Citizenship
HOW TO ACQUIRE CITIZENSHIP OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
Acquisition of Citizenship by Descent
Citizenship of the Republic of Serbia by descent, under different conditions, is acquired by children whose both parentsor one parent is a citizen of the Republic of Serbia at the time of the child’s birth;
Please make sure to register your child on time at the diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Serbia to be entered into the citizenship records.
If your parents were citizens of Serbia at the time of your birth, and you are an adult under the age of 23, but you were not registered as a child, you may submit a request at the diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Serbia.
Acquisition of Citizenship by Admission
a) If you are a foreign national and have permanent residence in the Republic of Serbia, you may acquire citizenship under the following conditions:
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You have reached the age of 18 and have not been deprived of legal capacity;
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You have been released from your foreign citizenship or can provide proof that you will be released if admitted to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia;
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You have had registered residence in the territory of the Republic of Serbia for at least three consecutive years before submitting the request;
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You submit a written statement declaring the Republic of Serbia as your country.
b) If you are a foreigner who has been married to a citizen of the Republic of Serbia for at least three years and have been granted permanent residence in the Republic of Serbia, you may be admitted to citizenship if you submit a written statement declaring the Republic of Serbia as your country.
v) If you are an emigrant from the Republic of Serbia or a descendant of one, you may be admitted to the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia if you are over 18, have not been deprived of legal capacity, and submit a written statement declaring the Republic of Serbia as your country. For admission into citizenship as an emigrant, release from foreign citizenship is not required, meaning you can hold dual citizenship (you do not need to reside in Serbia or have permanent residence approval).
g) If you are of Serbian ethnic origin and do not reside in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, you are entitled, in accordance with Article 23 of the Law, to be admitted to the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia without release from your foreign citizenship. You must be at least 18 years old, not deprived of legal capacity, and submit a written statement declaring the Republic of Serbia as your country.
HOW CITIZENSHIP OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA IS TERMINATED
Termination by Release
Citizenship of the Republic of Serbia is terminated by release upon request if the following conditions are met:
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You have reached the age of 18;
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There are no objections regarding military service obligations;
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You have settled taxes and other legal obligations in the Republic of Serbia;
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You have resolved property and legal obligations from marital and parental relationships with persons residing in the Republic of Serbia;
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No criminal proceedings are being conducted against you in Serbia for criminal offenses prosecuted ex officio, or if you have been convicted — that you have served your sentence;
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You have foreign citizenship or proof that you will be accepted into foreign citizenship.
Termination by Renunciation
If you are an adult, born and living abroad, and you hold foreign citizenship, you may renounce your citizenship of the Republic of Serbia through a specific procedure until the age of 25.
YOU WERE RELEASED FROM CITIZENSHIP OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA, BUT YOU WISH TO REACQUIRE IT
If you were released from the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia and acquired foreign citizenship, or if your citizenship ceased at the request of your parents by release or renunciation, you may reacquire citizenship of the Republic of Serbia by submitting a request for reacquisition.
You must be over 18, not deprived of legal capacity, and submit a written statement declaring the Republic of Serbia as your country.
Please note that many countries, in their nationality laws, require prior consent from their competent authority for reacquisition of foreign citizenship. Otherwise, they may revoke the acquired citizenship of that country.
YOU DO NOT HAVE A REGULARIZED CITIZENSHIP STATUS
If you acquired citizenship of the Republic of Serbia but are not registered in the birth registry or in the citizenship records maintained under previous regulations, the ministry responsible for internal affairs will determine your citizenship upon your request, or upon the request of a competent authority conducting procedures related to the exercise of your rights, or ex officio.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs issues a decision on the determination of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia.
WHERE TO SUBMIT THE REQUEST AND WHO MAKES THE DECISION
Requests for the acquisition and termination of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia are decided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia in accordance with its jurisdiction under the Law.
Requests for acquisition and termination of citizenship are submitted to the internal affairs authority based on the applicant’s place of residence or stay, or may also be submitted through the competent diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Serbia, which will forward the request without delay to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Requests for acquisition or termination of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia are submitted personally or through an authorized representative. For persons deprived of legal capacity, the request is submitted by a guardian, and for minors under the age of 18, the request is submitted by a parent along with a written statement declaring the Republic of Serbia as the child’s country. For children over 14, their consent is also required.
The applicant is issued a confirmation of submission of the request.
NOTE:
For more detailed information about the conditions, required documents, procedures, and costs, please contact the diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Serbia in your area of residence.
Please note that the above information is of a general nature, and that in every specific case, the Law on Citizenship and other applicable regulations are fully applied.
More detailed information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.