Key Messages
- A new Rulebook governing the asylum application form and identity cards within the asylum system has been adopted and will apply from 1 October 2026.
- Persons granted refugee status or subsidiary protection will receive biometric identity cards with a chip, replacing the paper-based documents currently in use.
- The foreign national identification number will become an integral element of all identity-card formats.
- The Rulebook introduces an explicit requirement to translate the asylum application form into the asylum-seeker’s mother tongue or another language they understand.
- The absence of transitional provisions leaves open questions concerning the validity and replacement of identity cards issued before the new Rulebook begins to apply.
New Regulatory Framework for Documents in the Asylum System
The Minister of Interior has adopted the Rulebook on the Content and Design of the Asylum Application Form and Identity Cards for Asylum-Seekers, Persons Granted Asylum and Persons Granted Temporary Protection. The Rulebook was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 74/2026 of 19 August 2026. It enters into force on 27 August 2026 and will apply from 1 October 2026. Once it begins to apply, it will replace the 2018 Rulebook governing the same matters.
Biometric Identity Cards and the Foreign National Identification Number
The principal change concerns persons granted refugee status or subsidiary protection. They will receive identity cards in a standard card format, made of polycarbonate and containing a chip, security features and a machine-readable zone. The information on the document will be displayed in Serbian and English, and the identity card will also contain the holder’s signature. At the holder’s request, a qualified electronic-signature certificate will be stored on the chip, enabling the use of qualified electronic signatures and access to electronic services that support this functionality.
Another systemic change is the inclusion of the foreign national identification number, known by its Serbian abbreviation EBS, on all four types of identity cards issued within the asylum system. The previous identity-card formats did not include this number. As a result, separate certificates were often requested in practice when opening a bank account, accessing health care, enrolling in school or taking up employment. Including the EBS on the identity document itself should reduce the need to obtain additional documentation. Identity cards for asylum-seekers and persons granted temporary protection will continue to be issued in a paper-based format, but will also include the EBS.
The Rulebook also changes the requirements concerning the linguistic accessibility of the asylum application form. While the previous regulation merely provided for the possibility of translating the form, the new Rulebook makes translation mandatory.
A Reliable Identity Document as a Precondition for the Effective Exercise of Rights
The change responds to a long-standing practical problem highlighted by refugees themselves. Because of their paper-based format and the limited information they contained, the previous identity cards often caused uncertainty among institutions and service providers as to whether they constituted valid identity documents and how they should be used in specific procedures. This resulted in additional checks, requests for supporting documentation and a risk of inconsistent treatment.
The introduction of a biometric document, together with the foreign national identification number and the possibility of using an electronic signature, strengthens its value as proof of identity and its practical functionality. The expected effects include reduced administrative burdens, more efficient access to rights and less scope for inconsistent treatment. The bilingual format of the document and the uniform recording of names in accordance with the holder’s travel document should also reduce discrepancies in the spelling of personal data across different documents, which have previously complicated administrative and other procedures.
The normative change concerning the translation of the asylum application form is equally important. Explicitly making translation mandatory strengthens procedural safeguards for asylum-seekers, reduces the scope for inconsistent practice and establishes a clearer standard for the competent authority.
Outstanding Questions
The Rulebook contains no transitional provisions governing the validity and replacement of identity cards issued before it begins to apply. It therefore remains unclear whether existing documents will remain in use until they expire or will be replaced earlier, under which procedure and at whose expense. Timely and publicly available guidance from the Ministry of Interior will be essential to prevent disruptions in access to rights.
The adoption of the new Rulebook represents a significant step forward in strengthening legal certainty and the institutional recognition of persons granted asylum. The introduction of a modern biometric identity document and the inclusion of the foreign national identification number on all identity-card formats create the legal and technical conditions for removing some of the systemic barriers that have impeded access to rights for years.
The actual impact of the reform will, however, depend on its consistent and uniform implementation. It will be necessary to monitor whether identity documents are issued and replaced in a timely manner, whether they are accepted by banks, health-care and educational institutions and employers, and whether the new documents genuinely reduce administrative barriers and the risk of unequal treatment.
Through its direct work with clients, IDEAS will monitor the implementation of the Rulebook and its effects on access to rights, document any obstacles identified, and inform the competent authorities and the public of its findings and recommendations for improving practice.
