Setting up a company in Serbia as a foreign owner: a step-by-step guide
Serbia is an attractive destination for foreign business owners, competitive corporate tax (15%), straightforward incorporation, and growing IT and services sectors. But the registration process has its quirks, and getting it right matters for ongoing compliance.
Choosing the legal form
Most foreign owners choose between two options:
- Doo (Limited Liability Company), the standard choice for most businesses. Requires minimum capital of 100 RSD, limited liability for owners, and corporate tax of 15%. Suitable for any size operation, from solo founders to multinationals.
- Preduzetnik (Sole Proprietorship), simpler but with personal liability. Several tax regimes available. Generally less suitable for foreign owners due to residency requirements.
For foreign owners, Doo is almost always the right answer.
Required documents
To register a Doo with foreign ownership, you typically need:
- Founder's identification (passport for individuals, registry extract for companies)
- Apostilled and translated copy of foreign company registration (if the founder is a legal entity)
- Founding act (memorandum of association)
- Proof of paid-in capital
- Director appointment decision
- Registered office address (in Serbia)
- Application form to the Business Registers Agency (APR)
Timeline
From document collection to issued company registration: typically 5–10 business days if everything is in order. Foreign documents take longer to apostille and translate, so factor in 1–3 weeks for those if not already prepared.
What happens after registration
Once your company is registered, you immediately have ongoing obligations:
- Tax registration with the Tax Administration (within 5 days of incorporation)
- Bank account opening (foreign owners often need to attend in person or appoint a power of attorney)
- VAT registration if your projected turnover exceeds 8 million RSD/year (mandatory) or voluntarily below that threshold
- Statistical office registration
- Employee registration if you'll hire
- e-Invoice (SEF) registration for B2B and B2G invoicing
Each of these has deadlines and requires correct filing. Mistakes here can cause complications later that are much harder to fix.
Common pitfalls for foreign owners
- Underestimating the registered office requirement, you need a real address, not a virtual office, and proof of right to use it
- Skipping the SEF registration, required for any B2B/B2G invoicing
- Not understanding the e-Government portal, most filings now require digital certificates and access to the e-Government system
- Missing the 5-day tax registration window, triggers penalties
How we help
We handle company setup end-to-end for foreign owners, from initial advisory on legal form selection through document preparation, registration, all post-registration filings, and the first months of accounting. We work in English and Russian, and most of the process can be handled remotely with a power of attorney.
If you're considering registering in Serbia, get in touch for a free consultation.
