A Place to Call Home? Addressing foreign nationals’ challenges to entering, residing and working in Serbia

Living in a foreign country means gaining exposure to diverse cultural perspectives, as well as sharing personal and professional contributions across the world. Although the prospects of embarking in international adventures are appealing to many, there are several practical obstacles that may prevent a foreigner from travelling internationally and settling abroad. More specifically, foreign citizens’ journey to entering, residing and working in Serbia can be disrupted by different obstacles, mainly concerning the availability of clear and accessible information on travelling and living in Serbia on institutional websites. While responsible authorities acknowledge these issues and claim to be making significant efforts to improve services, remaining obstacles can still negatively influence foreign nationals’ decision to move to Serbia. These challenges in attracting foreign workers could also have negative effects on Serbia’s growing economy, an awareness that urges policymakers not only to continue improving successful reforms, but also to address remaining weaknesses.

The need to attract foreigners is deemed as a priority given that Serbia is traversing an economic growth phase, with GDP projected to increase between 3% and 4% in the next years, and at the same time dealing with a rapidly ageing population. This evidence seems to motivate the Government as well, with high officials highlighting the need to import as much labour as possible from other regions of the world in the coming years. Welcoming foreigners, however, can go far beyond economic progress, and initiate a process of mutual exchange of resources, good practices, skills and diverse cultural perspectives between Serbia and the rest of the globe. Ultimately, in a world faced by unprecedented environmental, geopolitical and economic crises, building international connections is one of the ways forward.