SerbiaCitizenship

Admission to citizenship in Serbia

A route to citizenship for those who already live in Serbia on permanent settlement or are married to a citizen of the country. The application is considered by the Ministry of the Interior through the police administration for the place of residence or a Serbian consulate abroad. The conditions and the set of documents are different for spouses of Serbian citizens. The programme does not replace a residence permit: it is chosen by those who already hold such status.

Source: mup.gov.rs — Zahtev za prijem stranca u državljanstvo Republike Srbije

Who may be admitted to Serbian citizenship

The Serbian Ministry of the Interior deals with two cases of admitting a foreign national to citizenship — depending on whether or not you are married to a citizen of the country.

Without marriage to a Serbian citizen

You hold approved stalno nastanjenje (permanent settlement) in Serbia
You attach a release from your previous citizenship or proof that you will obtain one after admission
You file the complete package: extracts on birth and marriage, a copy of the identity document, the decision on stalno nastanjenje

Married to a Serbian citizen for 3 years or more

The marriage to a Serbian citizen has lasted at least 3 years and you hold stalno nastanjenje
There is no need to renounce your previous citizenship — you sign a statement that you consider Serbia your own state
You additionally attach your passport and a marriage extract no more than 6 months old

When the programme is not a fit

You do not yet hold approved stalno nastanjenje (permanent settlement) in Serbia

First obtain temporary residence, live in Serbia for 3 continuous years and arrange stalno nastanjenje — without it a citizenship application will not be accepted

You are a Serb by origin but do not live in Serbia

The Ministry's portal has a separate category for this — “Prijem pripadnika srpskog naroda” (admission of a member of the Serbian people) — with conditions different from the admission of a foreign national

You are married to a Serbian citizen, but for less than 3 years

Wait until the marriage reaches three years, or apply under the general procedure — with a release from your previous citizenship, without the marriage concession

You are a Serb by origin who moved abroad from Serbia

Use the category “Prijem iseljenika” (admission of an emigrant) — a separate procedure on the same Ministry portal

Documents to gather

The set of documents depends on the category: without marriage to a Serbian citizen, or married to one for at least 3 years.

An extract from the birth register (for those born abroad — the original)
An extract from the marriage register — for the privileged marriage procedure, no more than 6 months old
A certified copy of the decision granting stalno nastanjenje (permanent settlement)
A copy of the applicant's identity card
A release from the previous citizenship or a certificate from the foreign authority that the applicant will obtain one after admission — not required for a marriage of 3 years or more to a Serbian citizen
A written statement that the applicant considers the Republic of Serbia their own state — for the privileged marriage procedure
The applicant's passport — for the privileged marriage procedure
A receipt for payment of the fee through the eUprava portal
The written consent of a child over 14 if they are included in the application
The consent of the second parent if the application for a child is filed by one parent

How the process runs

The Serbian Ministry of the Interior does not publish a statutory time limit for considering the application — the general order of the procedure is set out below.

1
Preparing the documents and filing the application
The applicant files the application in person or through a representative — with the police administration for the place of residence or temporary stay in Serbia, or through a Serbian diplomatic or consular mission abroad. The package of documents and the receipt for payment of the fee from the eUprava portal are attached to the application.
2
Checking the documents and data by the Ministry
Some data — birth records, marriage records, records of the residence permit — may be obtained by the authority itself from official state registers if the applicant has consented. Where documents are missing, the authority requests them from the applicant.
3
The Ministry's decision on admission to citizenship
The Ministry of the Interior issues a decision admitting the applicant to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia. If the applicant filed the documents without a release from the previous citizenship already in hand, the decision may make providing such a release a condition for the acquisition of citizenship to take effect.

Timelines and rights

Work

A Serbian citizen does not need a work permit.

Residence

The application is filed with the police administration for the place of residence or stay, or through a Serbian diplomatic or consular mission

Who you can bring with you

The conditions for family members differ depending on whether the applicant is the spouse of a Serbian citizen.

A spouse who is a Serbian citizen

The marriage has lasted at least 3 years and the applicant holds stalno nastanjenje — there is then no need to renounce the previous citizenship. Instead the applicant signs a written statement that they consider Serbia their own state and attaches a marriage extract no more than 6 months old.

Children under 14

Are included in the parent's application. An extract of the child's birth record and a copy of their travel document are required. If one parent files the application, the consent of the other is required.

Children aged 14 and over

To include the child in the application their own written consent is required — in addition to the documents and the parents' consent.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Approved stalno nastanjenje is required before filing. It is granted after 3 years of continuous residence on temporary residence.

Route to citizenship

Under the general procedure a release from the foreign citizenship, or a guarantee that it will be granted after admission to Serbian citizenship, is required. For spouses of Serbian citizens no renunciation of the previous citizenship is required; a written statement must be signed that the applicant considers the Republic of Serbia their own state. An extract from the birth register, a marriage or divorce certificate, a passport and an identity document are attached; where children over 14 are included, their written consent

Frequently asked questions about Admission to citizenship

Do you have to renounce your previous citizenship on admission to Serbian citizenship?

It depends on the category. Without marriage to a Serbian citizen, a release from the previous citizenship or proof that the applicant will obtain one after admission is required. If the applicant has been married to a Serbian citizen for at least 3 years and holds stalno nastanjenje, no renunciation is needed — instead a statement is signed that they consider Serbia their own state.

Where is the application for admission to Serbian citizenship filed?

With the police administration for the place of residence or temporary stay in Serbia, or through a Serbian diplomatic or consular mission abroad.

Can the Ministry obtain the birth and marriage records itself?

Yes. With the applicant's consent the authority itself obtains some of the data — birth records, marriage records, records of the residence permit — from official state registers, without the applicant collecting certificates.

How is the fee for considering the application paid?

Through the eUprava portal: the system generates a single payment slip which is attached to the application. The amount of the fee depends on the legal ground and is set by the Law on Republic Administrative Fees — the Ministry's own page does not publish a specific amount in dinars.

Is a child's consent needed for their inclusion in the citizenship application?

Yes, if the child has turned 14 — their own written consent is required. For children under 14 the application is filed by the parents; if one parent files it, the consent of the other is required.

Other ways to move to Serbia

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Serbia.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.