Business
Serbia, with its favorable geographical location between the East and the West, has done a marvelous job in recent years to attract major international investors from Asia and Europe. Investors from abroad are welcome: the local authorities are ready to assist in any situation and the Serbians are very open and friendly to foreigners. The country has worked a lot on infrastructure and is now reaping the well-deserved fruits of its labor.
Like any other country, Serbia has its peculiarities when it comes to business. We would like to invite you to our portal about Serbia to read more on Serbian business setup, corporate and personal banking, and investment opportunities. Our information comes from practical specialists who help entrepreneurs establish companies in Serbia on a regular basis.
If you want quick and guaranteed results and are not prepared to spend a lot of time reading, you can simply get in touch with our experts. Ask your questions, share your doubts, and receive all the data you need to make a well-informed decision. We can provide support to your business at any stage, from incorporation to daily maintenance. All you have to do to get a Serbian company is to choose the package of services you need and pay for them, and then collect the documents in accordance with our recommendations. Entrust dealing with administrative matters to us and pay more attention to your business plans!
Company Establishment in Serbia
Serbian authorities know that businesses feel good when changes are reduced to a minimum, so they do their best to ensure political stability even in present-day circumstances. The banking sector is another important aspect, and entrepreneurs can take advantage of well-developed banking infrastructure allowing quick and reliable international payments to the counterparties located in any part of the world. The only thing you need to do is to choose the right account, but experts can help with that for free – just follow the link and book a session at any time.
Setting up a company does not come without effort, but Serbia strives to minimize the hassle. If you decide to do everything by yourself, you will need to fly to the country in person and deal with all administrative tricks, including the submission of documents in the English and Serbian languages.
However, we know that this may be a problem. You can rely on us as we have a local office in Serbia: all you have to do is to give us a power of attorney, and you will get a fully-operational company with a bank account without leaving the comfort of your home in just a few days.
There is one important thing that is up to you, and this is choosing a legal form for your company. Let’s take a look at the company types available in Serbia.
Sole Proprietorship
This is a good choice if you are going to engage in an activity that mostly relies on your individual work (like a digital nomad that works remotely). This kind of business (preduzetnik in Serbian) is traditionally the least difficult one to set up, but it has certain drawbacks: the business owner has unlimited liability, and the business has few development prospects. Unlimited liability presumes that your personal property is at risk of being taken away if your company goes bankrupt, so you should be very careful.
Partnership
You will need to choose between a general partnership or a limited partnership.
General Partnership
The main peculiarity of this legal entity form (o.d. in Serbian) is the unlimited liability of all partners.
The number of partners starts from two, and there are certain restrictions: they are not permitted to be Serbian citizens or residents. However, you are free to engage individuals or legal entities as partners.
You can start a general partnership with any capital, and new partners can enter it only following the consent of all the other members.
Limited Partnership
You probably understand from the name that the main difference between a limited partnership (k.d. in Serbian) and a general one is limited liability. However, it does not cover all members: at least one general partner is required (or more) that will bear unlimited liability. The other partners are solely liable with the amount of their contribution. It is natural that the general partner legally represents the partnership and makes all the key business decisions.
Private Limited Company
A private limited liability company (d.o.o. in Serbian) is the most popular legal form registered by local and foreign entrepreneurs as it gives a lot of freedom: its members or founders can come from any country, including Serbia, and they can be individuals or legal entities.
The private limited liability company can have from 1 to 100 shareholders. 101 shareholders and more will require you to register a public company.
The only shares that can be issued by a d.o.o. are registered shares that can be sold or transferred subject to the unanimous consent of the company members.
The company can be managed by one or several directors, and they can be residents of any country (there is no requirement for at least one local director).
Public Limited Company
This legal form (a.d. in Serbian) is suitable for large-scale business undertakings, and the number of members it may have is unlimited.
It can be started with a minimum capital of EUR 25,000: no less than 50% should be paid by the time you submit company registration documents, while the other part is payable within the subsequent two years. The capital registration requires the written consent of all the company founders.
The public limited company can issue shares to be offered for sale at any stock exchange across the globe (on the condition that the company meets the applicable requirements).
Company management is entrusted to the Board of Directors elected at the General Meeting of Shareholders, and it may contain from three to fifteen members (the number is specified in the Articles of Association).
Directors can be nationals or residents of any country, and they have the right to be the company shareholders at the same time (but are not required to).
Conclusion
You can click on the link above to read about compliance procedures a Serbian company has to take and the steps required to set up your business. If you struggle with the choice of a legal form or have any other questions, do not hesitate to contact our experts!
