Power of attorney for Serbia: notary, apostille or legalisation?
To register your company in Serbia you don't need to travel. You sign a power of attorney at home and send us the original. What that signature needs depends on the country where you sign. Pick it below.
- treaty countries
- Notary only
- Hague countries
- Notary + apostille
- all the rest
- Legalisation
Pick the country where you sign, not your nationality.
Common:
Your answer appears here
Choose a country on the left.
Good to know before you sign
We prepare the text
You don't write the power of attorney yourself. We send it in English and Serbian, filled in with your details, so the notary only certifies your signature.
APR needs the original
A scan is not enough for the registration. The signed original travels to our office in Belgrade, usually 2 to 5 days by courier.
Translation is done here
If your notary adds a page in another language, a sworn translator in Belgrade translates it. That costs about 40 EUR per document.
Serbian embassy works everywhere
A signature certified at a Serbian embassy or consulate is valid in Serbia without an apostille or legalisation, wherever you are.
Notary only (bilateral treaty)
Bilateral treaties on legal assistance between Serbia and these countries exempt notarised documents from legalisation.
Austria, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine
Notary + apostille
Hague Apostille Convention. For Belgium, France and Italy the treaty with Serbia covers only some documents, so use the apostille.
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong SAR China, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao SAR China, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé & Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam
Notary + legalisation, or sign at the Serbian embassy
Not in the Apostille Convention (or not yet). Thailand joins on 28 February 2027.
Afghanistan, Angola, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Palestinian Territories, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Sources: Hague Conference on Private International Law, status table of the Apostille Convention; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, list of bilateral treaties on exemption from legalisation. Checked October 2026. Rules change, so we confirm your case before you sign.
Also useful: document checklists (PDF) · which route fits you · company cost calculator
Questions people ask us
Can I sign the power of attorney in a different country from my nationality?
Yes. What counts is where you sign. An Indian citizen living in Dubai signs under the UAE rules, not the Indian ones.
Is an electronic signature or a scan enough?
Not for company registration. APR needs the original power of attorney with the notary's certification and, where needed, the apostille or legalisation.
How long is a power of attorney valid?
Serbian law doesn't set a fixed limit, but banks and some offices prefer one that is not older than six months. Sign it when you are ready to start.
Two owners in two different countries?
No problem. Each of you signs a separate power of attorney in your own country, under that country's rules.
Tell us what you are planning
A few lines are enough. Every message is read by our lawyer, and the first written reply is free.
- You send the form. WhatsApp opens with your message already written. This website stores nothing.
- We reply, usually the same business day. If something is missing we ask four things: citizenship, where you live and pay tax now, what the business or income is, and when you want to start.
- You get a written plan with fixed fees before any work begins. If we think a bank is unlikely to say yes, or Serbia is the wrong choice for you, you hear it then.
Belgrade, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 CET