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Expand your global workforce in Serbia

Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs and local labor laws in Serbia.

Capital

Belgrade

Currency

Serbian dinar (RSD)

Languages

Serbian

GDP per Capita

$10,075.08

Employer Tax

16.15%

Payroll Frequency

Monthly

Talent overview

Serbia’s economy relies heavily on the service sector. It has accounted for 51.5% of the country’s GDP and has provided jobs for 57% of their workforce in 2021. Tourism is seen as the main driver for the service sector. Moreover, the IT industry in Serbia has been drastically growing and has made up 6.9% of the country’s GDP.

Major economic hubs:

Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš

Skills in demand:

Computer Science and IT jobs, (Java and JavaScript developer, Net developer, and PHP developer) Sales, and Engineering

Top local universities in Serbia

Uni1 43

Univerzitet u Beogradu

RANKING

Local: 1

World : 519

Uni2 38

Univerzitet u Novom Sadu

RANKING

Local: 2

World : 1182

Uni3 33

Univerzitet u Nišu

RANKING

Local: 3

World : 1954

Uni4 35

Univerzitet u Kragujevcu

RANKING

Local: 4

World : 3100

Uni5 31

Universiteti i Prishtinës

RANKING

Local: 5

World : 4749

Top Local Job Boards:

Poslovi InfostudPoslovi.rs, Lako do posla

Number of LinkedIn users:

1,145,000

Top Recruitment Agencies:

BPS World, Omnes Group, FindIT

Where to find talent

Top Local Job Boards:

Number of LinkedIn users:

Top Recruitment Agencies:

Salary Data

The below table mentions some common jobs in Serbia with average monthly Salary;

Job Title Average Monthly Salary (RSD) Average Monthly Salary (in USD)
Account Manager  149,000 1,363.78
Software Engineer 128,000 1171.57
Data Analyst 123,000 1,125.81
Graphic Designer 81,600 746.88
Project Manager 145,000 1,327.17
Sales Manager 237,000 2,169.24

Employ in Serbia

Employing in Serbia

Every employee in Serbia is protected by the country’s labor laws and regulation. Employers must have a thorough understanding with these rules for the benefit of their Serbian constituents. Below are some basic information you need to know when onboarding workers from the country.

Employee Contract

Employment contracts in Serbia must strictly be in writing. It must be written in a language that all parties understand. However, it has been a common practice to draw contracts in the Serbian language.

Probation Period

The Probation period in Serbia is 6 months.

Public and Provincial Holidays 2024

Date Local name Name
Mon 01/01/2024 Nova Godina New Year’s Day
Tue 02/01/2024 Nova Godina New Year’s Day
Sun 07/01/2024 Božić Christmas Day
Thu 15/02/2024 Dan državnosti Srbije Statehood Day
Fri 16/02/2024 Dan državnosti Srbije Statehood Day
Wed 01/05/2024 Praznik rada Labour Day
Thu 02/05/2024 Praznik rada Labour Day
Fri 03/05/2024 Veliki petak Good Friday
Sun 05/05/2024 Vaskrs (Uskrs) Easter Sunday
Mon 06/05/2024 Vaskrsni (Uskrsni) ponedeljak Easter Monday
Mon 11/11/2024 Dan primirja Armistice Day

Employee Leaves

Type of Leave Time Period Mandatory
Annual Leave 20 days Yes
Sick Leave 30 days Yes
Maternity Leave 365 days Yes

Leave Compliance

Payroll in

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Payroll cycle

Payroll in Serbia is paid once every month.

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Minimum wage

The minimum wage in Serbia varies depending on the employees’ working hours, as stated below:

Read more

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Overtime pay

Employees in Serbia are entitled to a pay for every extra hour they have rendered. The additional pay rate must not be below 26% of their hourly rate.

How taxes work

Employer Payroll Tax

Type of Contribution Tax rate
Pension and disability insurance 11%
Health Insurance 5.15%

Employee Payroll Tax

Type of Contribution Tax rate
Pension and disability insurance 14%
Health Insurance 5.15%
Unemployment Insurance 0.75%

Employee Income Tax

Income Level Tax rate
3x to 6x the average annual salary 10%
6x the average annual salary and more 15%

VAT

The standard VAT rate in Serbia is 20%

Bonus

13th Month Pay

Serbian employers are not required to provide a 13th month pay for their employees. They may, however, do so at their own discretion.

Employee Benefits

Serbian employees are entitled to varying benefits upon employment. Below are some of them:

  • Statutory Leaves
  • Social Security benefits
  • Unemployment insurance
  • Pension and Retirement
  • Disability Benefits
  • Health Insurance
  • Unemployment Insurance

Employee offboarding

Termination of employment in Serbia may occur in the following scenarios:

  • Contract reaches its expiration;
  • Employees reach the age of 65 and have rendered the required minimum 15 years of retirement insurance.
  • Employer and employee mutual agreement
  • Employment contract has been terminated by either party
  • Death of the employee

An employee’s notice period is generally 15 days. But for employees under probation period, a 14-day notice period is observed

Severance pay in Serbia is as follows:

Years of Service Severance Pay Calculation
10 years ⅓ of employees’ average salary x years of service
10 years and above ¼ of employees’ average salary x years of service
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Visa and
immigration

Foreign employees in Serbia must secure a work permit to work in the country. The Validity of these documents can be from 3 to 12 months and may be renewed upon expiration. Additionally, they must also apply for a residence permit to legally stay in Serbia for employment purposes.

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