Serbia

Dual Citizenship Serbia

Allowed

Citizenship in the Republic of Serbia can be acquired by descent; birth in the territory of the Republic of Serbia; or according to ratified international agreements on reciprocity conditions. Finally, citizenship can be acquired also by admission (naturalisation), which is subject to the approval of the Ministry of Internal Affairs provided that all requirements prescribed by the Law are fulfilled.

A foreign citizen who, in line with the regulations on residence of foreign citizens, was allowed to permanently reside in Serbia, can, upon his/her own request, be admitted Serbian citizenship if the applicant: (1) is 18 years old and not deprived of business capacity; (2) is released from foreign citizenship or submits evidence that he/she will be granted the dismissal if admitted to the citizenship of Serbia, (except in the case when a foreign country does not allow the release from citizenship or sets conditions for release that a foreign citizen cannot fulfil, in which case the applicant must submit a statement that he/she renounces his/her former citizenship, however, if a renunciation or loss of the former citizenship is not possible or cannot be reasonably expected, such statement is not required); (3) has had uninterrupted residence in the territory of Serbia for at least three years until submitting an application; (4) submits a written statement that he/she considers Serbia his/her state.

The Law further regulates other ways of acquiring citizenship by admission (naturalisation) that are based on birth, affiliation to the Serbian nation, emigration, marriage or national interest, provided that he/she has turned 18 and has not been stripped of business capacity and that he/she submits a signed statement where he/she considers Serbia to be his/her own state. The Law also regulates the conditions for individuals who had a residence in the constituent republics of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to acquire Serbian Citizenship (refugees, displaced persons).

Serbian Law allows dual citizenship; therefore, the applicant does not have to renounce his/her original citizenship.