The procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Serbia

Among the countries popular for emigrants, the Republic of Serbia is far from being in first place, but nevertheless the number of people wishing to acquire a Serbian passport is quite high. Serbian citizenship gives a person certain advantages, including the proximity of Serbia to the Eurozone, the possibility of obtaining dual citizenship, and, of course, the right to live and work in Serbia. Read the following material and you will learn how to obtain Serbian citizenship for a citizen of the Russian Federation.

Features of Serbia

Serbia is a heterogeneous state.
This is how it happened historically. The north of Serbia from the border with Hungary and approximately to Belgrade belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Serbia is a heterogeneous state. This is how it happened historically. The north of Serbia from the border with Hungary and approximately to Belgrade belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The south of Serbia (Belgrade and regions to the south) is the former Ottoman Empire. As a consequence: different terrain, cultures, economic levels, national composition. The phonetics of the language are somewhat different, but this is not significant for the “untrained ear.”

It’s worth going south of Belgrade only for nature experiences or downshifting. But this part of the country is not suitable for permanent residence: poverty and poor infrastructure. For accommodation, it is better to choose the northern regions of the country (Vojvodina and its capital - Novi Sad) or Belgrade. Belgrade is the largest city, Novi Sad is next.

Serbia residence permit

This advantage has convenient household components. For example, the name of a residence permit, in Serbia you can apply for Schengen visas. You can buy and register a car. You can sign up for a “health book” and use state health insurance almost free of charge.

Education is free in Serbia; after graduating from high school, you can enter EU universities by confirming your knowledge of the language of the country of study. International exams to confirm language knowledge are held several times a year in large Serbian cities (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis).

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Study visit

It is still easy to come to Serbia to “look around” in order to determine exactly whether it will be convenient for you to live here. The regime with Russia is visa-free, the flight from Moscow to Belgrade is only 3 hours. From the moment you clear passport control in Serbia, you have 24 hours to register at your place of residence.

If you are staying at a hotel, the hotel manager must register you; if you are renting an apartment, the owner must register you. When registering, you fill out a card, the counterfoil of which is given to you with a police officer’s mark.

This is called “white cardboard”. A “white card” is required when changing your place of residence and when entering Serbia. In both cases - within 24 hours. For violation, penalties range from a fine of 300 euros to deportation.

According to the agreement between Russia and Serbia, Russians can enter Serbia without a visa for up to 30 days. After it expires, you need to leave the country, however, you can return at any time and register again as a “white card”. If the prospect of constantly crossing the border is not attractive, you can apply for a visa for temporary residence for a period of 3 to 12 months.

Obtaining a temporary residence permit in Serbia or - time to Borawak

- registration at the place of residence (“at j ava”) . Obtained at the district police station within 2 days from the date of stay. To receive it, it is necessary that the owner of the apartment/house come with you to the police station (MUP) and register you with him. If you yourself are the owner of the property, you will be required to provide papers confirming your rights to the property.

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One of the frequent questions from visitors to our website and forum concerns obtaining a temporary residence permit in Serbia. In this article we will try to briefly explain what is required from a citizen of the Russian Federation to obtain a stamp or sticker in the passport about a residence permit in the Republic of Serbia.

Serbian Citizenship Law

Serbian citizenship can be obtained on the basis of birth, descent, citizenship, as well as in accordance with international treaties. Here is an unofficial translation into Russian of some provisions of the Serbian Citizenship Law. In this material we will focus only on two grounds for obtaining it: naturalization (Article 14 of the Law) and special merits to the state (Article 19 of the Law). The acquisition of citizenship by birth and descent will remain outside the scope of consideration.

Article 14

A foreigner who, in accordance with the rules of movement and residence of foreigners, has been granted a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Serbia, may, upon application, obtain citizenship of the Republic of Serbia, provided that:

1. he is 18 years of age or older and is able to work;
2. he has renounced his previous citizenship or provides evidence that he will lose citizenship if he receives citizenship of the Republic of Serbia;
3. that before submitting the application he had resided continuously in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, that is, in Serbia and Montenegro, for at least three years;
4. he submits a written statement that he considers the Republic of Serbia to be his country;
5. his activities in the Republic of Serbia relate to charity or recognition of special merits. The condition from paragraph 2 paragraph 1 of this article is considered fulfilled if the application is submitted by a stateless person or a person who has provided evidence that, according to the laws of the country of his citizenship, upon acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia, his citizenship will be lost automatically. If a foreign state does not allow renunciation of citizenship or imposes conditions that the applicant cannot fulfill, then compliance with the conditions of paragraph 2 of paragraph 1 of this article is not required.
6. Regardless of the conditions set out in Article 14, paragraph 1, paragraphs 2-4 of this Law, citizenship may be granted if it is in the interests of the Republic of Serbia. The spouse of a person who acquires citizenship under the terms of paragraph 1 of this Article may obtain citizenship of the Republic of Serbia even if the conditions of Article 14, paragraph 1, paragraphs 2-4 of the Law are not met. The Government of the Republic of Serbia, upon the recommendation of the Ministry, makes a decision on granting citizenship of the Republic of Serbia in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article.

On what grounds can one obtain Serbian citizenship?

What does a residence permit in Serbia provide in 2018?

Serbia is a rapidly developing country. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

Serbia is a picturesque country located in the southeastern part of Europe. It borders Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Romania.

In addition, from Serbia you can easily reach any major city in Europe: a large number of flights to neighboring countries operate from Nikola Tesla International Airport in Belgrade.

Serbia is a rapidly developing country. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and a signatory to the Central European Free Trade Agreement. But the most important point is that this Balkan country is a potential candidate for membership in the EU (European Union).

Residence permit, permanent residence and citizenship

During the visa-free period in Serbia, you can apply for temporary residence, which is a very simple procedure. Once you have registered at your place of residence, you will need to open a non-resident account at a major local bank branch.

A residence permit is issued at the police department for foreigners. You must have the following documents with you:

• valid foreign passport
• registration at the place of stay
• if you are traveling with a child, the child’s birth certificate and a certificate of enrollment in an educational institution, translated into Serbian and notarized
• two photographs (4x3cm, color, full face with photo studio stamp on each)
• request for a residence permit
• duty payment receipt
• certificate of availability of funds (on average 4 thousand euros for a family of 3 people and 2 thousand euros for one person)
• health insurance (you can get it, for example, from the insurance companies “Delta Generale” or Dunav)

Grounds for residence permit:

• ownership of residential or office real estate
• opening a business
• relationship with a Serbian citizen
• education
• performing temporary work (up to 90 days).

As evidence of obtaining a residence permit, a blue “borovak” sticker is pasted into your passport. Now, when traveling to Europe, you can get a visa not in Moscow, but in Belgrade. But your right of residence must be renewed regularly. There is no “automation” in this matter: the decision, the validity of the grounds and the extension period are determined each time personally by the inspector.

You can obtain the right of permanent residence in Serbia subject to:

• permanent residence (repeated absence from the territory of Serbia is allowed for a period of up to 5 months in total or a single absence from the country for up to 6 months) on the territory of the Republic of Serbia for more than 5 years;
• permanent residence in Serbia for at least 2.5 years, if the residence permit was granted on the basis of employment;
• living for 3 years married to a Serbian citizen.

There is also no automation in the transition from the right of long-term residence to the status of permanent residence (“steel borowak”). After five years (“for real estate”) or ten years (“for business”) of being in Serbia under the right of long-term residence, you can receive permanent residence status. But your request may or may not be accepted, because no one is obliged to issue a document upon request.

Migration officials say that even if the very basis for long-term residence is removed, the right to remain in the country remains. That is, if the “real estate” program is cancelled, then those who have already completed it will be able to easily “extend” to permanent residence.

Permanent resident status is granted for as long as 5 years. Towards the end of this period, you will be able to apply for citizenship. The processing time for an application may be a year or more.

Citizens of Serbia have the right to visa-free entry into Schengen territory according to the 90/180 principle (as with a “C” visa), as well as visa-free visits to Russia and some other countries, for example, China. Serbia allows dual citizenship.

Grounds for obtaining a residence permit

You can obtain a residence permit in Serbia only if there are grounds. There are only a few of them:

• acquisition of real estate;
• apparatus employed;
• opening your own business;
• admission to a Serbian university;
• through marriage with a citizen or holder of permanent residence of the country.

Purchase of real estate

Obtaining a residence permit in Serbia for investing in real estate is a fairly attractive option. The cost of real estate in the country starts from 10 thousand euros. However, it is prohibited to buy land in the country - it can only be rented. And the type of finished building does not matter; it can be a house, apartment or cottage. The property may not be residential, but commercial. In this case, the residence permit applies not only to the buyer, but also to his entire family. There is no minimum price; the object can be of any price.

Issuing a residence permit in Serbia for real estate has a small nuance - before you get a temporary residence permit, you must obtain a permit issued by the commission in the Cadastre. Basically, the commission does not interfere with the process and issues permission without problems. This process takes about three weeks. After this, registration takes another month. Before submitting documents to the Cadastre to obtain a permit, the buyer is required to pay a deposit in the amount of 10% of the value of the property. The buyer also pays tax, which is 5% of the cost. The first residence permit of this type is issued for six months, and then renewed each time for a year. To complete the purchase, a foreigner must arrive in the country for no more than two weeks.

Employment

It is possible to obtain a residence permit in Serbia on the basis of employment, however, without special permission from the national service, you will not be able to get a job in the country. To obtain a permit, you must provide the following documents:

• diploma, documents on the assigned specialization;
• certificate of no criminal record;
• contract or availability of funds for the period of job search.

The papers are submitted together with the general package of documents. The duration of a residence permit in Serbia for employment is determined by the duration of the concluded contract. Typically, a residence permit is valid for one year and then renewed for the same period. The most in demand in the country are IT specialists, engineers, trade workers, and agricultural workers. Doctors, financiers, and tourism specialists will also be able to find work.

Enrollment

A residence permit in Serbia can be obtained by enrolling in a local university or school. In this case, the basis for issuing the document is the enrollment order. The duration of the permit is one year with the right of annual renewal until the end of study. Education in the country is at a fairly high level, and the admission procedure is simple: you just need to provide a certificate or diploma and pass the entrance exam. The applicant must provide:

• questionnaire;
• biography;
• certificate or diploma;
• medical insurance policy.

Education for foreigners is paid in both private and public educational institutions. The cost of the course is up to 20 thousand euros.

Marriage

Spouses of citizens or permanent residence holders of the country have the right to obtain a residence permit in Serbia. The supporting document in this case is the marriage certificate. Unions are checked by special bodies for fictitiousness, as a rule, this is an interview with partners separately, as well as a requirement for confirmation of long-term cohabitation. This category also includes family reunification, which immediate relatives can apply for with documentary evidence of kinship. The duration of the residence permit is 1 year.

Entrepreneurs also have the right to obtain a residence permit in Serbia. To do this, you need to register your company in the country, as well as open a corporate bank account. Registration and the full registration process takes about two weeks. If a foreign entrepreneur employs citizens of the country, the company pays less tax. The minimum authorized capital is not specified in the legislation. This residence permit is valid for a year, then it can be extended for another three.

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Separately, we can highlight the registration of a residence permit in Serbia for pensioners - they only need to purchase real estate. It is also allowed to receive a pension from Russia in Serbia. A residence permit may be issued in certain cases:

• long-term treatment;
• scientific activity.

Such applications are considered on an individual basis.

Benefits of Serbian citizenship

Acceptance of citizenship gives the immigrant new rights and opportunities:

• in the next 3–5 years, Serbia is planned to join the EU, which will automatically make its residents citizens of the European Union;
• the Serbian citizen is socially protected;
• a Serbian citizen has the right to stay visa-free in the Schengen countries for three months (this rule has been in effect since 2009, after the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union);
• The Republic recognizes dual citizenship;
• Serbia is close in spirit, mentality and traditions to Russia, so integration into society will not be difficult; besides, the Serbian language is related to Russian and belongs to the Slavic language group;
• a Serbian citizen can serve in the army, police and other government agencies;
• a citizen has the right to participate in elections of local and national authorities.

How to go for permanent residence in Serbia

However, now the situation is changing dramatically: on March 1, 2012, Serbia officially acquired candidate status for EU membership. Of course, the procedure for admission to the European Union takes more than one year, but political scientists believe that Serbia will join the European Union before 2021. It can be assumed that this will serve as a good boost to the Serbian economy and will raise the standard of living in this country. In addition, obtaining candidate status indicates that Serbia has already risen in world rankings and is developing successfully.

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Since 2009, a visa-free regime has been established between Russia and Serbia if your stay is less than 90 days. With Serbia joining the European Union, visa rules will most likely change - however, they are still in effect, and this means that you can travel to Serbia cheaply and without any difficulties and look around.

How to become a citizen of Serbia

Serbia today is a Balkan country that is on the verge of joining the European Union and the Schengen area. Obtaining Serbian citizenship for Russians and immigrants from other countries may or may not be easy. It all depends on which immigration program you use. To choose the optimal way to obtain Serbian citizenship, it is necessary to study in detail the legislative framework and conditions for acquiring citizenship status.

Acceptance of citizenship gives the immigrant new rights and opportunities:

• in the next 3–5 years, Serbia is planned to join the EU, which will automatically make its residents citizens of the European Union; Serbian citizen is socially protected;
• a Serbian citizen has the right to stay visa-free in the Schengen countries for three months (this rule has been in effect since 2009, after the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union);
• The Republic recognizes dual citizenship;
• Serbia is close in spirit, mentality and traditions to Russia, so integration into society will not be difficult; besides, the Serbian language is related to Russian and belongs to the Slavic language group;
• a Serbian citizen can serve in the army, police and other government agencies;
• a citizen has the right to participate in elections of local and national authorities.

The benefits of Serbian citizenship do not end there. Every year more and more foreign investments enter the country, which contribute to the dynamic growth of the economy and, accordingly, the growth of the well-being of Serbs. Anyone who today seriously begins to consider Serbia as a future EU member will be able to receive dividends in the near future.

Permanent residence in Serbia

Firstly, this is the purchase of real estate in the country. A document on ownership of a house or apartment gives full right of residence in Serbia to the buyer and all members of his family. But you will not be able to immediately obtain the status of a “permanent resident” of the country, because initially all visitors are issued a temporary permit for a period of one year with the right to extension. And only after three years the status of permanent residence is issued, which is issued for five years. Another nuance without which it will not be possible to obtain permanent residence is financial independence. You will have to demonstrate to the agencies involved in paperwork your bank account, which should contain a decent amount of money. It will become the guarantor of your wealth and will insure you during the entire time you live in the country.

Serbia is the country closest to us: in culture, in spirit, in lifestyle. Even our languages ​​are somewhat similar, and learning Serbian in Russian is much easier than any other European language. However, emigration to this wonderful country is not very popular and this, apparently, is the merit of the inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula themselves - until recently, they tried with all their might to “escape” outside the state due to serious political and economic problems. Today the situation has changed dramatically, because Serbia has acquired the status of a candidate member of the European Union, which automatically turned this country into a “tidbit” for immigrants. There are many ways to obtain permanent residence in Serbia and it will not be difficult for you to find the right one.

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Serbian citizenship by investment

The Serbian passport is a good travel document (allows you to visit 130 countries without a visa, including all Schengen countries)

We recently learned that the Serbian government has launched a pilot project for citizenship by investment in 2021. The Serbian passport is a good travel document (allows you to visit 130 countries without a visa, including all Schengen countries). Also, experts have no doubt that in the next 3-5 years this country will inevitably become a member of the EU, and then a Serbian passport will give the right to live and work in any EU country. However, the Serbian program raises more questions than it answers.

Firstly, we were unable to find the official text of amendments to the citizenship law that would provide the opportunity to obtain citizenship in exchange for investment. Secondly, the launch of any official passport program (as we saw in the example of not only the citizenship of Malta, but also the Caribbean states: Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia) was always accompanied by public discussion, the appearance of an official government website describing the conditions of the program and a list licensed agents, etc. Malta received EU approval to launch the program, Caribbean countries coordinated the launch of programs with the UK and the USA.

We have not yet seen anything like this in Serbia. Quietly, a website of some company with its head office in the United Arab Emirates appeared, and the company claims that it is the only one authorized to work with this program. Of course, such a statement immediately hints at the corruption component that could have taken place during the launch of the Serbian program, especially since the requested cost of services is high - more than tens of thousands of euros, and it is impossible to choose a service provider under monopoly conditions.

In this regard, one immediately recalls a similar program in the neighboring country, Montenegro, launched in 2010; an investment of 500,000 euros gave the investor and his family members the right to obtain Montenegrin citizenship.

The program was quickly closed under pressure from Germany and has not yet been resumed, which is not surprising. Serbia and Montenegro are striving to become members of the European Union, and are therefore susceptible to pressure from their older brothers. Probably, the EU authorities have not yet noticed the new Serbian program.

However, if the scheme is tested and approved by the EU, it could become very interesting for the Russian second citizenship market. The reason is very simple and lies not only in the territorial and spiritual (85% of the population are Orthodox) proximity of Serbia, but also in the quality of the passport. As noted above, it gives the right to visit 130 countries without a visa, including the Schengen countries. At the same time, the program compares favorably with its Caribbean counterparts not only in price, but also in the fact that Serbia will eventually become a member of the EU, but the CARICOM countries will not.

The Serbian citizenship by investment pilot project currently has three possible investment options, which are as follows:

1. We recently learned that the Serbian government has launched a pilot project for citizenship by investment in 2021

   Donation to the Government Development Fund: EUR 100,000 for the main applicant, alone or together with his spouse; EUR 150,000 per family – main applicant, spouse and three children; an additional 50,000 euros for each dependent parent. In addition to the above amounts, state fees are paid: 25,000 for the main applicant; 25,000 per family – main applicant, spouse and three children; 25,000 additionally for each dependent parent.

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2. Investment in a government approved real estate project in Serbia. The property must be purchased for a minimum amount of 250,000 euros. Investments must be maintained for at least 5 years. In addition to the above amount there are government fees: 25,000 for the main applicant; 25,000 for spouse; 25,000 for the first and second child under 18 years of age; 25,000 for dependent and third child.
3. Business in Serbia with a minimum investment of 500,000 euros. Before applying for Serbian citizenship, a business plan must be submitted to the Ministry of Economy. You need to hire four Serbs to be eligible for citizenship. The minimum annual salary budget will be 100,000 euros. In addition to the above amount there are government fees: 50,000 for the main applicant; 25,000 for spouse; 25,000 for the first and second child under 18 years of age; 25,000 for dependent and third child

For all three investment options, an additional due diligence fee must be paid: EUR 7,500 for the main applicant and EUR 4,000 for family members. As with the Caribbean programs, this fee is non-refundable even if citizenship is denied.

Our company has developed schemes for accelerated acquisition of European citizenship, which are cheaper and more reliable than the program described above. You can learn about these options during consultations at our offices.

Who by law can be an applicant for a Serbian passport

The Serbian Citizenship Law defines a potential candidate as a resident of any country in the world who meets the criteria of a citizen of the Republic. Neither nationality, nor gender, nor religious affiliation can be an obstacle to the issuance of citizenship.

In addition to the above, a number of additional requirements are imposed on the applicant for Serbian citizenship. Let's name the main ones:

• the applicant (applicant) must be of legal age and capable;
• for certain immigration programs it is necessary to meet the residency requirement;
• the applicant must not have problems with the laws of Serbia and an outstanding criminal record in his homeland;
• the applicant must have sufficient income that can provide him and people financially dependent on him with living in the country without resorting to state social assistance;
• you must have your own or long-term rented housing in Serbia;
• the applicant must be in good health;
• recognition of the norms of Serbian legislation is imperative;
• It is obligatory to have a diploma of passing a test of knowledge of the Serbian language and speak it at a sufficiently high level;
• it is necessary to pass a test for integration into Serbian society, knowledge of its traditions and rules. Immigrants with refugee status and some other categories of applicants are exempt from it.

The territory of Serbia is 88,407 km2 (111 in the world), the population is 7 million 142 thousand (98th place in the world, the census was carried out at the end of 2016). Today the country adheres to a democratic and predictable foreign policy line. Serbia plans to become a member of the EU in the coming years by signing an Association Agreement with it. In recent years, the Serbian economy has been developing dynamically, showing up to 10% annual growth.

Sources:

• https://selfmadetrip.com/immigration-serbia/
• https://www.honoraryconsul.ru/index.php?an=law_citizen_serbia
• https://evroportal.ru/immigratsiya/kak-stat-grazhdaninom-serbii-v-2017-godu/
• https://offshorewealth.info/residence-permit-abroad/benefits-of-residence-permit-in-serbia-in-2018/