What your passport allows
Emirati citizens with ordinary passports may stay in Serbia up to 90 days within a six-month period without a visa, according to the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most people living in the UAE hold another passport, though, and the rule follows the passport, not the UAE residence visa. Citizens of countries that need a Serbian visa generally still do. If you have a valid Schengen, UK, EU member state or US visa, or a residence permit in a Schengen state, an EU state or the US, an exemption for up to 90 days in six months may apply. A UK residence permit does not count. We check your passport first.
Signing the power of attorney in the UAE
The UAE does not appear in the Hague Apostille Convention status table, so an apostille is not available. The signature has to be certified in a way Serbia accepts: a notarised document that goes through the UAE and Serbian legalisation steps, or a signature certified at a Serbian embassy or consulate, which works without an apostille or legalisation. We tell you which of the two is quicker for your situation. The original goes to Belgrade by courier, and the APR registration starts when it arrives. See the power of attorney page.
Tax
The UAE and Serbia have a double tax treaty in force. Your UAE position, including the federal corporate tax regime that applies to companies there and your own residency status, stays your business and your adviser’s. On the Serbian side, tax residency follows where you actually live, or 183 days in a twelve-month period, with 10 per cent tax on salary and 15 per cent corporate tax. If you ask whether Serbia or Dubai suits you better, read Serbia vs Dubai and moving from Dubai to Serbia.
Banks and the company
A Serbian bank wants to know who owns the company, who controls it and where the funds come from. UAE-based owners usually bring a trade licence, a tax registration, bank statements and an Emirates ID. We prepare the file and the bank decides.
How it runs, step by step
- You write to us: your passport, where you live, what the company will do, who moves with you.
- Written plan, engagement agreement and invoice, then payment by bank transfer.
- Certification of the power of attorney, by the UAE legalisation chain or at a Serbian embassy, then the original to Belgrade by courier.
- Registration at the APR, usually about five working days after the original arrives.
- Visa D if your passport needs it, then the residence application, 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 the United Arab Emirates | 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.