Serbia is one of the most convenient jurisdictions for business and team expansion from the CIS: visa-free entry for citizens of Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan, relatively fast company registration, and a predictable residence permit process through employment. However, behind this apparent simplicity lies a chain of four interconnected processes — company registration, office arrangements, opening a corporate bank account, and employee onboarding — where a delay at any stage can postpone the team’s operational launch by several weeks.
Companies most often underestimate two key factors: timelines (opening a bank account and obtaining residence permits do not move at the same pace as registering a legal entity) and the volume of documentation required for employees and their family members. Treating business expansion as a single-stage process is a common mistake that can result in downtime for already hired employees who are waiting for their legal status to be finalized.
1. Registration of the employer company
For hiring purposes and business expansion, the most practical option is usually a d.o.o. structure (the Serbian equivalent of an LLC). It is easier to administer than an a.d. structure (similar to a joint-stock company) and does not require establishing a representative office of a foreign legal entity.
At this stage, the company’s key details are defined — company name, registered address, share capital, business activity code — and a decision is made on whether to register as a VAT payer. VAT registration at the company formation stage may be beneficial if the company regularly makes payments to foreign service providers for domains, servers, and similar services, as it allows VAT deduction.
The founding documents are prepared based on the ownership structure. If legal entities are among the founders, notarized extracts from corporate registers translated into Serbian will be required — they should be recent (usually 3–6 months old), and in complex structures, documents may be required up to the ultimate beneficial owner level.
The director does not need to be physically present in Serbia for company registration: a power of attorney to a local lawyer can cover the filing process. However, a personal visit for one working day will be required within 30 days after registration to obtain an electronic digital signature and complete beneficial owner registration.
2. Office — a full lease is not always required
At the initial stage, a registered business address — such as a coworking space or a similar solution — may be sufficient. Some employees may work remotely based on employment agreements containing the relevant remote work provisions. If a lease agreement is concluded, it must be registered with the relevant authorities.
3. Corporate bank account — a separate process with its own timelines
The bank requires not only the incorporation documents but also detailed information about the company’s plans: how many employees are expected to be hired, how the company will be financed, and what turnover is anticipated.
The director must be personally present to sign banking documents, which should be taken into account when planning business trips.
4. Team expansion and employee legalization — the longest stage
This stage involves several parallel processes: visa requirements (not applicable for citizens of Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan), housing arrangements and address registration, opening a personal bank account for the employee, preparation of residence permit documentation (including labor market checks based on the employee’s CV, handled by legal advisors), health insurance, and separate documentation for family members if employees are relocating with their families.
From the moment the residence permit application is submitted, the employee can freely enter and leave Serbia. After biometric data submission, the residence permit decision usually takes approximately 30–45 days, followed by another 7–10 days until issuance (depending on the workload of the Ministry of Interior and the city of application).
The employment agreement becomes effective on the date specified in the residence permit. This means that before that date, the employee is not formally employed in Serbia, even if they are already physically present in the country.
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How REVERA can help
Our lawyers support business and team expansion to Serbia on a turnkey basis: from selecting the appropriate company structure and preparing incorporation documents to legalizing employees and their family members.
We help businesses avoid gaps between key stages — company registration, opening a corporate bank account, and obtaining residence permits — which are the most common causes of unexpected delays.
