Programmes · Europe and the Middle East
Discretionary naturalisation
Article 19 of Serbia's Law on Citizenship allows a foreign national to be admitted when this is in Serbia's interest. The government decides, and the law names no price.
At the government's discretion
Serbia has no programme that hands out a passport in exchange for a fixed sum. Its Law on Citizenship does, however, contain a special route in Article 19: a foreign national can be admitted if their admission is in the interest of the Republic of Serbia. The decision does not rest with an official working through a checklist but with the government, on a proposal from the competent ministry.
What counts as that interest, the law does not say. It sets no categories, no investment sum and no number of jobs. That makes Article 19 the opposite of a programme: you can only plan on it if your value to Serbia is already plain to see, whether in business, sport, culture or science.
Legal basis: Zakon o državljanstvu Republike Srbije (Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Serbia, Službeni glasnik RS 135/2004, 90/2007, 24/2018), Art. 19
Competent authority: Government of the Republic of Serbia, on a proposal from the competent ministry
| Principle | a foreign national may also be admitted to citizenship if their admission is in the interest of the Republic of Serbia (Art. 19(1)) Source |
|---|---|
| Who decides | the Government of the Republic of Serbia, on a proposal from the competent ministry (Art. 19(3)) Source |
| What is waived | release from your current citizenship, three years of registered residence in Serbia and the written declaration that you regard Serbia as your own state (Art. 14(1), points 2 to 4) Source |
| What still applies | you must be of age and have full legal capacity (Art. 14(1), point 1) Source |
| Spouse | may be admitted on the same relaxed terms (Art. 19(2)) Source |
| Criteria and amount | the law sets neither criteria nor an investment amount; the only yardstick is the interest of the Republic of Serbia Source |
| Application | filed with the police administration where you live or stay, or through a Serbian embassy or consulate, in person or through an authorised representative (Art. 39) Source |
| Refusal | the Ministry of the Interior may refuse an application even when every requirement is met, if it sees reasons in the interest of the Republic of Serbia (Art. 41) Source |
The ordinary route under Article 14 requires three years of registered residence, release from your current citizenship and a written declaration that you regard Serbia as your own state. Article 19 waives all three. All that remains is that you are of age and have full legal capacity. Your spouse can also be admitted on the same relaxed terms.
It is above all the waiver on release that makes this route interesting for Germans, Austrians and Swiss: you do not have to give up the citizenship you hold today. Whether your home country allows you a second citizenship is a separate question.
If you invest in Serbia, build a company there that creates jobs, or work there in sport, culture or science, you can make a case under Article 19. It gives you no entitlement, and under Article 41 the Ministry of the Interior can refuse any application if it sees reasons in Serbia's interest. If you want a passport you can plan on, at a fixed amount, one of the open programmes will serve you better. If you are moving to Serbia anyway, ordinary naturalisation after years of residence gives you a clear path.
How naturalisation after years of residence works and which countries move quickly.
Which routes to a passport come with the fewest hurdles.
The programmes with fixed amounts and timelines, side by side.
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Residence and work permits, banking in practice and everyday life in Serbia, written by Balcasia for people moving from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
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No, not at a set price. Article 19 allows admission when it is in Serbia's interest, and the government decides case by case whether that is so. The law names no investment amount.
Not for admission under Article 19. The law expressly waives release from your existing citizenship. Whether your home country lets you hold dual citizenship depends on its own law.
No. The three years of registered residence required for ordinary naturalisation do not apply. If you live in Serbia anyway, the ordinary route under Article 14 gives you an alternative you can plan around.
At the police administration where you live or stay in Serbia, or through a Serbian embassy or consulate, either in person or through an authorised representative.
You have worked hard to build a life full of possibilities. Now it is about expanding them, for you and for your family. Talk to Daniel Taborek about your budget, your family and the route to your second citizenship. Find out which passport should enrich your future.
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