Serbian Law stipulate very strict rules on who can acquire Serbian citizenship. These rules are stipulated in the Law on the Citizenship of the Republic of Serbia. There are several ways how someone can acquire Serbian citizenship, and ancestry is one of those ways. Provisions regarding this matter are state in the Article 7 to 12 of the stated Law.

Who can acquire Serbian citizenship by ancestry?

As stipulated by the Serbian Law, Serbian citizenship by ancestry can acquire:

1. A child whose parents at the time of her / his birth were citizens of the Republic of Serbia;
2. A child born on the territory of the Republic of Serbia; whose one parent was a citizen of the Republic of Serbia at the time of her / his birth;
3. A child born abroad; whose one of parents was a citizen of the Republic of Serbia at the time of her /his birth, while the other parent is unknown, or citizenship of that parent is unknown, or that parent is stateless;
4. A child whose one of the parents was a citizen of the Republic of Serbia at the time of her / his birth and the other is a foreign citizen, if the parent who is a citizen of the Republic of Serbia registers him by the age of 18 with the competent diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Serbia as a citizen of the Republic of Serbia and if that parent applies for registration of the child in the Register of Citizens with the competent authority in the Republic of Serbia;
5. A child born abroad, whose one of the parents was a citizen of the Republic of Serbia at the time of birth, is to become stateless, she / he will acquire Serbian citizenship regardless of the fact that above stated conditions are not fulfilled.

Who can submit Application for the entry in the birth registration?

In case when both or one parent at the moment of birth of the child are citizens of the Republic of Serbia, and the child is born abroad, a Request for entry in the birth registry, where citizenship of the Republic of Serbia is also recorded, is submitted to the competent diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Serbia, where the parent that is submitting a Request has resides temporarily.

In cases when both or one parent citizens of the Republic of Serbia, the Applicant must also submit together with the Application:

• An original of the Birth Certificate of a foreign authority issued on an international form, all in accordance with the Paris or Vienna Convention or under a bilateral agreement. If the Birth Certificate is not on an international form but on the form of the country concerned, it must be translated, and a copy must be certified by the competent diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Serbia.
• Proof of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia for the parent.

As proof of the citizenship one of the following documents must be submitted:

• A Citizenship Certificate of the Republic of Serbia, not older than 6 months, which contains a clause on the basis and date of entry in the register of Serbian citizens; or
• An Extract from the Register of Citizens kept in the Ministry of the Interior, issued in accordance with the Law, or
• Birth Certificate where, in accordance with the Law, the fact of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia is stated, not older than 6 months, or
• Passport, and
• If the child is born extramarital proof of acknowledgment of paternity.

On the other hand, if a person is of legal age and has become stateless as a child and has not been registered nor she /he applied for registration, the Applicant shall also submit:

• Birth certificate;
• Proof that he or she is stateless (travel document for stateless person).

For all your question regarding this matter, and if you need assistance to acquire Serbian citizenship by Ancestry feel free to contact Asst Office at any time.

If you seek an opportunity to come and study in Serbia, here are some tips that might help you with all the formal procedures regarding applying to university and applying for a student visa and temporary residence permits. Here we will give you some basic information regarding studying opportunities in Serbia:

There are two types of studies in the Serbian system of higher education:

• Academic studies, organized mainly at Universities;
• Applied studies, organized either at Colleges of Applied Studies or at Universities.

Serbia joined the Bologna Process in 2003 and thus initiated a gradual reform process, which received its legal support in 2005 by the adoption of a new Law on Higher Education. This law formally introduced the European Credit Transfer System, a three-cycle system of study, and the diploma supplement. This reform process lasted until 2007 and from then on all new students’ study under the new reformed study programs.

Academic studies

The three-cycle system of academic studies includes:

• Bachelor studies, which usually last four years with 240 ECTS, although three-year/180 ECTS Bachelor programs are also available;
• Master studies lasting one to two years with 60 to 120 ECTS;
• Doctoral studies (Ph.D.) with a minimum of three years of study or 180 ECTS.

Of course, some exception can be found like those in the field of medical science studies, like studies of medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine studies, that are organized through integrated studies that last six years and must carry a minimum of 360 ECTS. Additionally, integrated pharmacy studies with 300 ECTS have been introduced.

Applied studies

The two-cycle applied (vocational) studies consist of:

• Bachelor applied studies, which last three years and have 180 ECTS;
• Specialist applied studies, which carry 60 ECTS and last one year;
• Master applied studies, which last two years and carry 120 ECTS.

All higher education institutions must be accredited in order to obtain a license issued by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development. Private higher education institutions (not founded by the state) have the same status as public ones.

The principal language of instruction is Serbian for all educational levels. There are also study programs which are accredited in foreign languages, mostly in English, and in many Universities and Colleges, there are additional possibilities for foreign exchange students, such as organizing consultations with professors in English, etc.

At elementary and secondary levels, other languages of instruction include Albanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Hungarian, Romanian, Russian and Slovak.

There are around 150 study programs at all educational levels that are accredited in English or other foreign languages that are available from the academic year 2018/2019.

Studying in the Serbian language can also be interesting for international students, as well. This significantly broadens the possibilities regarding the number of study fields and programs available. Besides, if you want to immerse yourself into the experience of living and studying in Serbia, it is always recommended to learn at least some Serbian.

Studies of Serbian residents at public institutions can either be financed by the state or by the students pay tuition for their studies. Students who study at private higher education institutions pay fees as determined by the higher education institution.

In some cases, there is a difference between the amounts paid by domestic and foreign students regarding tuition fees.

Tuition fee is determined by the institution and usually ranges from 1.000,00 EUR to 5.000,00 EUR per year.

For more information regarding studying in Serbia or how to acquire temporary residence permit as a student, feel free to contact us.

For those who are considering moving to Serbia or are considering moving to Europe but are still not sure which country is right for them, it is essential to know how to acquire Serbian citizenship and how Serbian passport ranks in comparison to others.

There are several ways to acquire Serbian citizenship:

Acquiring by origin

Children, whose one or both parents are national of the Republic of Serbia at the moment of the child’s birth, under different conditions, can acquire a citizenship of the Republic of Serbia. A parent should make sure to report the child’s birth in time to the relevant diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Serbia, so that child’s name could be noted in the register of the citizens.

Also, if you are 18 years old but under 23, and at the moment of your birth your parents were nationals of the Republic of Serbia, but did not report your birth to the relevant diplomatic or consular mission, you should file an application to that relevant diplomatic or consular mission.

Acquiring by admission

If you are a foreigner who has permanent residence in the Republic of Serbia, you may acquire Serbian citizenship if you fulfill certain requirements, such as:

• That you have turned 18 and have not been deprived of business capacity;
• That you have been released from foreign citizenship or that you have presented evidence that you will be released from it, if admitted to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia;
• That you had registered permanent residence in the territory of the Republic of Serbia for at least three years without interruption before submitting the application;
• That you provide a signed statement that you consider the Republic of Serbia to be your country.

On the other hand, if you are a foreigner who has been married to a national of the Republic of Serbia for at least three years and who already acquired permanent residence in Serbia, you be admitted to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia if you submit a signed statement that you consider the Republic of Serbia to be your country.

Filing an application regarding citizenship

Application for acquisition of Serbian citizenship is decided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This application should be filed in person or through an authorized person, and for a child over the age of 14, the child’s consent is also required.

How well is Serbia passport ranked

Serbia ranks 28th in the list of countries according to travel freedom, which is a jump of three places relative to 2018 when Serbia was 31st in the world. Serbian citizens do not need a visa or immediately given upon entry to 128 countries.

Holders of Serbian passport can travel visa-free to 84 countries, while 43 countries issue visas immediately upon entry. Also, they need a visa to enter 71 countries.

By temporary stay – residence permit

Permanent residency permit can be issued to a foreign citizen that has continuously stayed in Serbia for a period longer than five years, based on temporary stay – residence permit, up until the date of request submitting.

To a foreign citizen who obtained a temporary residence permit for the purpose of a job, employment, education, and study, half of the time spent in Serbia is counted as the time required for authorization of permanent residency permit. Also, a foreigner who stays in Serbia with repeated absence from Serbia up to ten months or with a single absence up to six months within five years is considered to be continuously staying in Serbia.

By marriage with a Serbian citizen

A foreign citizen who has been married for at least three years to a Serbian citizen and who has been granted permanent residence in Serbia may be admitted to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia if he submits a signed statement that he or she considers Serbia to be his or her country.

The marital community of living in the territory of Serbia or common law marriage is considered marriage, as well.

As a juvenile

As a juvenile, who obtained temporary stay – residence permit, may obtain a permanent residence permit in Serbia, if one parent is Serbian citizen or foreign citizen that has already acquired a permanent residence permit and with the consent of another parent.

Submitting a request for a permanent residence permit

Request for the residence permit is to be submitted at writing-office of the Ministry of Interior Affairs.

When submitting a request for the approval of permanent residence, the following shall be enclosed:

1. A valid passport;
2. Proof that the foreigner has enough funds to live on his own in Serbia;
3. Proof that the foreigner possesses health insurance;
4. Registration of the address of the residence in the Republic of Serbia – address of the apartment where the applicant has registered in the process of obtaining a temporary residence permit;
5. Proof of payment of the prescribed administrative fee.

In addition to these documents, depending on the basis on which the foreigner was previously granted temporary residence in the Republic of Serbia, which is the basis for filing a request for permanent residence, one of the following documents is enclosed:

1. Proof of ownership of the immovable property -excerpt from real estate list and other;
2. Proof of working engagement in the Republic of Serbia;
3. Proof of the existence of a kinship with a Serbian citizen or a foreigner that has already obtained permanent residence permit – excerpt from the register of births;
4. Marriage certificate, not older than 6 months, and a birth certificate for a spouse, if the spouse is a citizen of the Republic of Serbia;
5. A document stating an existence a marriage with a foreigner who has been granted permanent residence, in accordance with the national legislation of the country where the marital union is established;
6. Evidence of free marital status for both partners and other evidence of the existence of an extra-marital community;
7. Proof of origin from the Republic of Serbia – birth certificate for the applicant and birth certificate for one or both parents of the applicant.

If you have any question or you need assistance regarding obtaining both temporary and permanent residence permit in Serbia, or maybe in some other European country feel free to contact Asst Office at any time.

Residence permit

In order to obtain the work permit a foreigner must, in the first place, obtain the approval for a temporary stay – residence permit.

Application for the residence permit is submitted to the Ministry of Interior Affairs with the following documents:

1. Proof that the foreigner has enough funds to live on his own in Serbia;
2. Proof that the foreigner possesses health insurance;
3. Proof of the purpose of the temporary stay in Serbia;
4. Proof that administrative fees are paid.

The Approval is issued in 30 days after the Application has been submitted. It is issued in the duration of one-year maximum (usually first two times resident permit is issued for a period of 6 months) and can be extended afterward. The Approval is issued in the travel document of the foreigner.

Once the temporary stay has been approved, the foreigner can initiate the procedure of obtaining the work permit.

Work permit

In case if the work permit is sought for employment, the application for issuance of the work permit is submitted by the Employer to the National Employment Agency. The application must be followed with the following documents:

1. Certificate of Incorporation of the Employer;
2. Travel document of the foreigner;
3. Approval for Temporary Stay;
4. Certificate issued by the Central Health Care Registers certifying that the Employer has not discharged any employees for the causes of technical, economic or other organizational changes on the workplace that the work permit is applied for;
5. Certificate issued by the National Employment Agency that for past one month prior to the application there have been no Serbian citizens eligible for the workplace that the work permit is applied for;
6. The proposition of the Employment Agreement in according to the law;
7. Excerpt from the Regulation on the Organisation and Systematisation of Works related to the work of the foreigner;
8. Diploma or another certificate on professional qualifications;
9. A certificate stating that the foreigner meets the requirements prescribed for the work that the foreigner applies to;
10. Proof that the administration fee has been paid.

The procedure may take up to 45 days, but usually, it is done in a shorter period.

In case if the work permit is sought for self – employment, the application for issuance of the work permit is submitted by the foreigner. An application must be followed with the following documents:

1. Proof of professional qualifications and qualifications for the job;
2. Proof of lease or ownership of business premises (contract or pre-contract);
3. Proof of available equipment needed for work;
4. Declarations on the type, duration and scope of work as well as the number and structure of employees;
5. Letter of Invitation;
6. Proof that the administration fees are paid.

One must begin with work no later than 90 days after obtaining a work permit.