Electronic sick leave in Serbia: an employer’s guide to eBolovanje
Event: 1 January 2026 · Published: 17 September 2026
An employee is ill, payroll must be calculated on time, and there is no paper certificate in the usual folder. In 2026, Serbian employers need to organise their use of eBolovanje, the system for exchanging documents on temporary incapacity for work. The business owner’s main task is to ensure that employment information reaches the accountant without manual searches or delays.
Which stages have already begun
The exchange of electronic confirmations and sick leave certificates began on 1 January 2026. The next stage, starting on 31 March, includes electronic applications for compensation calculations, reimbursement and objections. For sole traders who employ staff, mandatory use is scheduled to begin on 1 January 2027. These dates appear in eUprava’s launch announcement.
In September 2026, therefore, it is no longer appropriate to give every company the same advice to ‘prepare for the launch’. For a DOO, the issue is already part of day-to-day operations. For a sole trader with employees, it is about preparing for their own mandatory start date.
What you need for access
The employer registers on eUprava and sets up access for authorised users. Users can log in using a qualified electronic certificate or ConsentID. The system allows them to receive documents, view sick leave status and handle the relevant applications. An employee’s diagnosis is not automatically disclosed to the employer: the official service describes a specific procedure for displaying it. Details are available on the eBolovanje service page.
The practical point is that portal access and an organised employment administration process are two separate tasks. A director’s successful login does not mean the accountant already receives the information needed for payroll.
How to assign responsibility in a small company
We recommend describing the process on a single page. Who checks for new events, who contacts the employee if information differs, who passes the information on for payroll, and who checks that an application is completed? Each task needs a named person responsible and a clear substitute during holidays.
If accounting is outsourced, agree separately which actions are covered by the support contract. The parties may understand ‘bookkeeping’ differently. A list of specific tasks and outcomes is more useful to an owner than a promise that the contractor ‘takes care of everything’.
What to check now
The organisation’s account. Is it clear who manages it and who can grant access?
Users’ working permissions. Can the responsible person carry out the required action, rather than just open the page?
Communication with the accountant. How are periods of absence recorded and payroll information passed on?
Tracking applications. Where are the reference number and status of each submitted application stored?
Cover arrangements. Who will continue the work if the director or HR administrator is unavailable?
This is a management checklist for setting up the process. It helps to work through one routine scenario and one unusual case, such as an absence that spans the end of a month. This check can reveal gaps between the portal, the internal spreadsheet and payroll calculations.
What to explain to employees
Provide a short, clear instruction in the team’s working language: whom to notify when an absence begins, whom to contact if information is incorrect, and which actions remain the employee’s responsibility. The company’s general correspondence should not become an archive of medical documents. To organise work, the manager primarily needs accurate absence dates and a clear communication process.
Serbian terminology can be an additional challenge for a Russian-speaking owner. It helps to compile a small internal glossary of the terms actually used and link them to actions. An accountant’s status update will then indicate a clear next step, rather than introduce another unfamiliar term.
Sole traders with employees: using the time before 2027
Start preparation by checking access and the contract with your accountant. Then appoint a responsible person, describe the workflow and establish how it will apply to your staff. We recommend addressing these organisational matters before the first employee falls ill after the mandatory deadline.
Do not copy another business’s process without checking its legal form. A sole trader without employees and a DOO with staff have different starting points. Review the process again if the company’s structure changes or it hires its first employee.
Support from RICS Consulting
We can help connect employment records, access permissions and coordination with accounting. We will explain the process in English and prepare a clear list of actions for your business. Request accounting support in Serbia — we will define the scope of services and agree the price in advance.