Serbia Golden Visa

Serbia has no program officially called a golden visa. The route behind the name is temporary residence for investors: residence based on assets invested in a company registered in Serbia, backed by funds in a Serbian bank account (Welcome to Serbia). The route is active.

Investors can request a long-stay D visa for investors at a Serbian embassy or consulate first, or apply for temporary residence directly. Residence on this basis is granted for up to 3 years, set per application, and can be extended while the investment basis lasts.

Serbia is not in the Schengen area, and temporary residence here gives no right to live in the EU. Owning property and self-employment are separate temporary residence grounds with their own rules (Welcome to Serbia).

The investor basis has two financial conditions (Welcome to Serbia):

• Investment: tangible or intangible assets invested in a company registered in Serbia. Official pages set no minimum amount for the investment itself.
• Funds: at least €50,000 in a bank account registered in Serbia, or the equivalent in dinars or another currency.

Every temporary residence applicant must also show a passport valid at least three months beyond the requested residence, means of subsistence, health insurance and a residential address in Serbia (Ministry of Interior).

Family: the spouse or common-law partner, unmarried children under 18 and parents of minor children can get temporary residence through family reunification with a foreigner who holds temporary residence (Law on Foreigners).

The Ministry of Interior lists these documents for a first application on the investor basis (Ministry of Interior):

• Passport: a valid passport or national identity card, valid at least three months beyond the requested residence.
• Proof of investment: a certificate or other proof of assets invested in a company registered in Serbia.
• Bank certificate: a certificate or statement showing at least €50,000 in a bank account in Serbia.
• Health insurance: a policy, a European health insurance card or another accepted guarantee of cover.
• Address: a landlord statement or tenancy agreement.

Foreign documents may need legalization or an apostille and a certified translation; the portal lists what applies to each document.

No reachable official page states the government fees for temporary residence in a current amount. The Ministry of Interior says the fees are prescribed and paid online or by payment order, so applicants should check the amount on the portal when they file (Ministry of Interior).

• Funds in a Serbian bank: at least €50,000. This is a condition, not a fee.
• Extension: proof of a paid cash capital contribution of at least €5,000 into the registered company.
• Other costs: health insurance, translations, legalization and any legal or accounting help.

Online on the Portal for foreign citizens (eforeigner.welcometoserbia.gov.rs), possible from abroad, or in person at the police administration for foreigners; a D visa for investors can be requested first from a Serbian embassy or consulate (Welcome to Serbia).

The authorities must decide on a request for temporary residence, or its extension, within 30 days of submission (Law on Foreigners). This is a legal deadline, not a measured average.

Fees are paid through the portal by card or with a payment order (Ministry of Interior).

Temporary residence is granted for up to 3 years, with the period set per application (Law on Foreigners).

Renewal: Extendable for the same period (up to 3 years) while the investor basis still exists; apply no earlier than 3 months before and no later than the expiry date. For investors, the Ministry of Interior also asks for proof of a capital contribution of at least €5,000 at extension (Ministry of Interior).

Path to settlement: Permanent residence after 3 years of continuous temporary residence; absences of up to 10 months in total or 6 months at once are allowed (Welcome to Serbia).

Temporary residence for investors carries no special tax regime, and no official source found for this page shows a tax break for investor residents.

Tax residence: an individual who stays in Serbia, continuously or with breaks, for 183 days or more in a 12-month period is tax resident, as is someone whose residence or center of business and life interests is in Serbia (Law on Personal Income Tax).

An investor who lives in Serbia under this permit will usually pass the test, so foreign income, tax treaties and company taxes should be checked with the Tax Administration or an adviser.