.
• You can change employer, but your permit is tied to your work, so the new employer must handle the paperwork. Ask before you leave a job.

Keep copies of everything: contract, payslips, permit card and white card. Store photos on your phone and in email.

Warnings: agents, fees and scams

Many workers lose money before they ever reach Serbia. Watch for these signs:

1. "Guaranteed visa" for a big fee. Nobody can guarantee a visa. Only the embassy decides.
2. No company name, or a company you cannot find in APR. A real employer has a registration number.
3. "Come on a tourist visa, we fix the work permit later." This is dangerous. Work needs the correct visa and permit.
4. The contract you see at home is different from the one in Serbia. Ask for the contract before you travel, and keep a copy.
5. They keep your passport. Your employer should not hold your passport. You may need to show it to police at any time.
6. Payment only in cash, no receipt. Always ask for receipts and written agreements.

If something feels wrong, check the employer on apr.gov.rs, read the official rules on welcometoserbia.gov.rs, and contact your country's embassy. Bangladesh, Nepal and India each have government bodies for overseas workers at home; use them before you pay an agent.

How long it takes and what it costs

Timing has three parts:

• D visa: depends on the embassy. Apply early.
• Arrival and white card: within 24 hours of arrival.
• Unified permit: a decision within 15 days of a complete application, according to the official portal.

Costs include the visa fee, administrative fees for the permit and the permit card, translations and travel. Exact amounts change, so ask the embassy and check the eForeigner portal. In many cases the employer covers part of the cost; get this in writing.

Once you are settled, plan your budget with our cost of living in Belgrade guide. Hello Serbia also keeps a papers checklist in the app, so you can track what is done and what is still missing.

Official places to check

• Welcome to Serbia (official portal, English available): welcometoserbia.gov.rs
• D visa for employment: welcometoserbia.gov.rs/d-visa-purpose-of-stay-employment
• eForeigner (unified permit applications): eforeigner.welcometoserbia.gov.rs
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa rules by country): mfa.gov.rs
• Business Registers Agency (check an employer): apr.gov.rs

Last checked November 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and procedures can change; confirm details with the official portal, the embassy or a licensed lawyer.

Official sources

• Welcome to Serbia: information on the unified permit
• Welcome to Serbia: D visa, purpose of stay employment
• eForeigner e-application portal
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia: visa regime
• Serbian Business Registers Agency (APR)

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules, prices and phone numbers can change. We last checked it in November 2026. Always confirm with the official source before you act.