Belgrade Center for Human Rights: Implementation of Law on Employment of Foreigners Still Not Enabled

The Belgrade Center for Human Rights has announced today that employers are still not enabled to request a single residence and work permit for foreigners according to the Law on the Employment of Foreigners which came into effect on February 1 this year.

– Ten days from the coming into effect of this law, the online app for the single residence and work permit has started working, but it is still not possible for employers to carry out the payment and thereby, on behalf of their employees, request the single permit – the Belgrade Center says.

According to the Law on the Employment of Foreigners, as said, facilitated access to realizing the right to labor should be enabled for refugees and asylum seekers in Serbia. In a single procedure at the Ministry of Interior of Serbia, foreigners will be able to simultaneously realize the right to a temporary stay and the right to work.

The single residence permit, according to that law, should be issued electronically, and the administrative procedure of employing foreigners should be shortened to 15 days, compared to the previous duration of two months.

In July last year, the National Assembly of Serbia also adopted the amendments to the Law on Foreigners, so persons with an approved asylum status in Serbia also realize access to permanent residence.

That law opens the possibility to enable a permanent residence to a foreigner who has stayed in Serbia for an uninterrupted period of over three years, based on the recognized right to an asylum.

– This category of foreigners thereby got less strict conditions for the approval of permanent residence in Serbia compared to other foreigners. Based on the amendments to the Law on Foreigners, these persons, after they have their permanent residence approved, are enabled to also realize the right to a personal ID card for foreigners – the Belgrade Cetner said.

They point out that the legal possibility of access to permanent residence for refugees is a big positive step for the asylum system in Serbia.

Beogradski centar za ljudska prava

Belgrade Center for Human Rights

employment of foreigners

Law on the Employment of Foreigners

single residence and work permit

right to an asylum