SerbiaCitizenship by descent

Citizenship for the Serbian people in Serbia

Ethnic Serbs living abroad obtain a Serbian passport without moving to the country and without renouncing their present citizenship. The applicant confirms belonging to the Serbian people with family or official documents; a residence permit and years of residence in Serbia are not needed. The decision is taken by the Ministry of the Interior. For refugees and displaced persons of Serbian origin there is a separate simplified branch.

Work

A Serbian citizen does not need a work permit.

Residence

There is no requirement to live in Serbia.

Stalno nastanjenje is not required for this ground.

Source: mup.gov.rs — Zahtev za prijem u državljanstvo RS pripadnika srpskog naroda

Who may apply for citizenship through Serbian origin

Within this ground there are two different sets of documents and different fees — depending on the applicant's status.

Adults with proven Serbian origin

You have official documents or family records in which you or your ancestors are recorded as Serbs by nationality
You are ready to sign a statement that you consider Serbia your own state
You are not ready to renounce your present citizenship — and you do not have to: the law does not require it

Refugees and displaced persons of Serbian origin

You hold a valid refugee certificate or the status of a displaced person
You do not have to confirm Serbian origin separately with documents — refugee status takes the place of that certificate
You pay a separate, lower republic fee for the decision on admission

When the programme is not a fit

You have no documents on Serbian origin, but you have ancestors who emigrated from Serbia

Admission to citizenship of iseljenici (descendants of emigrants) — that route requires evidence of the ancestors' emigration rather than of Serbian nationality

You are not a Serb by origin and not a descendant of emigrants, but you have long lived in Serbia or plan to move there

The ordinary procedure for admitting a foreign national to citizenship — the application is filed at the place of residence in Serbia or through a consulate, but it requires other grounds, including residence

The applicant is under 18 and wants to file the application themselves

For an applicant aged 14–17 the application is filed by the parents or guardian with the applicant's own consent; for those under 14, only by the parents or guardian

What it costs

Fee for the decision on admission to citizenship — general case (not refugees)Tariff number 39 of the Law on Republic Administrative Fees, item “other cases of admission to citizenship”. The general fee of 380 dinars for filing the application is already included in this amount and is not paid separately	22 920 RSD
Fee for the issue of a certificate (uverenje) by the Ministry of the InteriorTariff number 11 — the general fee for the issue of an official certificate or confirmation by the bodies of the Ministry of the Interior; it applies, for example, when obtaining confirmation of the citizenship granted in order to arrange a passport or identity card	760 RSD
Fee for the decision on admission to citizenship — for refugees and displaced personsTariff number 39, item 1 — for refugees, expelled and displaced persons (izbegla, prognana i raseljena lica). The fee for filing the application is likewise already included in this amount	1 270 RSD
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. the “Fee for the decision on admission to citizenship — for refugees and displaced persons” branch replaces the “Fee for the decision on admission to citizenship — general case (not refugees)” line — 2 030 RSD. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	23 680 RSD

Paid separately

Criminal record certificate from the place of birth or country of residence — The applicant obtains and pays for it in their own country — it is not covered by the Serbian republic fee

Documents to gather

The basic package for an adult applicant outside refugee status; for particular categories the set of documents is shorter.

An extract (izvod) from the birth register — those born abroad attach the original
A certificate (uverenje) of citizenship of the present country
An extract from the marriage register, if the applicant is married
A copy of the passport or identity card
A signed statement recognising the Republic of Serbia as your own state, in the prescribed form
A criminal record certificate issued at the place of birth or residence abroad
Documents confirming belonging to the Serbian people — official documents or family records in which the applicant is recorded as a Serb
A receipt for payment of the republic administrative fee, generated on the eUprava portal
For an applicant aged 14–17 — their own consent; for an applicant under 14 the application is filed by the parents or guardian
For refugees and displaced persons — a valid refugee certificate instead of evidence of Serbian origin

How the process runs

Exact processing times are not stated on the website of the Serbian Ministry of the Interior — the authority does not publish a statutory time limit for a decision in this procedure.

1
Collecting documents and evidence of Serbian origin
The applicant collects extracts from the birth and marriage registers, a certificate of their present citizenship, a criminal record certificate and official or family documents in which they are recorded as a Serb by nationality.
2
Payment of the republic administrative fee
The applicant generates and pays the payment slip on the eUprava portal. The amount depends on the applicant's category — the ordinary case or the status of a refugee or displaced person.
3
Filing the application
The application with the package of documents is filed with the police administration for the place of residence or stay in Serbia, or through a Serbian diplomatic or consular mission abroad.
4
Checking the documents and data by the Ministry
The competent authority may itself request the necessary data from official Serbian registers — records of births, marriages and citizens — without waiting for certificates from the applicant.
5
Decision on admission to citizenship
The Serbian Ministry of the Interior issues a decision admitting the applicant to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia. The applicant is not obliged to renounce their previous citizenship and may continue to live outside Serbia.

Who you can bring with you

There is no separate simplified ground for family members here, but where they apply together with the applicant the fee is not duplicated.

The applicant's spouse

May be included in a single decision together with the applicant; the fee in that case is paid as for one decision rather than separately for each family member

A minor child

Is included in the joint decision together with the parent under a single fee; if a child aged 14–17 files the application for themselves, their own consent is required

A non-working child under 26

May also be included in a single decision together with the applicant, without a separate fee for each family member

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Citizenship for the Serbian people	Employment residence permit	Azil
Grounds	Belonging to the Serbian people, with no requirement to live in Serbia	Employment contract	Persecution
Work	A Serbian citizen does not need a work permit	Yes, this is the main ground; the permit goes through the National Employment Service	The conditions for work are not set out
Residence	There is no requirement to live in Serbia	An address; compliance with the terms of employment	Actual residence in the country is mandatory

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

Residence on the territory of the Republic of Serbia is not required; renunciation of the previous citizenship is not required. A written statement must be filed that the applicant considers Serbia their own state. The documents are: an extract from the birth register, a certificate of citizenship, a passport or identity document, marriage documents if any, a criminal record certificate, documents confirming Serbian origin and a receipt for payment through the electronic government portal

Frequently asked questions about Citizenship for the Serbian people

Do you have to renounce your previous citizenship in order to obtain Serbian citizenship by origin?

No. Under article 23 of the Citizenship Law, a member of the Serbian people is admitted to Serbian citizenship “without a release from the foreign citizenship” — that is, without any obligation to give up the current passport.

Do you have to live in Serbia in order to file for citizenship through Serbian origin?

No, residence in Serbia is not required. This ground is designed precisely for Serbs who live permanently abroad and do not hold Serbian citizenship.

How much is the republic fee for the decision on admission to citizenship?

For most applicants it is 22,920 dinars (tariff number 39, “other cases”); for refugees, expelled and displaced persons it is 1,270 dinars. Both amounts already include the fee for filing the application.

I have no documents on Serbian origin, but my ancestors emigrated from Serbia — what should I do?

It is worth considering the separate procedure for admitting iseljenici to citizenship: instead of evidence of Serbian nationality it requires evidence that the ancestors emigrated from Serbia — copies of visas, passports or acts of foreign authorities, for example.

Where do I file the application if I live abroad?

Through the Serbian diplomatic or consular mission in the country of residence. If the applicant is in Serbia, the application is filed with the police administration for the place of residence or stay.

Is a separate fee payable for a spouse and children if they apply together with me?

No. If the decision on admission covers the applicant, the spouse, a minor child or a non-working child under 26 at the same time, the administrative fee is paid once — as for one decision, not for each family member separately.

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.