The Minister of Interior has enacted the Rules on Fulfillment of Conditions for Approval of Temporary Residence to Foreigners with respect to Health Insurance (Pravilnik o ispunjenosti uslova za odobrenje privremenog boravka stranaca u pogledu zdravstvenog osiguranja) (“Rules”), implementing the provisions of the new Law on Foreigners which mandate obtaining health insurance as a condition for the issuance of a temporary residence permit to a foreigner. According to the Rules, a foreigner must have one of the following: (i) an international health insurance policy, (ii) a document evidencing that the foreigner is insured in his/her home country, provided that Serbia and the foreigner’s home country are parties to the bilateral treaty on mutual recognition of health and social insurance (The Department for Foreigners maintains the list of countries with which Serbia has such treaties), (iii) a voluntary health insurance policy issued by an insurer in Serbia, (iv) a mandatory health insurance certificate issued in Serbia (e.g. applicable to foreigners employed in Serbia), or (v) evidence that the applicant has sufficient funds to cover medical costs and expenses incurred during the applicant’s stay in Serbia. The Rules do not affect existing residence permits. However, any request for extension of a temporary residence permit would have to be made in compliance with the Rules.
