Serbia
The first thing that you notice when you arrive in Serbia is that the locals are extremely friendly. They will do their best to help you even if you don’t speak Serbian. Their attitude to children is simply amazing. They will always want to please a little child: give him/ her a cookie, a candy or a pat on the head! They always smile but their smiles are sincere.
Below we list the main reasons why you should consider relocating to Serbia. After that, we give some advice on legalizing your stay in the country.
High living standards at low costs
A furnished apartment in downtown Belgrade will cost you from 600 euros per month and the suburbs are even cheaper. The food prices are lower than in most other European countries and if you shop at farmers’ markets, the food will cost you almost nothing.
A high level of personal security
Numbeo gives Serbia the security rating of 61.74, which is high. You can walk home late at night without worrying that someone might attack you or steal your purse.
Low taxes
Serbia has a humane tax system: income tax – 15% maximum, income tax for a newly established sole proprietor – 10%. For the sake of comparison: The income tax in Italy is 23% to 43%, in Germany – 14% to 45%, in Slovakia – 19%.
Opportunities for IT specialists
Immigrating to Serbia is an attractive opportunity for people of many occupations but IT specialists will find special bonuses in the country. The sector of the economy is well-developed in Serbia and such giant international corporations as NCR, Microsoft, Asus, and others have divisions there. Besides, the STP Belgrade is a technology park that is going to offer new advantages in the near future.
Language
Many people speak English in Belgrade. You will often find that their accents are not heavy at all.
Travel opportunities
Serbia is located in the very center of Europe. A Serbian residence card holder can easily travel to Italy, France, Germany, etc. Getting to Rome, Paris or Berlin will take you 2 hours or less.
Schools for your children
Primary education is free in Serbia. International schools are available. Primary and secondary education certificates issued by many Serbian schools are valid in other European countries. The International School of Belgrade issues certificates that are recognized all over the world.
Climate and nature
The climate is perfect: a hot summer and a short warm winter. Seasons do change but it’s never too cold in Serbia. There you will find wonderful views, mountains, and green forests. The distance from Belgrade to the Montenegrin coast of the Adriatic Sea is 500 kilometers. Montenegro gives visa-free access to Serbians.
Food
Many travelers report that it is extremely difficult to find a restaurant in Belgrade where the food is not perfect. Serbian cuisine is not very well known in the world while it should be because some national dishes are truly delicious.
Diversity of landscapes
Serbia is highly diverse: there you can find small authentic settlements and big cities with Byzantium and baroque architecture in the center and modern high-rise buildings in the periphery. Everybody will find something to his/ her liking in Serbia.
Belgrade in particular may feel as a mixture of features characteristic of Prague, Tbilisi, and Istanbul. You can spend days and days discovering new interesting locations in the Serbian capital. And St Sava Cathedral is the largest Christian cathedral in Europe. It looks gorgeous from inside too.
Take a one-hour drive and you will find yourself in the mountains. Take a one-hour drive in the other direction and you will find yourself in the plains. Paragliding is a popular pastime in Serbia because the views are fantastic from above. Hiking tours are also very popular.
Legalizing your stay in Serbia
If you want to visit Serbia as a tourist, you won’t probably even need a visa: Serbia gives visa-free access to many nationalities. If you would like to settle down in the country, however, you have to legalize your prolonged stay in the country.
You will have to submit certain documents when applying for legal residence in Serbia. We would like to make an important note here: please don’t have the documents translated into Serbian in advance. You will have to have them translated by a sworn local translator when you enter the country. The list of documents is not long. You’ll have to bring:
- Your passport;
- Your university diploma or high school (community college) certificate;
- A police clearance (they usually don’t care about that document too much in Serbia but you’d better have one at hand just in case).
If you are relocating with your family, the following additional documents are going to be required:
- Marriage certificate;
- Your children’s birth certificates;
- Your children’s educational certificates (from the kindergarten of school) as well as vaccination cards.
You will have to make a deposit in a Serbian bank to qualify for a residence permit. The amounts are as follows:
- If you are relocating alone, not less than US$ 5,000 and not more than US$ 9,900 (the equivalent in euros);
- If you are relocating with your family, not less than US$ 7,000 and not more than US$ 19,900 (the equivalent in euros).
Please note that the local currency is the dinar in Serbia and the euro is in free circulation. The US dollars, on the contrary, are seldom used. You will have to find a currency exchange office if you bring dollars to Serbia and you are not going to be happy with the exchange rates.
Two simplest ways of acquiring legal residence in Serbia
There are several methods of acquiring a residence permits in Serbia but the following two are the most popular ones because they are the simplest ones:
- Buy residential accommodations in Serbia: the Serbian immigration legislation does not specify how much the house or apartment has to cost in order to make you eligible for a residence permit. All it says is that the place has to be ‘livable’. The price for a livable place in Serbia starts at about 30,000 euros.
- Register a sole proprietorship: when you obtain a residence permit as a foreign entrepreneur in Serbia, your family members can apply for family reunification thus obtaining residence permits too.
If you buy a house or an apartment in Serbia and the local immigration authorities confirm that it is livable, you will qualify for a temporary residence permit in the country. The permit can be extended if you keep the house/ apartment in your possession. You have to bear in mind that the place will also serve as your registered address in Serbia: all foreigners shall have registered addresses in accordance with the law. Thus, you should expect that a police officer will come to see you once in a while to make sure that you really reside at your registered address.
As far as sole proprietorship registration is concerned, the procedure involves some bureaucracy. Besides, you will have to rent an office in Serbia and pay some state duties too so starting a business in the country comes at a cost.
However, the cost is not too high whichever investment option you choose and you can live happily – and legally – in Serbia enjoying the mountain views, appreciating the taste of the local food and taking frequent trips to other European countries.
