Serbia

Last Updated: 2026-03-31

Official Portal: Ministry of Interior — Citizenship

Embassy Finder: Serbian Diplomatic Missions

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	3 years continuous lawful residence
Language requirement	Knowledge of Serbian language (practical assessment, no formal CEFR level mandated)
Civics test	No formal written test
Processing time	3—12 months
Naturalization fee	RSD 2,140 (approximately EUR 18) for standard application
Dual citizenship	Fully permitted — no restrictions
Citizenship by birth in Serbia	Limited jus soli (child born to stateless or unknown parents)
Citizenship by descent	Automatic for children of Serbian citizens (jus sanguinis)
Governing law	Zakon o drzavljanstvu Republike Srbije — Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Serbia (2004, amended 2007, 2018)

Dual Citizenship

Serbia fully permits dual citizenship without any restrictions. This has been the consistent position under the 2004 Law on Citizenship and its subsequent amendments.

Key provisions:

Serbian citizens may acquire any number of foreign nationalities without losing Serbian citizenship. No prior permission or notification is required.
Foreign nationals naturalizing in Serbia are not required to renounce their existing citizenship.
Serbia has bilateral agreements on dual citizenship with several countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
The permissive approach reflects Serbia’s large diaspora (estimated 3-4 million persons of Serbian descent abroad, primarily in the United States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, and Canada).

Practical note: While Serbia does not restrict dual citizenship, a person who holds both Serbian and another nationality is treated exclusively as a Serbian citizen while on Serbian territory — including for military obligations and legal proceedings.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth

Serbia applies jus sanguinis as the primary principle. Jus soli is highly limited:

A child born on Serbian territory acquires citizenship only if both parents are unknown, stateless, or of undetermined nationality.
Birth in Serbia to foreign parents does not confer Serbian citizenship.

By Descent

A child acquires Serbian citizenship at birth if:

Both parents are Serbian citizens at the time of birth, regardless of where the child is born.
One parent is a Serbian citizen and the child is born in Serbia.
One parent is a Serbian citizen and the child is born abroad — the child acquires citizenship if the other parent is stateless or of unknown citizenship, OR if the child is registered with a Serbian diplomatic mission by age 18.

Children born abroad to one Serbian parent who were not registered by age 18 may submit a declaration of Serbian citizenship up to age 23. After age 23, the standard naturalization process applies.

By Adoption

A child under 18 who is fully adopted by a Serbian citizen acquires Serbian citizenship from the date the adoption becomes legally effective. The adoption must be recognized under Serbian law. Partial (simple) adoption does not automatically transfer citizenship.

By Marriage

Marriage to a Serbian citizen does not confer automatic citizenship. The foreign spouse may apply for facilitated naturalization:

Must have been married for at least 3 years
Must have been granted permanent residence in Serbia
No separate residency duration requirement beyond permanent residence status
Must meet all other naturalization conditions (language, no criminal record, allegiance)

By Naturalization

Requirement	Details
Lawful continuous residence	3 years with permanent residence status
Age	18 years or older
Language	Knowledge of Serbian language (assessed during application)
No criminal record	No conviction for a criminal offense that would make the applicant a threat to public order or national security
Allegiance	Must accept Serbia as their state — a declaration requirement
Renunciation of prior citizenship	Not required
Fee	RSD 2,140 (standard application)

Simplified procedures: Available for persons of Serbian ethnic origin (regardless of residence), spouses of Serbian citizens, persons born in Serbia, and former citizens of Serbia or Yugoslavia who lost citizenship. The residency requirement may be waived entirely for persons of Serbian descent.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary renunciation: A Serbian citizen may renounce citizenship by submitting a request to the Ministry of Interior (within Serbia) or a Serbian consulate (abroad). Requirements:

Must be at least 18 years old
Must hold or have guaranteed acquisition of another nationality
Must have no pending criminal proceedings or unsettled tax obligations in Serbia

Involuntary loss:

Ground	Details
Fraud	Citizenship obtained through false statements or concealment of relevant facts may be revoked
Voluntary service in a foreign military	Without approval from Serbian authorities, though this is rarely enforced
Threat to state security	Acts against the sovereignty, constitutional order, or security of Serbia

Serbian citizens cannot lose citizenship by acquiring a foreign nationality. There is no automatic loss provision.

Restoration of Nationality

Former Serbian citizens who renounced or lost citizenship may apply for restoration through a facilitated process:

The standard 3-year residency requirement is waived for former citizens.
Must submit a request to the Ministry of Interior or Serbian consulate.
Must demonstrate former Serbian citizenship (birth certificate, old passport, or other documentation).
Must not pose a security risk.

Citizens of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) or the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro who had citizenship of Serbia within those entities may have restoration claims. Serbia has been generous in processing these cases, particularly for ethnic Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Kosovo.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

Serbia is a party to both the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

A child born on Serbian territory who would otherwise be stateless acquires Serbian citizenship at birth.
A foundling discovered in Serbia is presumed to be a Serbian citizen until proven otherwise.
Stateless persons lawfully residing in Serbia may apply for naturalization under facilitated conditions, with reduced residency requirements.

Document Checklist

Completed citizenship application form (Form 1 for naturalization)

Valid passport or travel document (with certified copy)

Birth certificate (apostilled and translated into Serbian by a certified court translator)

Marriage certificate (if applicable, apostilled and translated)

Proof of permanent residence in Serbia

Criminal background check from Serbia and country of origin

Proof of Serbian language knowledge

Declaration of acceptance of Serbia as one’s state

Evidence of Serbian ethnic origin (if applying under simplified procedure — baptismal records, family documents, community attestation)

Two biometric passport photos

Payment receipt for application fee (RSD 2,140)

Sources

Zakon o drzavljanstvu Republike Srbije — Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Serbia (Official Gazette of RS, No. 135/2004, 90/2007, 24/2018). https://www.paragraf.rs/
Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia — Citizenship application procedures. https://www.mup.gov.rs/wps/portal/en
Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Consular services and diaspora affairs. https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en
Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) — Serbia country profile. https://globalcit.eu/
UNHCR — Refworld — Serbia nationality law compilations. https://www.refworld.org/
European Commission — Serbia Country Profile — EU accession candidate status. https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/enlargement-policy/serbia_en

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