Who this is for
You are from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Turkey, Nigeria, Egypt or another country outside the EU. You live legally in an EU country, the UK or Switzerland. You have a residence permit, often linked to an employer, and you would like a business that does not depend on that employer. Opening a company where you live is expensive or slow, or your permit does not let you be self-employed.
A Serbian d.o.o. (limited company) is a common answer. It is outside the EU, so EU self-employment rules do not apply to it. It can invoice clients in the EU, the UK and anywhere else.
Do you need a visa for Serbia?
Often not. Under a Serbian government decision, a foreigner who holds a valid residence permit of an EU or Schengen country, or of the United States, can enter Serbia without a visa and stay up to 90 days in any 180, while the permit is valid. The same applies to a valid Schengen, UK or US visa. Bring your passport and the permit card.
* We check this against your passport and permit before you book anything. Rules change, and the border police decide at entry.
What you can do from where you live
- Tell us your situation on WhatsApp or by email: passport, country and type of permit, what the company will do. That is enough to start.
- You get a written plan with all costs, an engagement letter and an invoice in the lawyer’s name. Payment by bank transfer only.
- Sign a power of attorney at a notary in your city. In most EU countries an apostille is added; we tell you exactly which stamp you need for your country. Then you courier the original to Belgrade.
- We register the company with the Serbian Business Registers Agency (APR). Usually five working days after the original arrives. You receive the registration extract and tax number in English.
- One trip for the bank. Serbian banks want to meet the director once. We prepare the papers, book the appointment and come with you. The bank makes the decision.
Residence in Serbia through your company
If you later want to live in Serbia, your company can employ you, and you apply for a single permit for residence and work. Since 2024 it can be issued for up to three years. If your passport needs a visa for Serbia, we tell you in writing whether you first need a Visa D or can apply on your EU permit. It depends on your passport and on why you are applying.
Do not lose your EU permit
A Serbian company does not affect your EU residence. Living in Serbia might. Every EU permit has rules on time spent abroad. An EU long-term resident permit, for example, can be withdrawn after 12 months in a row outside the EU, and national permits are often stricter. Check your own permit before you move. We raise this in our first reply, because the order of the steps matters.
What it costs
| Item | Our fee |
|---|---|
| Company registration (d.o.o.) | €370 |
| Sworn translation of the power of attorney | €40 per power of attorney |
| Registered address with “beli karton”, needed for the bank | €480 / first year |
| Visa D, if your passport needs it | €550 per person |
| Temporary residence (single permit) | €850 per person |
| Bookkeeping | from €100 / month |
State fees, the notary and the apostille in your country are added at cost. You see them in writing, as one total, before you pay anything.
General information, not legal or tax advice for your case. Rules on entry and residence change; we check the current position before each engagement. The police decide on residence, the bank on the account. Updated October 2026.