Opening a bank account in Serbia as a US citizen

Short answer: yes, you can. Expect to sign a W-9 with your US tax number, to answer more questions about where your money comes from, and to visit the branch once in person. Each bank decides on its own. We prepare the file and choose the bank with you, but nobody can promise you an account.

Why a US passport changes the conversation

Serbia applies FATCA under an intergovernmental arrangement with the United States. For the bank this means every US person among its clients is reportable: the bank has to identify you as American, collect your US tax number and report the account under FATCA.

It does not mean the bank will refuse you. It means more forms, and a compliance officer who reads your file more carefully. Some Serbian banks handle US clients routinely. Others prefer to avoid the extra reporting and say no, politely or by not answering. Which bank is which changes over time, so we check before you book a flight.

The same applies to green card holders and anyone else who counts as a US person for tax purposes, even if they also hold another passport. If you were born in the US, tell the bank. It will see it in your passport anyway.

What the bank will ask you

• Your US passport, and a second passport if you have one
• A signed W-9 with your TIN, usually your Social Security number
• Proof of your current address
• Why you need an account in Serbia: a company here, property, residence, family, regular stays
• Where the money comes from: salary, business income, savings, the sale of property. Be ready to show a payslip, a tax return or a contract.

Documents issued in the US need an apostille and a translation into Serbian by a court interpreter when the bank asks for them as originals. The passport and the W-9 do not.

Personal or business account

A personal non-resident account is the simple case. You hold it in your own name, in dinars and foreign currency, with a card and e-banking. If you have nothing else in Serbia, this is where to start, and it is also where the bank asks the most questions about your reasons.

A business account belongs to a company. If you register a Serbian d.o.o., the company must have an account at a Serbian bank, and you as owner and director are identified in that process. The FATCA paperwork follows you there too, because the bank looks at who owns and controls the company. See business bank accounts and foreign director of a Serbian company.

What helps

The strongest file is one where the account makes obvious sense. A US citizen who owns a company in Belgrade, has bought an apartment in Novi Sad or holds a Serbian residence permit has an easy answer to the first question the bank asks. A US citizen who simply wants money outside the US, with no other link to Serbia, will find the door narrower.

The second thing is preparation. Bring the documents the bank will want, signed and translated, and know the answers to the source-of-funds questions before you sit down. Most refusals we see from banks are about an unclear story, not about the passport.

The visit

US citizens can enter Serbia without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180, so a short trip is enough. We book the appointment and come to the branch with you. A personal account is often opened at the meeting itself. A business account, or a file the bank wants to look at again, can take longer. More on the steps in bank accounts for non-residents.

Our prices

Our fees for bank account support, company registration and residence are on the price list. Translations and apostilles are paid at cost, and you get the full amount in writing before we start.

General information, not legal or tax advice. We do not advise on US tax; your US tax preparer does. Banks decide on accounts on their own, and nobody can guarantee one.