Serbian Citizenship By Exception Program: The discretionary citizenship protocol nobody talks about…
Serbia, and it’s capital Belgrade, in particular, is one of the most underrated Plan B destinations in the world. Boasting spectacular scenery, stunning architecture and thrilling blend of western and eastern cultural influences, it is a place that should be on everybody’s radar. Yet even going into 2025, it remains relatively unknown.
And while Serbia doesn’t have a formal Citizenship By Investment program, it does offer a highly discretionary Citizenship By Exception protocol – as outlined in Article 19 of the country’s citizenship law (more on this below).
A number of prominent celebrities, including actors Steven Seagal and Ralph Fiennes, have obtained Serbian citizenship via this discretionary citizenship program.
But you don’t have to be famous to qualify for Serbian Citizenship By Exception:
Depending on your skills, and/or what contribution you can make to Serbia, you, too, could potentially become a Serbian Citizen – fast.
(More on this route to Serbian citizenship below…)
Now as things stand in January 2025, Serbia is NOT a member of the EU. It is, however, an EU candidate country, and its passport already offers visa-free access to the Schengen Area, Russia, Turkey and China.
Combined with Serbia’s high level of livability and affordability, Serbian citizenship therefore ticks a LOT of boxes – including serving as an excellent political “hedge” citizenship at a time when America’s influence on the world stage is in decline.
The program has recently garnered a lot of attention from Vietnam, Canada, India, the USA, and China. And yes, Russian and Belarusian citizens can apply for it too…
KEY COUNTRY FACTS & STATS
Serbian Passport Power: Visa-free travel access to 138* destinations, including the Schengen Area, Japan, Turkey, Russia and China (*Including eTA and visa-on-arrival countries)
EU Candidate Country: Yes
Formal Citizenship By Investment Program: No
Formal Citizenship By Exception Protocol: Yes
Serbian Population: 6.66 million (2022)
Capital: Belgrade
Local Time: (GMT+2)
Mandatory Military Conscription: No
Dual Citizenship Recognized: Yes
Currency: Serbian dinar (RSD)
Tax System: Residency based
Corporate Tax Rate: 15%
This page frequently gets found for Google searches like Serbian Citizenship By Investment, Serbian CBI, Buy Serbian Passport, etc.
BENEFITS OF GETTING SERBIAN CITIZENSHIP
Why choose Serbia as part of your Plan B passport portfolio?
Attractive Plan B Lifestyle Destination
Boasting stunning scenery, a vibrant culture fusing West and East, as well as safety and affordability, Belgrade ticks a lot of boxes.
Enjoy Visa Free Schengen Travel Access
The Serbian passport gives you visa-free access, or a visa upon arrival, to 85+ countries, including China and all the Schengen Countries.
Superb Destination For Company Incorporation
Offering a company tax rate of just 15%, it’s no wonder that more location independent businesses are incorporating in Serbia.
Excellent Location For Cross-Border Business
Serbian local time is GMT+2, giving you up to 3 hours of overlap with office hours in New York, 6 hours with Dubai, and 7 hours with London.
Excellent International Flight Connectivity
Numerous international airlines operate direct flights to Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla International Airport, including BA and American Airlines.
No Mandatory Military Conscription
Excellent Political Hedge Jurisdiction
If US foreign policy is making you nervous, then Serbia – which enjoys great relations with Russia – can be a great “uncorrelated ” option.
Dual Citizenship Status Recognized (For CBE)
If you qualify for Serbian Citizenship By Exception, the country won’t require you to give up your existing citizenship(s) and passport(s).
English Widely Spoken (Especially In Belgrade)
Given that English is widely spoken, especially in Serbia’s capital and larger cities, you could get by just fine without learning Serbian*.
* To become a citizen of Serbia via “ordinary” naturalization – i.e. by living there long-term, and NOT by exception – you will have to learn Serbian.
It is also worthwhile noting that gaining Serbian Citizenship By Exception will not automatically make you a Serbian tax resident. You’ll generally need to spend more than 182 days per year in the country to trigger a tax obligation.
You could also potentially trigger tax obligations by owning a home in Serbia, or by incorporating a business there. But if you were to trigger a personal tax obligation, you’re looking at a rate of just 10-20%, depending on the type of income, so becoming a Serbian tax resident could be quite advantageous…
So, does Serbia have a formal Citizenship By Investment Program?
No, unlike countries like Turkey, Dominica and Grenada, Serbia does not offer an official Citizenship By Investment program. The country does, however, offer a discretionary protocol through which qualifying applicants can obtain Citizenship By Exception.
Under this special provision in Serbian citizenship law, qualifying applicants are approved for Serbian citizenship – provided that doing so serves the country’s interests.
Article 19 of Serbia’s Citizenship Law states that:
“Irrespective of the conditions from the Article 14 para. 1 points 2 – 4 of this Law, even a foreigner, whose admission to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia would be of interest for the Republic of Serbia, can be admitted to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia[…]
The Government of the Republic of Serbia, on a motion of the competent Ministry, decides about admission to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia in line with para. 1 of this Article.”
And to be clear, this is full citizenship as conferred to natural born Serbians – i.e. not “honorary” citizenship – so you’ll even be able to vote in the Serbian elections. But as you can imagine, there are MANY contributions one could make that would serve the interests of Serbia:
If you are at the top of your game in the fields of business or engineering, science and technology, sport or even music or arts and culture, chances are that you could make a meaningful contribution to the advancement of Serbia’s national interests.
In late 2023, the country granted Serbian Citizenship By Exception to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak for his exceptional contributions in the technological sphere.
But you don’t have to be a FAANG founder to qualify:
At the age of 19, French engineer Arnaud Gouillon founded the humanitarian organization Solidarity for Kosovo. The organization’s helped Serbs and other minorities living in enclaves in Kosovo and Metohija. He renovated more than thirty schools, and helped hundreds of children travel to the seaside for the first time.
In recognition of his contributions towards the public good, he was granted Serbian Citizenship By Exception as well.
There have also been numerous instances of foreign nationals being approved under this special citizenship program on the basis of financial contributions towards strategic state initiatives. However, it must be stressed that this is a discretionary protocol, hence the criteria upon which approval is granted tend to vary from one case to the next.
Below are some of the key differences between Citizenship By Investment Programs and Serbia’s Citizenship By Exception Program…
FAQs
Going into 2025, Vietnamese nationals can apply for Citizenship By Investment in the following countries:
| Country | CBI Program (2025) | Capital Outlay From |
|---|---|---|
| Malta | Malta Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment (MEIN Protocol) | €690,000 (Donation + Property Rental (36 Month Residency Option) |
| Serbia | Serbian Citizenship By Exception (AKA Article 19: Citizenship on the Basis of National Interest). | €250,000 (Donation) |
| Turkey | Turkish Citizenship By Investment Program | $400,000 (Property) |
| St Kitts and Nevis | St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship By Investment Program | €250,000 (Donation) |
| St Lucia | St Lucia Citizenship By Investment Program | €240,000 (Donation) |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship By Investment Program | €230,000 (Donation) |
| Dominica | Dominica Citizenship By Investment Program | €200,000 (Donation) |
| Grenada | Grenada Citizenship By Investment Program | €235,000 (Donation) |
| Vanuatu | Vanuatu Citizenship By Investment Program | $130,000 (Donation) |
| Jordan | Jordan Citizenship By Investment Program | $750,000 (Job Creation) |
| Cambodia | Cambodia Citizenship By Investment Program | $245,000 (Donation) |
| Egypt | Egypt Citizenship By Investment Program | $250,000 (Donation) |
Malta looks set to win their case against the European Commission, which paves the way for more EU countries (and EU candidate countries like Albania) to launch new CBI programs in 2025.
This could also pave the way for the return of the Montenegro Citizenship By Investment Program and the Cyprus Citizenship By Investment Program.
Solomon Islands is also working on a new Citizenship By Investment Program, which is expected to launch in late 2025.
We will continue updating this page as and when more information on any new CBI programs become available in 2025…
To explore your latest CBI and discretionary / national interest based citizenship options, get in touch today.
It is not legal to buy a passport anywhere. You are, however, able to obtain Citizenship By Investment in more than a dozen countries worldwide. Doing so means that you become eligible to apply for the respective country’s passport with ease.
Here are at least two countries that allow you to pay for your Citizenship By Investment (read: “donation”) using BTC:
- El Salvador: El Salvador’s so-called Freedom Passport Program offers a fast-track path to a Salvadoran citizenship and passport for you, your spouse, as well as your children under the age of 18. The non-refundable donation requirement for the program is US $1 million in either BTC or USDt. Your contribution will help fuel El Salvador’s economic renaissance program and national growth.
- Serbia: Whilst Serbia doesn’t have a formal Citizenship By Investment Program, eligible contributions to their Citizenship By Exception Program can be made in Bitcoin. Eligible program contributions are typically priced from €250,000 (or more). Get in touch for more information regarding the acceptable payment methods.
Citizenship By Investment vs
Serbian Citizenship By Exception
| Key Program Aspects | Typical Citizenship By Investment (CBI) Programs | Serbian Citizenship By Exception (CBE) Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Capital Requirement | Standardized minimum requirement(s), supported by official CBI program legislation |
Highly discretionary minimum requirements (if serving as the basis for qualification at all) |
| Application Approving Entity | Dedicated Citizenship By Investment Unit | Serbian Government, President, or Prime Minister |
| First Applying for Temporary Residency and Permanent Residency Required | Yes | No |
| Local Language Proficiency Requirement | No | No |
| Minimum In-Country Presence Requirements | No | No |
| Non-Refundable Citizenship By Donation Option | Yes (in the Caribbean) | Get in touch to learn more. |
| Full Citizenship Conferred | Yes (Although Vanuatu CBI’s “honorary” citizenship status is somewhat controversial) | Yes |
| Names of new CBI citizens publicly published by host government | Generally no (Although Malta does it) | No |
| Dual Citizenship Status Recognized By Host Nation? | Typically no, but exceptions exist (e.g.) for Citizenship By Descent applicants, and spouses of Serbs, etc. | Yes (Although only for Citizenship By Exception – NOT for regular naturalization applicants). |
How Can One Qualify For
Serbian Citizenship By Exception?
Serbian Citizenship By Exception?
Given the highly discretionary nature of this naturalization protocol, a qualifying contribution to the Serbian state could take many forms. In practice, however, significant contributions in the following fields and areas of endeavour could potentially serve as the basis for a Serbian Citizenship By Exception application.
A significant capital contribution towards state projects in any of these areas may also be considered.
(Note: Where Serbian citizenship is granted on the basis of financial contributions, these non-refundable government donations tend to be priced from €250,000+.)
ART
SPORT
SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
CULTURE
Serbian Citizenship By Exception vs Regular Serbian Naturalization
There are several “standard” ways of becoming a Serbian citizen, including by marrying a Serb, by birth or descent, through naturalization (i.e. living there for long enough, and meeting a range of related requirements), and by exception. Let’s take a look at how the requirements for Serbian Citizenship By Exception differ from the country’s regular naturalization requirements…
| Key Program Aspects | “Standard” Serbian Naturalization | Serbian Citizenship By Exception (CBE) Program |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Residency Requirement To Qualify For Citizenship? | Yes (After 5+ years of continuous residency) | No |
| First Obtain PR Before Applying For Citizenship? | Yes (After 3+ years) | No |
| Local Language Proficiency Requirement? | Yes | No |
| Cultural Knowledge Requirement? | Yes | No |
| Timeline To Citizenship? | 5+ Years | 4-6 Months |
| Full Citizenship Conferred? | Yes | Yes |
| Dual Citizenship Recognized By Serbia? | Yes | Yes |
| Adequate Means Of Subsistence Requirement? | Yes | No |
Why Choose To Work With Us?
THE PROGRAM EXPERTS
Let our seasoned team in Belgrade guide you through every step of the Citizenship By Exception process.
HIGHLY RESPECTED LEGAL PARTNERS
If you’re looking for a Serbian immigration law firm with impeccable credentials, then look no further.
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Our team on the ground takes great pride in making clients’ application journey as fast and seamless as possible.
Secure your Serbian Citizenship By Exception in just 3-4 months. Qualifying capital contributions typically priced from €250,000+. Contact us to get started today.
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