Why Do People Relocate to Serbia from Other Countries? Benefits and Detriments You Should Know About

Serbia used to be part of Yugoslavia until the country disintegrated. Then it was in association with Montenegro for a few years. The two former Yugoslavian republics peacefully ‘divorced’ afterwards and now each of them is an independent European state.

Today, Serbia is a popular place where people from other countries actively relocate. This is especially true for citizens of other Eastern European countries but Serbia also has immigrants from the west and Asia. Why do foreigners choose this Balkan state for relocation? What advantages of living in Serbia attract them most of all? What difficulties do they face when casting anchor in Serbia? We discuss these questions below.

Advantages of relocating to Serbia

Even though Serbia is not an EU member state, it is a European country anyway. There you will find a European lifestyle, very nice cuisine, fantastic views of nature, and friendly local people. What makes Serbia stand out against the background of other countries is that all these advantages come at a comparatively low price. Living in Serbia is inexpensive by European standards.

Serbia gives visa free entry to a large number of nationalities. Africans and residents of the Middle East need to apply for visas while most other nations enjoy visa-free access to Serbia.

• Europeans, North Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, and citizens of many South American countries can stay in Serbia for 90 days within any 180-day period without visas.  
• Citizens of a few countries including Russia and China can stay for 30 days.
• Interestingly, citizens of Hong Kong can stay only for 14 days.

Other advantages of Serbia include the following ones:

• Amicable local people who do not mind foreigners at all;
• Hospitality of Serbian homes;
• A high level of personal security found in the country;
• Simplicity of acquiring a permanent residence permit in Serbia and then citizenship of the country;
• Relatively high power of the Serbian passport;
• Comfortable conditions for freelancers working remotely;
• Low tax rates for Serbian residents;
• Rapid development of the business sphere in Serbia and opportunities to register companies in the country;
• Low cost of living and many other things.

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Disadvantages that expats face in Serbia

You have to be prepared for some aspects of life in Serbia that you may find somewhat frustrating. If you decide to move to Serbia for good, you will have to learn how to put up with the following main downsides:

• A slow pace of life that can be too slow sometimes. Nobody is ever in a hurry. I have an appointment? Keeping it is not very important. Being late for a meeting is a norm in Serbia. This may be frustrating indeed when you engage in business operations in the country.
• The unemployment rate is rather high in Serbia and finding a well-paid job can be difficult if you are an expat. On the other hand, jobs that require technical expertise are readily available, especially in large cities. A highly qualified carpenter or electrician will quickly find a good job in Serbia in all likelihood.  
• Bureaucracy is interwoven in all spheres of life in Serbia. You may well face troubles when registering a business company in the country, opening a bank account there, and interacting with the local authorities in general. If you want to save time and your nervous cells, you’d better hire an experienced local lawyer who can take the bureaucratic burden off your shoulders.
• Furnace heating is used in Serbia and this can create problems associated with the smoke coming out of numerous chimneys in the wintertime in some places. This said, however, the Serbian authorities seem determined to tackle the heating problem at some point in the future.

Temporary and permanent residence permits in Serbia

If you want to relocate to Serbia for good or for an extended period, you have a few options to choose from to make your stay in the country legal. Whichever option you prefer, relocation is going to cost you something but it is not going to cost you a lot in most cases. Here’s what you can do to legalize your extended stay in Serbia:

• The simplest option is to enter Serbia without a visa and when the period of your legal stay expires, you can solve the problem with the help of a visa run. Leave the country and then return – that’s it. It is legal and many foreigners in Serbia do so. You cannot work in Serbia unless you are a legal resident of the country but for some people it is not a problem either. If you work remotely and pay taxes in your home country, you can extend your stay in Serbia infinitely by running across the border now and then. 
• Another option is to sign a job contract with a local employer. Acquiring a legal residence permit for you is going to be the responsibility of the employer in this case. The downside of this option is that your residence permit is going to be valid only as long as your job contract is valid.
• You can also marry a local person. This will also make you qualified for legal residence in Serbia.
• Business immigration to Serbia is also becoming a popular option among foreigners. You have to start a company in the country and fulfill the following conditions:
  • Rent a company office and keep the business in operation for 1 year before you can apply for a permanent residence permit;
  • Hire at least four Serbians to work for you.
• You can also acquire legal residence in Serbia if you purchase real estate in the country. You may think that this is the most expensive option but it doesn’t have to be so. The value of the real property that you purchase is not specified in the Serbian legislation. Thus, you can buy something very cheap and still qualify for residence.
• Students are also eligible for residence permits if they attend an educational institution in Serbia. An interesting opportunity to consider is signing up for a course in the Serbian language. Take Serbian language classes and this will also make you qualified for a temporary residence permit. 

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Why Serbia, after all?

Why do people from other countries relocate to Serbia in large numbers? In addition to the reasons given above, living in Serbia is calm, safe, and comfortable enough. Belgrade offers all the modern amenities characteristic of other European capitals. The Serbian countryside is quiet and beautiful. 

The Balkan state is probably not the best choice if your goal is to protect a large amount of assets. However, if you are looking for a peaceful life in a civilized country, then you should move to Serbia.

If Serbia fits your purposes and your lifestyle and you would like to relocate there soon, please consider applying for our professional assistance in the following matters:

• Opening a personal and/ or a corporate bank account in Serbia;
• Registering a company of any form of ownership in the country;
• Finding real property to invest in in Serbia and applying for legal residence in the country.