What your passport allows
The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that Canadian citizens with ordinary passports may enter without a visa and stay up to 90 days within a six-month period, counted from the first entry.
As a visa-free national you normally file the temporary residence application inside Serbia during that stay. We set the filing date together before you land.
Signing the power of attorney in Canada
Canada entered the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 January 2024. If an older guide told you that Canadian documents need the full legalisation chain, that advice is outdated. A Canadian notary certifies your signature on the power of attorney we prepare, and the notarial document is then apostilled. Which office issues the apostille depends on the province and on the kind of document, and we tell you which one applies to yours. Then the original goes to Belgrade by courier. See our power of attorney page for the other countries.
Leaving Canadian tax residence
When you stop being a Canadian tax resident, Canada generally treats most of your capital property as sold at fair market value on the day you leave, the so-called departure tax. Your residential ties, such as a home, a spouse or dependants who stay behind, and bank accounts, decide whether you have really left. There are exceptions and elections, so this is a conversation with your Canadian accountant before you cancel anything, not after.
Canada and Serbia have a double tax treaty in force. Serbian residency follows where you actually live, or 183 days in a twelve-month period. Our tax residency page shows the tests and rates.
Banks, source of funds and property back home
A Serbian bank wants to understand the company and the money behind it. Bring proof of where the funds come from, such as a tax return, a sale contract or payslips. A Canadian owner of a Serbian company, with a residence permit and a lease, presents a clear picture. The bank decides on every application, and we prepare the file to answer the questions it will ask.
How it runs, step by step
- You write to us: province, what the company will do, who moves with you.
- Written plan, engagement agreement and invoice, then payment by bank transfer.
- Notary and apostille in Canada, and the original to Belgrade by courier.
- Registration at the APR, usually about five working days after the original arrives.
- Residence application in Serbia, then the registered address with the white card and the bank account.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our fee for company registration (d.o.o.) | €370 |
| Sworn translation of the power of attorney in Belgrade | €40 per power of attorney |
| Notary and apostille or legalisation in Canada | at local rates |
| State fee at the Business Registers Agency (APR) | per APR tariff |
| Registered address in Belgrade, with the white card (beli karton) | €480 for 12 months |
| Visa D | €550 per person, only if your passport needs one |
| Temporary residence permit | €850 per person |
| Basic bookkeeping | from €100 a month |
Third-party costs are always separate and charged at cost, with receipts. We send a written estimate before you pay anything, then an engagement agreement and an invoice. Payment is by bank transfer only.
Sources: Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visa regime pages; Hague Conference on Private International Law, Apostille Convention status table; KPMG Serbia, list of Serbia’s double tax treaties (situation 1 January 2025). Checked 2 November 2026. General information, not tax advice for your case. Rules change, so we confirm your position in writing before you sign anything.
Checked by our lawyer. Updated 2 November 2026. Next review: February 2027.