Serbia spouse and partner visa

Three closer bases concern Serbian citizens: marriage with a Serbian citizen, an extramarital union with a Serbian citizen, and kinship with a Serbian citizen. A marriage concluded abroad is proved with the foreign marriage certificate; the residence documents mention an extract from the Serbian marriage register and the spouse’s citizenship record at the stage of permanent residence. An extramarital union requires proof that both partners are unmarried and evidence that the union is lasting.

For the D visa as the spouse of a Serbian citizen you submit the completed form (if applying at a mission), passport, photo, fee, an invitation letter, proof of adequate and valid health insurance, proof of means of subsistence and the marriage certificate. Partners in an extramarital union submit, instead of the marriage certificate, proof of their own unmarried status and that of the Serbian partner, plus evidence such as the partners’ statements, certified statements of two witnesses, proof of a common address or an extract from a register of unions. Relatives submit a translated birth certificate.

The temporary residence request uses the same evidence with a passport valid three months beyond the period requested and the landlord’s statement for the address. The means can be shown by the Serbian spouse’s certified guarantee together with proof of their income or savings.

Spouses who need a visa apply for the D visa for family reunification at a mission or online, paying EUR 50, and then for temporary residence on the same ground while the visa is valid. Visa-exempt spouses enter without a visa and request temporary residence directly, online on Welcome to Serbia or in person at the police foreigners’ office. The request fee is RSD 430 and the approval fee for marriage, extramarital union or kinship with a Serbian citizen is RSD 11,725, half the standard RSD 23,450. Biometric data are given after approval.

Request extensions between three months before and the day of expiry. After three years of continuous temporary residence you can apply for permanent residence in person at the police, with the extract from the marriage register and the spouse’s citizenship record. A minor child whose parent is a Serbian citizen can receive permanent residence without the three-year condition. A foreigner with permanent residence may then apply for Serbian citizenship at the competent police station.

Foreigners granted temporary residence for family reunification with a Serbian citizen have the legally approved right to work without a single permit; the residence card records whether the holder may work. You must still live in line with the ground of your residence. If the marriage or union ends during the permit, contact the police foreigners’ office to clarify your status and possible change of ground.

Temporary residence is refused, for example, if the passport is valid less than three months beyond the period requested, if evidence was falsified or obtained illegally, or if there is justified suspicion that the stay will not be used for its purpose. Under the Law on Foreigners you can appeal within 15 days of receiving the decision, in Serbian and with the fee; the appeal suspends enforcement.