Ukraine and Serbia are both outside the EU and Schengen, and both require a visa for a Pakistani passport. Serbia issues a single residence-and-work card, applied for online only since February 2024. In Ukraine the employer files the work permit (decision in 7 working days), then you take a D-04 visa (USD 404) and a residence card.
Ukraine and Serbia side by side
Every line carries its source. Serbian fees and processing terms are left out: the official pages we checked do not state them.
| Point | Ukraine | Serbia |
|---|---|---|
| EU and Schengen | Outside the EU and the Schengen area | Outside the EU and the Schengen areaEuropean Commission: Schengen is 25 EU states plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein |
| Entry visa, Pakistani passport | Type D work visa (D-04), USD 404; decided within 10 working days, up to 30 with extra checksEmbassy tariff; Resolution 118, para. 19 | Visa required for ordinary passports; diplomatic and official passports exempt up to 30 daysMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia |
| Who files | The Ukrainian employer files with the State Employment Service; decision within 7 working daysLaw 5067-VI, Art. 42-6 | The foreign national, or the employer on their behalf, online only on the Portal for Foreign CitizensGovernment of Serbia, 2 December 2024 |
| What you receive | Temporary residence permit issued in Ukraine within 15 working days; lasts as long as the jobResolution 322, para. 5 | One biometric card, the single permit for temporary residence and work, in use since 1 February 2024Government of Serbia |
| What is published | Every permit decision is published on the employment centre site within 2 working daysLaw 5067-VI, Art. 42-7 | 34,146 single permits approved through the portal from 1 February to 30 November 2024Government of Serbia |
Serbian facts checked on mfa.gov.rs, srbija.gov.rs and home-affairs.ec.europa.eu on 31 October 2026.
How Serbia’s single permit works
Since 1 February 2024 Serbia combines temporary residence and work into one biometric card. Applications go exclusively electronically through the Portal for Foreign Citizens, either by the foreign national, who needs an electronic-identification account, or by an employer on the worker’s behalf through its eGovernment account. By 30 November 2024 the government counted 34,146 approvals.
The visa step comes first for a Pakistani passport: the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists a visa requirement for ordinary passports. A recruiter selling a “Serbia work permit” should name the Serbian employer and the visa you will travel on.
What the Ukrainian route gives you
- Terms written into law. Work permit within 7 working days (Art. 42-6), D-04 visa within 10 (Resolution 118), residence card within 15 (Resolution 322).
- The fee on the employer. The permit fee is the employer’s, 3 to 10 subsistence minimums by term (Art. 42-4); a “permit fee” asked from you is a warning sign.
- A permit you can check. Each decision is published within 2 working days (Art. 42-7). See how to verify a Ukrainian employer.
- A route to permanence. Five years of continuous TRP on work or founder grounds lead to an immigration permit and a 10-year card (Law “On Immigration”, Art. 4); your spouse and minor children can join you once your TRP is issued.
The documents are in Ukraine work visa requirements for Pakistani applicants; the visa costs are in Ukraine visa fees from Pakistan.
Which route fits whom
Ukraine fits when
- a registered Ukrainian employer is ready to file
- you want each stage on a statutory clock and a published permit
- you plan to stay: five years of TRP open the immigration permit
Serbia fits when
- a Serbian employer will file the single permit online for you
- you hold the Serbian visa your entry needs
- one card for residence and work suits your plan
Questions about Ukraine vs Serbia
Is Ukraine or Serbia better for a Pakistani worker?
Do Pakistani citizens need a visa for Serbia?
What is Serbia’s single permit for residence and work?
Is Serbia in the EU or the Schengen area?
Who applies for the Ukrainian work permit?
How do I know a Ukrainian work permit is real?
Read next
- Ukraine vs UAETax-free salary in the UAE against Ukraine’s residence path
- Best Ukrainian routes for Pakistani citizensWork, study, founder and family grounds side by side
- TRP vs permanent residence in UkraineFive years of TRP, then an immigration permit
- Immigration firm and employer reviews: how to checkThe register, the published permit, the contract
Sources
Get a written answer on your own route.
Eligibility assessment, $99: a lawyer-validated note sets out the routes open to you in order, an indicative timeline for each and your first action, within 3 working days. Have a Ukrainian job offer? Employer verification, $199, checks the company behind it.
Last reviewed: 31 October 2026. Facts about other countries are taken from the official pages listed under Sources on that date and can change without notice; Ukrainian terms are statutory maximums. Decisions rest with the authorities of each country. This page is general information; advice on your own case comes from a lawyer under a written engagement.