How to open a company in Serbia. Setting up a company in Serbia: advice and personal experience. Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic

Serbia has a relatively low level of bureaucracy and there are no raider takeovers, so it is quite easy to open and run a business in Serbia. 2020 in this country was a period of stagnation, and now the economy has just begun to develop. As a result, there are many unoccupied niches and business opportunities in Serbia.

Best Regions for Doing Business in Serbia

The capital of Serbia is the city of Belgrade. It is economic, cultural and science Center... 16% of the country's population is concentrated here, and therefore, when determining the place where to start a business in Serbia, the best decision would be to open your business in Belgrade.

The second largest city is Novi Sad, the capital of the autonomous region of Vojvodina, which is also a river port. The population of the region is 26% of the total population of Serbia.

Small areas are distinguished by a narrow focus in the economy (for example, the Bor district is the center of the copper ore and copper smelting industry), therefore, if you are not engaged in a specific narrow specialization, you should not choose them to start your own business.

Serbian business legislation

In Serbia, entrepreneurship is based on the principles of a free market, and the state as a whole does not put obstacles to the development of small and medium-sized businesses. For example, Serbia and Russia signed the Convention "On the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and property" dated 12.10.1995.

In Serbia, there are principles of equality and stability of foreign investments, in addition, a foreign legal entity can obtain ownership of Serbian real estate.

As a business development program with Serbia, the government encourages direct investment through financial support up to EUR 10,000 per one workplace... This way the following projects are supported:

Greenfield is a type of investment site with no infrastructure;
Brownfield is a type of investment site created on the basis of existing production sites that are undergoing reconstruction and / or major repairs.

The most promising types of business

When deciding what kind of business to do in Serbia, it is necessary to study the niches of the local economy and choose the one that seems the most attractive.

Catering establishments

Traditionally, Serbian catering has very large portions. Establishments Catering are divided into the following categories:

restaurants;
Cafe;
mesary - butcher shops where you can buy fresh meat and semi-finished products, and for additional fee they can be cooked there;
pechenyary - small cafes serving meat cooked on a spit;

And, finally, the most interesting thing is the restriction of travel abroad for debtors. It is the easiest way to “forget” about the debtor's status when going on another foreign vacation. The reason may be overdue loans, unpaid utility bills, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2018, we recommend that you find out information about the availability of debt using the proven service nevylet.rf

rafting - restaurants and cafes located on pontoons on the river;
post-sweeteners - bakeries or pastry shops.

Serbian cuisine is based on meat, so there are many more meat establishments than fish establishments. There is no shortage of establishments, however, if you offer something new, original, you can take your special place.

Retail

The retail market in Serbia has been taken over by supermarket and hypermarket chains. Small shops do not have large sales volumes, but they are also profitable. Here the answer to the question of what to open depends solely on your financial capabilities. Stores of some narrow focus may be of particular interest: for example, tea, gifts or dishes and others.

Production of products

The products produced in Serbia are of high quality, therefore, when planning to start production of products in this country, you need to remember about the bar that will need to be met and the high costs that will be associated with it.

You should be aware that the cultivation and production of GMO products is prohibited in Serbia.

The urgency of your food production project may be high, but the complexity of its implementation will also be significant.

Beauty services

Services in this area of beauty salons, massage, SPA are in sufficient demand, while the complexity of their implementation is relatively low. The payback period will be several months, and the potential viability of such projects is quite high with proper marketing.
Car service

Everyone drives a car, so good car repair services will always be in demand. The cost is high, but the payback period will be several months.
Serbian mentality as a factor of business success

First of all, it is worth noting that Serbs have a very warm attitude towards Russians, and they also love everything Russian - this can be used as one of the business opportunities. If you do not plan a large-scale project, then the attitude towards foreign business will be favorable, while politics is already interfering in a large project.
When opening your business in Serbia, you should remember about the peculiarities of the Serbian mentality. The working day begins at eight or even seven o'clock in the morning, and ends just as early. And in the Serbian language there is also such a word - "polako" - little by little. It symbolizes the local unhurried way of life. It will be necessary to understand and accept it for successful coexistence.

Forms of ownership for doing business in Serbia

In Serbia, there are such legal forms business:
Individual entrepreneur - preduzetnik. Like an individual entrepreneur in Russia, the founder is liable for the obligations with his own property. The simplest form of business;

Society with limited liability- D.O.O. Liability for the obligations of the company is guaranteed by the authorized capital. Minimum size authorized capital- 500 Euro. A society can be founded either by one person or by a group of persons.

Joint Stock Company - A.D. Opens for large-scale business, can be open or closed, the principles of work of Serbian joint stock companies are similar to Russian ones. The minimum authorized capital for a closed joint stock company is 10 thousand euros, for an open one - 25 thousand.

Company registration procedure in Serbia

Before starting the registration procedure, you need to come up with the name of the company and take care of its legal address. Need to prepare constituent documents, real estate lease agreement and a photocopy of the passport.
After checking, the specialist will take them into work, and in seven days the company will be open. You will be given a document confirming the registration of a legal entity, as well as a personal tax number - PIB.
After registering a company, you need to register in tax office, the social security service and the pension fund. It is worth noting that business owners are provided with a residence permit in Serbia, which does not need to be renewed, as in the case of a residence permit with a work visa.
Buying a ready-made business

Buying a business in Serbia can be direct or indirect. Direct is carried out through branches and representative offices. A branch in Serbia is an organizational part of the founders who are not legal entities. A representative office is also an organizational part of the founders who are not legal entities, but it has restrictions on the implementation of entrepreneurial activities.
When concluding an agreement with a Serbian partner, it is necessary to stipulate the possibility of applying foreign law and the jurisdiction of a foreign state.

For example, Serbia and Russia signed the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (Vienna Convention): this means that if the application of the Vienna Convention is not excluded in the agreement, its rules will be applied by default.
An indirect business purchase is through a sales agent, merchant, or franchise. In Serbia, there is a Law on Bond Relations of the Republic of Serbia without protective rules for a trading agent, according to which there is no compensation for him in the event of termination of the contract and there is no minimum period for termination of the contract.
The merchant buys and sells goods on his own, acting on his own behalf and at his own expense. Serbian laws protect free competition.
A franchise implies that a Serbian franchisee acquires a license and instructions from the franchisor and operates under its brand, paying royalties. In Serbia, the right to a franchise is not regulated by law.

Obtaining a loan for a business in Serbia

In 2020, the Russian Sberbank appeared in Serbia. The lending rates of the Serbian Sberbank are much lower than the Russian ones, and average 6-10% per annum. To obtain a loan for a business, you must have a residence permit.
Obtaining a business visa to Serbia

In order to apply for a national visa, you need the following documents:
copy and original of the passport;

2 photographs 3.5x4.5 cm;

document confirming financial security;

insurance policy with a coverage amount of 20,000.00 euros;

a receipt for payment of the consular fee;

round trip tickets;

official invitation from the employer.

Business taxation in Serbia

Serbian tax legislation is regulated at the republican level. The Serbian tax system currently includes:
income tax - 14%;

payments from the fund wages – 20%;

payroll tax - 3.5% (paid by the employer);

pension insurance - 9.8% (employee and employer pay in half);

health insurance - 5.95% (employee and employer pay in half);

employment insurance - 0.55% (employee and employer pay in half);

corporate income tax - 14%;

financial transactions tax - 0.3%;

sales tax - 17 + 3%, not charged when exporting products;

service tax - 17 + 3%, not charged when exporting services;

real estate tax - 0.25-0.4%;

inheritance and gift tax - 3-5%;

property transfer tax - 5%.

There are also lump-sum taxes for entrepreneurs, they are calculated on a fixed basis, depending on the type of activity.
Russians in Serbia: Video

And you are ready to register a company.

Where do you start? What is the most important and priority?

The most common form of company in Serbia is a Limited Liability Company (DOO), rarely common - Joint-Stock Company(AD). The popularity in the form of DOO is primarily due to the fact that in a Limited Liability Company (Društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću) the founders are responsible within the limits of their share in authorized capital, minimum size which is 500 euros (at the time of registration, you can deposit 250 euros, the remaining 250 euros within 2 years). DOO creation is also the fastest and in a simple way get your company in Serbia.

So, you have chosen the organizational and legal form of the enterprise and decided to open a company. What to do next?

COMPANY NAME

Before how to open a company in Serbia, You need to decide on the name, since it will appear in all documents of the company. Currently Serbian government bodies require the uniqueness of the name and check for the uniqueness of the name.

LEGAL ADDRESS

The next step before drawing up the constituent documents is the choice of the legal address of the company. If you already have a specific address, then you need to provide it to us for inclusion in the documents. If you do not have a legal address to register a company, we can provide you with an address in the capital of Serbia, Belgrade.

FOUNDERS

Open a company in Serbia can be both individuals (including foreign citizens) and legal entities(both Serbian and foreign).

From the founders of individuals, only a photocopy of the passport is required,

From the founder - foreign company required:

Extract from commercial register or a certificate of registration of a company in the country of origin (or other document confirming the registration of a foreign company).

Power of attorney for individual, who has been granted the right to sign documents on behalf of a foreign company, including opening accounts and performing all actions related to the registration of companies

ATTENTION: The above documents must be apostilled (no apostille is required for the member states of the Hague Convention), translated into Serbian, and their Serbian translation must be notarized. These documents will be submitted to the registration authority.

TYPE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

One of the mandatory points that must be indicated in the constituent documents of your company is “Type economic activity". The main document in which you can choose certain types of activity is the classifier of types of economic activities (Šifrarnik delatnosti).

Here, perhaps, are all the main questions that you need to solve for yourself before contacting us on company registration in Serbia... We will do the rest ourselves, namely:

1) We will develop constituent documents, as well as documents necessary for registering a company.

2) We will register your company as a legal entity

3) We will produce the seal of your company.

4) Let's open an account in dinars and currency.

5) We will put your company on record with the tax office

Our contacts:

Serbia, Belgrade

St. Balkanska 18 office 43

381 64 088 07 11

381 11 362 53 55

It's cheap to open your own business in Serbia, but it's difficult: the economy of this country has just begun to develop, and the most important thing now is to choose the right business area. To do this, it is necessary to first study the mentality of the Serbs, which is why many businessmen are burned out.

Serbia has a very calm, measured way of life. Most people start their working day here very early - at eight or even seven o'clock in the morning. But it also ends before three o'clock in the afternoon - many enterprises work in Serbia without lunch, employees just go home early. After work and lunchtime, it is customary for Serbs to rest - there is an hour of time when it is not customary to call friends or gray-haired people, because they are resting. But then the evening life begins - and here everyone already lives in their own way.

This specific daily routine must be taken into account if you are thinking of organizing in Serbia own business... Serbs are traditionally good with Russians, but you can hardly expect any of them to change their habits for the sake of your enterprise - except for more money.

Many foreigners, opening a business abroad, are guided by tourism - this option will not work in Serbia. Firstly, because Serbia has no access to the sea, and beach lovers will go to neighboring Montenegro or Croatia. Tourism in Serbia is walking or visiting ancient sites, Orthodox churches and the ruins of medieval castles. Of course, it has its own charm and something to see - but still, so far this is not enough. In addition, the tourism business is only profitable during the “high season” - and Serbia's popularity is not so great that these incomes will be enough for the rest of the year.

On the other hand, due to the economic situation in the country, there are many unoccupied niches, and if you have experience in doing business, a trained eye, organizer abilities - having lived in Serbia for some time, you will quickly understand what kind of business it is profitable to do there now.

Serbian legislation will assist you in starting a business. The consulate will not ask you for an estimate of your income. In fact, all you need to provide is a business plan and confirmation from the bank that you have the means to bring your idea to life. After that, the procedure for registering a company will begin - in Serbia it takes 2-3 weeks. First, the organizational and legal form of the company is determined. In Serbia, there are the following options for firms where foreign capital is involved:

- CJSC (closed joint stock company) - the largest number of 100 shareholders

- OJSC (open joint stock company) - the number of shareholders is not limited.

- LLC (limited liability company). The maximum number of participants is 50 legal entities or individuals.

The size of the authorized capital depends on the form of organization of the company. The smallest authorized capital of a limited liability company is only 500 euros, for a CJSC it is 10 thousand euros, for a joint-stock company - 25 thousand. The registration itself will cost you 100 euros.

To register, you need to decide on the name of your company and get a legal address. As for the documents of the founder, you will only need a photocopy of your passport.

After you receive the registration of your company, you are practically guaranteed a temporary residence permit in Serbia. All you have to do is rent a house in this country, collect the necessary set of documents, which the Business Times wrote about in the previous article about Serbia, and move.

Separately, we note that a residence permit in Serbia obtained on the basis of doing business in this country does not need to be permanently renewed, as in the case of a residence permit based on work. Business emigration is beneficial for Serbia, therefore, you can only be deprived of your temporary resident status if you commit, for example, a serious violation of Serbian law.

Change of place of residence, consolidation in the territory of another country is the dream of many Russian citizens. Usually, the preferences of Russian immigrants are aimed at choosing a country that is related in mentality and language, Serbia is one of such countries.

How popular it is to live and work in Serbia in recent years

Immigration to the Balkans from Russia is by no means a popular destination. As a European country, Serbia is inferior in quality of life to the same Czech Republic, Germany or Sweden. But immigrants from Russia are attracted by other factors. First of all, the Balkans are interesting for Russians:

Favorable natural climate.
Good attitude of the population.
Inexpensive housing, household goods, food.
The atmosphere of European culture.
Visa-free travel with Russia (up to 30 days from 2016) and Ukraine (up to 90 days from July 2018).
Easy acquisition of residence permit status.
The possibility of obtaining permanent residence.

Who immigrates to Serbia and why

The reasons for the departure of Russians to the Balkans, judging by the same responses from migrants, are of a different nature. For example, middle-aged people usually strive to get favorable conditions in Serbia for raising their children. Elderly people hope to provide themselves with a quiet and dignified old age. Entrepreneurs are attracted by the conditions for doing business, which are softer than at home.

Indeed, entrepreneurship here develops in an atmosphere of lack of pressure and corruption. None of the businessmen recalls the existence of the concepts of "roof" or "power" of officials... It is possible to put business on its feet with minimal financial costs. But there are other problems.

... I live in Montenegro and often come across Serbs. It seems that young people do not even think about entrepreneurship. The work is complete. Take it, do it, earn it. Yes, the job is low-paying, but where is the high-paying job immediately? For several years (3-5) there are prospects for good business... But they answer me - we don't want to wait so much. We want here and now. We sell a couple of properties and you can live happily for a year. Why work? But both in Serbia and in Montenegro, the potential for expanding a business is huge ...

There is another category of people among Russian immigrants. These are citizens "without age" who are disgusted with the so-called so-called shovel image of the homeland. For them, immigration is a chance for a new life. Usually Serbia is considered by them as a temporary place of residence before settling in the EU or Canada. As a result, most of them remain.

The number of migrants and places of their compact residence

Serbia is characterized by low numbers in terms of the number of migrants arriving for permanent residence. The total number of immigrants, including those from Russia, does not exceed 4,000 annually. The centers of compact residence of Russian migrants - Belgrade and nearby settlements. Almost half of all immigrants from Russia are in this territory.

The "Balkan" migration route passes through Serbia. Over the past three years, about 900 thousand people have passed through it. Most of them do not want to settle in Serbia and aspire to the EU.

Another area of compact residence, where a significant percentage of the rest of the Russian immigrants are distributed, is the Yuzhno-Bach District. On the territory of the district there is the city of Novi Sad - this is the second settlement after Belgrade in terms of the number of migrants from Russia. Further, in a top-down list, they line up:

South Banat District;
Sremsky district;
Mochvan District;
Sredne-Banat District;
Severo-Bachsky district;
other administrative territories.

In addition to Russians, Ukrainians go to the Balkans for permanent residence. However, there are fewer migrants from Ukraine. The interests of immigrants from other CIS countries to Serbia are not at all high.

If the EU decides to settle migrants between the member states on a quota basis, Serbia is, of course, ready to participate in this process. We are not just talking about such a possibility - for us it is already a reality. There are about 4 thousand refugees on our territory, and we provide them with all possible assistance

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic
https://ru.euronews.com/2018/01/21/serbia-refugees

Life in Serbia through the eyes of Russians: reviews

Naturally, in Serbia, many everyday moments are different from the usual life in Russia.

Housing and other everyday nuances

Comfort of life is achieved due to low prices for goods, agricultural products and services. Prices are also available for real estate. For example, you can rent a two-room apartment, paying an average of 100-150 euros per month.... This is evidenced by the reviews of immigrants who have received a residence permit.

Migrants are also encouraged by the wide range of housing options - for different tastes. There are no restrictions on location either. You can easily rent or buy an apartment in the center of Belgrade, Novi Sad, in the territories of small settlements... However, against the background of such lucrative deals, the issue of employment is very problematic. It is extremely difficult to find a job in Serbia... Therefore, some migrants do not hold back their emotions:

… Serbia is better not to see in a nightmare. It makes sense to obtain a residence permit for those who are already the owner stable business... Buying real estate in Serbia is complete nonsense. You run the risk of burying your invested finances without return. Prospects for economic growth, development of the real estate market - all this is in my dreams for at least 20 years ahead. The country exists through barter ...

Vladimir
http://nesiditsa.ru/emigration

Just do not forget that in 2014 there was a large flood in Serbia, a lot of towns near Belgrade were flooded, you probably would not want to buy a former flooded housing now. For example, this is why I refused to buy an apartment in Obrenovac. It is necessary to look at the map of flooding in 2014 in Serbia and already choose from this a town near Belgrade.

WorldMix

In Belgrade, I consider unjustifiably expensive housing, old buildings in which the square is 1000 euros, if we talk about new Belgrade, in new buildings there are generally 2-3 thousand euros a square, I filter the suburbs, it turns out that in an hour's drive from Belgrade you cannot find below 700 euros per square ... Novi Sad, an hour and a half from Belgrade, is also expensive housing, 1000 euros per square meter, but here prices have been raised by the Russians, it also affects that here are the head offices of Gazprom and Lukoil. It is really interesting that 20 minutes from Novi Sad and the cost of a square falls to 400-500 euros per square. By the way, the Serbs are very good builders and now they are making new buildings of a very high quality, in new buildings, European-quality repairs are almost everywhere, also all apartments are set as they say come in and live. I really liked their new buildings, we simply do not have such buildings in Kazakhstan, they are very interesting projects and they look very nice. Spacious apartments with a very good layout. For example, in Yagodina, I just walked every morning and specifically went to look at these buildings and watched them for a long time, evaluating them, I really liked it, just as they say, I can't take my eyes off.

WorldMix
https://forum.awd.ru/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=308612&start=80

Education and medicine

Those who have moved to the Balkans argue that social benefits, in particular education and medicine, are in high level... A noteworthy fact: in Serbia it is impossible to get a certificate or diploma without real studies, resorting to the established Russian practice of bribery. The medical field deserves the same characteristic. Quality medical services approaching the European level, while the high cost of medicine the citizens of the country do not feel thanks to free health insurance.

Pension

The factor of high-quality and affordable medical care is one of the reasons for people moving to permanent residence retirement age... Medium-level (Russian) pensions are enough for old people for a comfortable life in Serbia. Some live off the rent of housing available at home. As the old-time immigrants see it, the Serbian atmosphere of life - measured and unhurried - has a beneficial effect on mood and health.

… We have many pensioners in Serbia. They have found a place where they will meet old age with dignity. Russia, a raw material appendage of Europe, has ended the working age. In addition to pensions, she has nothing to give to pensioners. We have students in Serbia who wish to have an education that is quoted on the world labor market. These are not Russian "crusts" that nobody needs. We have whole families in Serbia. They are trying to settle down, naturalize. They hope to ensure a decent European future for their children ...

http://serbialife.ru/blog-o-serbii/

An old-age pension without 15 years of experience is not paid here (maybe there are some interstate agreements, but I doubt it).

https://forum.awd.ru/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=308612&start=80

How Serbs relate to Russians

The main advantage for Russian immigrants in Serbia is the lack of a sense of life in a foreign land. The overwhelming majority of people who came from Russia confidently declare the true friendly fraternal feelings of the Serbs towards them. True, there are also not very flattering reviews, which is natural against the background of a variety of human characters. Here is one of the comments read on the thematic resource:

… I want to say - when we went to Serbia, we thought everything was easy. Only we were wrong. Many people are dishonest. The Russians are cashing in on the Russians there. The Serbs themselves do not want to work, but they want to receive free money. My husband and I have a modest business and rely only on ourselves. It is very difficult for us, but we do not want to return. In Moscow, everyone after 40 does not see prospects. And living in Serbia is at least cheap. Come on over. See how Serbia lives ...

Lika
http://nesiditsa.ru/emigration

Indeed, look at how the local population treats newcomers. Take a vacation to the Balkans to see the realities with your own eyes local life... This will better analysis atmosphere where you will have to live for at least three years before obtaining citizenship.

Russian diaspora in Serbia, what is the "Russian House"

The Russian diaspora in Serbia began to form in the first decades of the 19th century. The first immigrants-creators of the Russian diaspora were officers of the "white" army, who happened to be in the Balkans after the 1917 revolution. Then the number of Russians in Serbia was close to 100 thousand people.

In 1933, a significant event took place - the Russian House appeared in Belgrade. This original symbol of the homeland was created by immigrants in order to preserve the spirituality and moral foundations of Russians in exile. Immediately after the opening, the "Russian House" was visited by up to 2 thousand people every day. Today there are no more than 4-5 visitors a day.

The modern Russian House is already playing a somewhat different role. It is a center of culture and science, where a diverse infrastructure is organized. The main idea put into the project with the start of construction is the connection of Russian immigrants with their homeland.