White Card in Serbia: Who Registers a Foreigner's Stay and Within What Deadline
A practical guide for foreigners, hosts and landlords: what the white card is, who registers a foreigner's stay and where the registration is filed in Serbia.
The "white card" (beli karton) is the common name for the certificate confirming that a foreigner's stay in Serbia has been registered. It is neither a residence permit nor a work permit. If you have just checked into a hotel, a rented flat or a friend's home, the registration is as a rule filed by the accommodation provider or the host, within 24 hours.
This article is based on the Serbian Law on Foreigners (Zakon o strancima). It is intended for foreigners and for the people who host them or rent them accommodation, and it is general information. Whether further residence steps are needed depends on the reason for coming to Serbia and the circumstances of the specific case.
What the white card is and what it is for
In practice, the certificate confirming registration of a foreigner's stay is often called the white card. It confirms that the foreigner's place of stay has been registered at a particular address. In other words, it records where the foreigner is staying, but the certificate itself does not authorise a longer stay in Serbia or the right to work.
Under Article 110 of the Law on Foreigners, the place of stay is the place and address where a foreigner stays for more than 24 hours. That is why registration matters from the very first day after arrival, especially when the foreigner is not just passing through Serbia but staying in accommodation.
The white card should not be confused with approval of temporary residence or with the single permit for residence and work. Those are separate procedures and separate statuses. The certificate of a registered address can be important for later administrative steps, but it does not replace them.
For example, a Russian citizen can enter Serbia without a visa. Even so, visa-free entry does not change the rules on registering the place of stay when the person stays at an address for more than 24 hours. If, after arriving, the foreigner plans to arrange a longer stay or work, the relevant procedure for their specific purpose of stay should be checked separately.
Who registers the stay, depending on the type of accommodation
The basic rule in Article 111 of the Law on Foreigners is that the registration is not always filed by the foreigner. Who files it depends on where and on what basis the foreigner is staying. For hotels and private rentals for payment, the obligation lies with the person providing the accommodation. For visits, the registration is filed by the host the foreigner is staying with.
Tenants and landlords should confirm right after moving in who will actually file the registration and when. That arrangement makes things easier, but it does not change the legal obligation of the person providing accommodation for payment. It is not wise to assume the other side will file the registration without agreeing on it first.
| Accommodation situation | Who files the registration | Deadline starts |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel or other accommodation for payment | Accommodation provider | From the time the accommodation service begins |
| Flat rented for payment | Landlord or other person letting the flat | From the time the accommodation service begins |
| Visiting friends or family | The natural person the foreigner is visiting | From arrival for the visit |
| Foreigner does not use paid accommodation and is not staying with a host | The foreigner | From entry into Serbia or from the day the place of stay changes |
If you are staying in a hotel or other paid accommodation
The place of stay is registered by the hotel, another legal entity, a sole proprietor or a natural person who provides the foreigner with accommodation for payment. This also covers the situation where the foreigner rents a flat for payment from a private individual.
The deadline is 24 hours from the time the accommodation service begins. A foreigner staying in a hotel or a paid apartment should therefore check that the registration has actually been arranged, but the registration rule places the obligation on the accommodation provider. The same applies when the accommodation is provided by a company or sole proprietor offering accommodation services.
If you are staying with friends, family or in a rented flat
When a foreigner visits a friend or family member, the registration is filed by the person the foreigner is visiting. The deadline is 24 hours from arrival.
The host may authorise another person, including the foreigner, to actually carry out the registration. However, an authorisation does not mean the question of who is legally obliged to register can be ignored. The host and guest should agree on who will go to the competent authority and check before the deadline expires that it has been done.
The situation is different with a rented flat. If the foreigner uses the flat under a rental for payment, the registration is filed by the person providing the accommodation, that is, the landlord or another person letting the flat. The name of the contract or a verbal arrangement should not obscure the basic fact: this is accommodation provided for payment.
The law also provides for a narrower situation in which the foreigner registers the stay themselves. This applies when they are not using accommodation provided by someone for payment and are not staying at a private address with a host. In that case, the foreigner files the registration within 24 hours of entering Serbia or of the day the place of stay changes. If it is unclear whether a particular way of using a property falls under this situation, do not assume in advance who has to register.
The 24-hour deadline and where to file
The 24-hour deadline is calculated according to the accommodation circumstances. For a hotel, landlord or other provider of accommodation for payment, it starts from the time the accommodation service begins. For a host receiving a foreign visitor, the deadline starts from the guest's arrival. When the foreigner must file the registration themselves, the deadline starts from entry into Serbia or from the day the place of stay changes.
When the registration is filed in person, it is filed with the police administration or police station responsible for the accommodation address. Knowing only the city where the foreigner is staying is therefore not enough: the specific accommodation address is what matters.
If the foreigner moves to a new flat, goes to a hotel or relocates to another city, the place of stay must be registered again according to the new situation. A previous registration does not replace registration at the new address.
This obligation should be distinguished from a change of residential address by a foreigner who already holds temporary residence. Article 110 of the Law on Foreigners provides that a foreigner on temporary residence must notify the competent authority of a change of residential address within three days. Staying at another address for personal, business or other reasons for no more than 15 days is not considered a change of residential address in that sense.
For a foreigner with permanent residence, the same article sets a deadline of eight days to register a change of domicile. Those rules apply to different status situations and should not be confused with the initial registration of the place of stay in the first 24 hours after arrival or after a change of accommodation.
What to prepare for registering the place of stay
Before going to the police administration or police station, prepare the foreigner's travel document and accurate accommodation details, above all the address where the foreigner actually stays. These are the basic details without which the registration cannot reliably be filed. Keep the certificate of registration, as it may be needed for later administrative steps.
There is no safe universal list of attachments that fits every situation. The documents and procedure may differ depending on whether the registration is filed by a natural person receiving a visitor, a natural person letting accommodation for payment, a legal entity, a sole proprietor or the foreigner in the exceptional situation where they are the one who must register.
It is therefore practical to check with the police administration responsible for the accommodation address what is required for your particular case before filing. Do not rely on document lists from forums or on another tenant's experience: the type of accommodation and the identity of the person filing can matter. If you are renting a flat, the landlord and tenant should agree straight away when the registration will be filed and whether the certificate has been obtained.
Can the white card be registered online?
Yes. Article 111 of the Law on Foreigners provides for electronic registration of the place of stay through the eUprava portal (the Serbian e-government portal). However, electronic registration is not automatically available to everyone with internet access. The person filing must have electronic identification of at least a medium level of assurance.
In practice, first check who is legally responsible for registering the specific accommodation, and then whether that very person meets the conditions for using the electronic service. This is especially important with private rentals, where the foreigner may expect the landlord to file the registration while the landlord may not have electronic identification set up.
If those conditions are not met, or it is unclear whether the electronic route suits your situation, the registration can be filed in person with the police administration or police station responsible for the accommodation address. Do not wait for a technical question to be resolved after the 24-hour deadline has passed.
The white card, temporary residence and the single permit are not the same
The certificate of registration records the address where the foreigner is staying. Temporary residence is a separate status decided in a separate procedure, and the single permit covers residence and work. Registering the place of stay is therefore not a substitute for either temporary residence or the single permit.
Still, the order matters. Under Article 43 of the Law on Foreigners, an application for approval or extension of temporary residence must be accompanied by, among other things, the registration of the place of stay or residential address. That is why the certificate of registration is often the first administrative step for a foreigner who, after arriving and finding accommodation, needs to arrange their further status.
This does not mean that every foreigner who receives the certificate must apply for temporary residence or a single permit. Whether that is needed depends on the purpose of coming and the specific circumstances of staying and working in Serbia. For example, a foreigner who has come to visit a friend for a short time is not necessarily in the same position as someone who wants to take up employment and stay longer.
If, after registering the address, a next step is needed to arrange residence or work, the relevant questions fall within the area of foreigners' rights. A specific rule from Article 110 of the Law on Foreigners also applies to a foreigner with permanent residence: a change of domicile must be registered within eight days. That deadline should not be confused with the initial registration of the place of stay or with the temporary residence procedure.
What if the registration was not filed on time
A missed registration should not be ignored. It can lead to liability for a misdemeanour and can also complicate a later procedure when the registered address needs to be proven in order to arrange residence. Whether and how the competent authority will act depends on the facts of the specific case.
Article 120 of the Law on Foreigners prescribes a fine of RSD 5,000 to 150,000 for a natural person who provides a foreigner with accommodation or receives them as a visitor and does not register the stay within the prescribed deadline. For a sole proprietor, the fine is RSD 10,000 to 500,000. For a legal entity, the fine is RSD 50,000 to 2,000,000, and for the responsible person in the legal entity RSD 5,000 to 150,000.
In addition to the fine, the offender may also be subject to a protective measure banning them from providing accommodation services to foreigners. If the foreigner was in the situation where, under Article 111 paragraph 3, they had to register the stay themselves and failed to do so, the prescribed fine is RSD 5,000 to 150,000.
If the deadline has already passed, first establish the basic facts: where the foreigner stayed, since when, who was obliged to register given the type of accommodation, and whether the address has changed in the meantime. Do not assume the problem has disappeared just because the foreigner later changed hotel, flat or city. A closer review is justified if a misdemeanour notice has already been issued, if misdemeanour proceedings are being initiated, if the landlord refuses to register, or if the certificate is needed for a later residence procedure.
This article is general information, and the consequences and the appropriate course of action depend on the circumstances of the specific case. To have such a situation reviewed, you can get in touch through the law firm's contact page.
In the first 24 hours after arrival, check five things: the type of accommodation, the person filing the registration, the foreigner's travel document, the address details and how the registration will be filed. When the conditions for electronic registration are met, it can be filed through eUprava. Otherwise, it is filed with the competent police administration or police station for the accommodation address. Then keep the certificate.
If the registration needs to precede an application for temporary residence or a single permit, if the deadline has been missed or if the landlord refuses to register, the specific facts need to be reviewed before taking the next step.
Frequently asked questions
What is the white card?
The white card (beli karton) is the common name for the certificate confirming that a foreigner's place of stay has been registered at a particular address in Serbia. It records where the foreigner is staying, but on its own it does not give the right to a longer stay or the right to work. Registration of the place of stay is governed by the Law on Foreigners and should be distinguished from the procedure for approval of temporary residence or a single permit. The foreigner should keep the certificate and the registration details, especially if they later apply for something related to their residence. If the registration was missed or the address is unclear, do not assume the matter is settled without checking the specific status.
Who has to register a foreigner's stay in Serbia?
As a rule, the registration is filed by the accommodation provider, that is, the person or entity with whom the foreigner is staying. For a hotel, hostel or other registered accommodation, the registration is usually done by the establishment itself. With private accommodation, it is important to establish who is formally the host and who controls the address where the foreigner actually stays. In certain circumstances the foreigner may also be obliged to take part in the registration or to file it directly. It is therefore not enough to rely on a verbal arrangement with the flat owner. Check that the registration has actually been recorded and keep the certificate.
Does the flat owner register a foreign tenant?
The flat owner may be the person who registers a foreign tenant when they provide the foreigner with accommodation in their flat. This depends not only on whether there is a lease agreement, but also on how the flat is actually used and on the role of the owner or another host in the registration. The tenant should not assume the registration has been made just because they signed a contract or received the keys. It helps to agree in advance who will file the registration, which details and documents need to be prepared, and whether the certificate has been issued. If several foreigners use the flat, each person's status should be looked at separately.
Where is a foreigner's stay registered?
When the registration is filed in person, it is filed with the police administration or police station responsible for the foreigner's accommodation address. What matters is the specific address where the foreigner actually stays, not just the city. If the foreigner moves to a new flat, goes to a hotel or relocates to another city, the place of stay is registered again at the new address, because a previous registration does not replace registration at the new address. Keep the certificate of registration, as it may be needed for later administrative steps.
Can the white card be registered online through eUprava?
Yes. Article 111 of the Law on Foreigners provides for electronic registration of the place of stay, filed through the eUprava portal. The person filing must have electronic identification of at least a medium level of assurance. So first check who is legally responsible for registering the specific accommodation (the landlord, the host or, exceptionally, the foreigner), and then whether that very person meets the conditions for the electronic service. If they do not, the registration is filed in person with the police administration or police station responsible for the accommodation address, within 24 hours.
Is the white card the same as temporary residence or a single permit?
No. The white card confirms registration of the address where the foreigner stays, while temporary residence is approval for a foreigner to stay in Serbia on a basis provided for by the Law on Foreigners. The single permit concerns arranging residence and work when a foreigner intends to work in Serbia, in line with the rules on employment of foreigners. The order of these steps and the need for a particular permit depend on citizenship, the purpose of coming, the planned length of stay and the type of work. For example, a registered address does not mean the foreigner has thereby acquired the right to work. When the stay comes before employment, setting up a company or a longer stay, an individual legal review is useful.
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