How to open a bank account in Serbia as a non-resident (2026 guide)

Short answer: yes, a non-resident can open a bank account in Serbia. You need a valid passport, a clear reason for the account and documents that explain where your money comes from. In most cases you visit the bank once in person; everything else can be prepared in advance.

Who can open an account

• Foreign individuals without Serbian residence: a non-resident personal account.
• Foreign individuals with a Serbian residence permit: treated as resident clients, with access to the full range of products.
• Serbian companies owned by foreigners: a resident business account, needed for local payments and taxes.
• Foreign companies (for example from the UAE, the UK or Cyprus): a non-resident business account in a Serbian bank.

Personal account: what you need

• A valid passport
• Proof of address in your country of residence (some banks)
• A short explanation of how you will use the account: salary, savings, business income, property in Serbia
• Information on the source of your funds, such as employment, business income or the sale of property

Once you hold a Serbian residence permit, the bank will also register your residence card and Serbian identification number, and you can access resident products. See personal bank accounts for foreigners.

Business account: what you need

For a Serbian company, the bank works from the registration documents issued by the Serbian Business Registers Agency, plus identification of the director and the ultimate beneficial owners.

For a foreign company, expect to provide:

• A recent excerpt from the company register, articles of association and a list of directors and shareholders, apostilled and translated into Serbian by a court interpreter
• Identification of directors and beneficial owners
• A description of the business: what you sell, to whom, main suppliers and expected monthly volumes
• Supporting documents such as contracts, invoices or a website

More detail on our business bank account page.

The process, step by step

1. Pre-check. We look at your citizenship, residence, business and source of funds, and tell you honestly which banks are realistic.
2. Documents. Foreign documents are apostilled and translated by a Serbian court interpreter. We prepare the bank forms and a short client profile.
3. Appointment. We book the meeting at the branch and attend with you.
4. Bank review. The compliance team reviews the file. Simple personal accounts are often opened on the spot; business accounts can take longer.
5. Activation. Online banking, mobile app, cards and the first international transfer.

Why applications get refused

Serbian banks apply full know-your-customer and anti-money-laundering rules, and they decide independently. The most common reasons for refusal are:

• No clear reason for the account, or a reason that does not match the documents
• Funds whose origin cannot be shown
• Complex ownership chains with no clear beneficial owner
• Documents missing apostilles or certified translations
• Citizenship or business sectors that the bank treats as higher risk

Most of these problems are solved before the appointment, with a consistent file and an honest explanation. If we see a risk that cannot be solved, we say so before you travel.

What about CRS?

Many clients ask about the Common Reporting Standard. According to the OECD's status of commitments (December 2025), Serbia has not yet set a date for automatic CRS exchanges. That is not secrecy from the law: Serbia exchanges information on request and applies FATCA to US persons, and you still declare income where you are tax resident. Read Is Serbia a CRS country?