Once a company starts building in Serbia, the question arises: do you send your own people from the DACH region for a few months, or hire locally? For posting existing employees there are clear rules worth setting up correctly from the start.
Social security. Serbia has social security agreements with Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Posted employees can therefore remain insured in their home system for the duration of the assignment. The proof is the posting certificate, within the EU the A1 certificate, from Switzerland the corresponding equivalent. It is requested before departure.
Residence and work. Serbia has modernised the procedure: residence and work permits are applied for as a single permit (jedinstvena dozvola), increasingly online. Short visits fall under the visa-free period; genuine work on the ground requires the permit.
What matters in practice
- Apply for the posting certificate before the assignment starts, not retroactively.
- Clarify whether the local d.o.o. is the employer or the parent company.
- Keep deadlines and permit renewals in view.
- Plan for family members early: relocation, schooling, health insurance.
In practice a mixed model often works best: an experienced leader on site who owns the build-up, with a locally hired team below. That is exactly the role we take on through our interim management.
This is general information and does not replace legal advice; agreements and deadlines can change.