Citizenship

Scheduling an appointment for consular services is mandatory and must be done via email at:  consulate.newyork@mfa.rs.
Please include your full name, and a preferred date and time for the consular service in your email.

 

ADMISSION TO CITIZENSHIP FOR MEMBERS OF THE SERBIAN NATION

A member of the Serbian nation who does not reside in the Republic of Serbia may be granted citizenship of the Republic of Serbia under the following conditions: the individual must be over 18 years of age, not deprived of legal capacity, and must submit a written statement declaring that they consider the Republic of Serbia their state (Article 23, Paragraph 1 of the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Serbia).

Required documents:

  1. Completed application for admission to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia (the signature must be notarized by a Notary Public if not submitted in person at the consulate).
  2. Statement declaring Serbia as their state (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).
  3. The statement that the competent authority in the Republic of Serbia may officially obtain the data necessary for the decision-making process (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).
  4. Original foreign birth certificate with an Apostille from the US state where the person was born (if born outside the US, the document must be properly legalized), translated into Serbian in Cyrillic letter by a certified court translator authorized in Serbia.
  5. Original foreign marriage certificate with apostille (if married in the US), or legalized by competent authorities if married elsewhere; translated into Serbian cyrillic letter by a certified court translator authorized in Serbia.
  6. Copy of US driver’s license or ID card with the applicant’s address.
  7. Copy of the valid foreign passport of the applicant.
  8. Proof of Serbian ethnicity (baptism or marriage certificate from the Serbian Orthodox Church for the applicant or their ancestors, or official document with declared ethnicity).

If a minor is included in the parent's application:

  • Statement that the Republic of Serbia is considered their state (signed by a parent).
  • Consent statement from the other parent.
  • For children aged 14 to 18, the child must also sign a statement of consent.
  • Original US birth certificate of the child with Apostille and certified translation into Serbian cyrillic letter by a certified court translator authorized in Serbia.
  • Copy of the child's valid passport.

Consular fee: $275 USD (payable by credit cards, except American Express).

Note: If the application is submitted by a family (spouses and minor children), the total fee is $275 for the entire family.

Please note that none of the submitted documents will be returned, no matter the result of your application.

CITIZENSHIP FOR REFUGEES, DISPLACED OR EXPELLED PERSONS

A person born in another republic of the former Yugoslav republic who held citizenship of that republic or of a successor state and resides in the US as a refugee, displaced, or expelled person, may acquire citizenship of the Republic of Serbia under the same conditions (Article 23, Paragraph 2).

Required documents:

  1. Completed application (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).
  2. Statement declaring Serbia as their state (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).
  3. The statement that the competent authority in the Republic of Serbia may officially obtain the data necessary for the decision-making process (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).
  4. Original birth certificate from the former Yugoslav republic (not older than 1 year), including marriage details if applicable.
  5. Proof of citizenship of the former Yugoslav republic (not older than 1 year).
  6. Original marriage certificate (with apostille and translation certified translation into Serbian cyrillic letter by a certified court translator authorized in Serbia, if married in the US).
  7. Copy of valid foreign passport.
  8. Copy of US driver’s license or ID with address.
  9. Copy of refugee ID or official decision recognizing refugee status.

Consular fee: $74 USD (credit card payment, except American Express)

Note: Please note that none of the submitted documents will be returned, no matter the result of your application.

CITIZENSHIP FOR EMIGRANTS

An emigrant (a person who left Serbia intending to live abroad permanently) and their descendants may be admitted to citizenship under the same conditions. The same applies to the emigrant’s spouse.

Required documents:

1.      Completed application (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).

2.      Statement declaring Serbia as their state (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).

3.      The statement that the competent authority in the Republic of Serbia may officially obtain the data necessary for the decision-making process (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).

4.      Original US birth certificate with apostille and certified translation into Serbian cyrillic letter by a certified court translator authorized in Serbia

5.      Original US marriage certificate with apostille and certified translation into Serbian cyrillic letter by a certified court translator authorized in Serbia.

6.      Birth certificate of ancestors born in Serbia (if applicable; not required if consent for data retrieval is signed).

7.      Copies of old passports and documents of ancestors (if available).

8.      Copy of valid US passport.

9.      Copy of US driver’s license or ID card with address.

For minors included in the application:

  • Statement signed by the parent.
  • Consent of the other parent.
  • Consent from the child aged 14–18.
  • US birth certificate of the child with apostille and certified translation  
  • Copy of the child's passport.

Consular fee: $275 USD for the whole family (credit cards except AmEx).

Note: Please note that none of the submitted documents will be returned, no matter the result of your application.

 CITIZENSHIP DETERMINATION

A person born abroad whose both parents were citizens of Serbia at the time of birth, or a person born in Serbia to one Serbian and one foreign parent, who is over 23 years old and has not acquired Serbian citizenship otherwise, can submit a request for citizenship determination (Article 44).

Required documents:

  1. Completed application (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).
  2. Statement declaring Serbia as their state (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).
  3. The statement that the competent authority in the Republic of Serbia may officially obtain the data necessary for the decision-making process (the signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person).
  4. For those born abroad: original birth certificate with Apostille and certified translation into Serbian cyrillic letter by a certified court translator authorized in Serbia, if married in the US).
  5. For those born in Serbia: copy of Serbian birth certificate.
  6. Original foreign marriage certificate (with Apostille and certified translation into Serbian cyrillic letter by a certified court translator authorized in Serbia, if married in the US).
  7. Copy of valid foreign passport.
  8. Copy of US driver’s license or ID with address.

Consular fee: $74 USD (credit cards except American Express).

Note: Please note that none of the submitted documents will be returned, no matter the result of your application.

 

Termination of Citizenship of the Republic of Serbia

A citizen of the Republic of Serbia loses the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia by release if he/she submits a request for release and meets the following conditions:

•             has reached the age of 18;

•             has no outstanding military service obligations;

•             has settled all taxes and other legal obligations in the Republic of Serbia;

•             has settled property and legal obligations arising from marriage and parent-child relations toward persons living in the Republic of Serbia;

•             is not subject to criminal proceedings in the Republic of Serbia for criminal offenses prosecuted ex officio, and if convicted of imprisonment in the Republic of Serbia – has served the sentence;

•             possesses foreign citizenship or proof that he/she will be granted foreign citizenship.

The following is required to submit the request:

•             valid photo ID;

•             certificate of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia;

•             birth certificate;

•             marriage certificate;

•             a duly certified original guarantee of admission to foreign citizenship or a certificate of acquired foreign citizenship with a Serbian translation;

•             a certificate from the competent basic and higher courts on whether the person is under investigation and whether criminal proceedings have been initiated for offenses prosecuted ex officio;

•             a certificate from the Higher Court in Belgrade, the Special Department for Organized Crime, and the Department for War Crimes;

•             a certificate from the Special Department for Combating Corruption of the Higher Court at the place of residence (Higher Court in Belgrade / Higher Court in Niš / Higher Court in Novi Sad / Higher Court in Kraljevo);

•             a certificate from the competent department of the State Tax Administration on settled tax obligations in the territory of the Republic of Serbia;

•             a certificate from the competent local tax administration on regulated tax obligations in the territory of the Republic of Serbia;

•             a certificate from the competent Center for Social Work on regulated obligations arising from marriage and parent-child relations;

•             a certificate from the military department on settled military obligations (for men up to the age of 60);

•             the consent of the other parent to the request for release from the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia of a minor child (the signature of the parent giving consent must be certified by the competent court or municipal administrative authority in the country, or by a diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Serbia), with a valid identification document;

•             a final court decision on divorce (if the parents are divorced) or a copy certified by the competent authority in the Republic of Serbia or by a diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Serbia (this applies when the request is submitted by the parent who has been granted custody of the child by a final decision). If a final foreign court decision on divorce is submitted, it is necessary to provide a final ruling on the recognition of the foreign court decision issued by the competent authority in the Republic of Serbia;

•             the opinion of the competent guardianship authority in the Republic of Serbia or a diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Serbia if the other parent does not give consent for the child’s release from citizenship, or if the parent’s residence is unknown, or if the parent has been deprived of legal capacity or parental rights;

•             the consent of a minor child over the age of 14 to the request for release from the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia, signed before an authorized person of the competent authority in the Republic of Serbia or before a diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Serbia abroad;

•             a decision on full adoption of a child in cases where release from citizenship of the Republic of Serbia is requested for an adoptee under the age of 18 (when the request is submitted by an adoptive parent who is a foreign citizen, proof of foreign citizenship must also be submitted).

NOTE:

The competent authority, with the consent of the applicant, may obtain data from official records ex officio:

1.            on the personal status of citizens (birth, marriage and death records),

2.            from the register of citizens of the Republic of Serbia – certificate of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia,

3.            as well as other data necessary for decision-making from other official records kept by the competent authorities of the Republic of Serbia.

If the applicant so wishes, the listed documents may also be obtained and submitted personally along with the application.

Consular fee: $565 USD (credit cards except American Express).

Note: Please note that none of the submitted documents will be returned, no matter the result of your application.