The Republic of Serbia and People’s Republic of China signed the Social Security Agreement (“Treaty“) which entered into force on 1 February 2021. Chinese citizens employed with Chinese companies but working in Serbia will be exempt from mandatory pension and unemployment insurance contributions in Serbia, while Serbian companies and Serbian employees will enjoy the same treatment in China.
The Treaty allows Chinese citizens seconded to Serbia to obtain a work permit for a longer period of time than stipulated under the Serbian national legislation, i.e. for up to 60 months and in exceptional cases for additional 24 months subject to the approval of the relevant Serbian and Chinese authorities. For Chinese citizens already working in Serbia, this 60 + 24-month period counts from 1 February 2021, meaning that the period they worked in Serbia prior to that date does not count towards maximum total duration of work permit.
