Bank Account Opening in Serbia

Foreigners can open a bank account in Serbia without living there. Serbian banks open both dinar (RSD) and foreign-currency accounts for non-residents, under rules set by the National Bank of Serbia. A Serbia bank account opening is still an application, not a purchase: the bank runs its own anti-money-laundering checks and can decline without giving every reason. We prepare the pack the bank asks for and stay on the application until the bank opens the account or declines it.

The rules for non-residents

The National Bank of Serbia's decision on dinar and foreign-currency accounts of non-residents sets the basic conditions. A non-resident individual submits a written request to the bank and presents a valid passport or other identity document. The bank also needs evidence of where you have lived, and, if you hold a Serbian temporary or permanent residence permit, the foreigner registration number. If your home country issues a personal identification number, banks ask for that too. The government's Welcome to Serbia portal summarises the same rules for newcomers.

Documents banks commonly ask for

• A valid passport
• A second document showing your registered address abroad, such as an ID card or official address certificate
• Your Serbian residence permit and foreigner registration number, if you have them
• Your home-country tax or personal identification number
• Information on your occupation and the source of the funds you will deposit, on the bank's own know-your-customer form

Some banks have teams for international clients. API Bank, for example, accepts applicants with a passport and a second document showing their address. Requirements still vary, so we confirm the list with the bank first.

Dinar and foreign-currency accounts

A non-resident can hold a dinar account and a foreign-currency account. The foreign-currency account is commonly used in euros, and the dinar account is needed for local payments and a local debit card. Serbia's foreign-exchange rules decide what can be paid into and out of each account, and the bank applies them.

Do you need to visit the bank?

Usually, yes. Most Serbian banks identify new clients in person at a branch with the original passport. Some allow a representative with a power of attorney certified by a notary, and apostilled or legalised if signed abroad. We confirm the bank's arrangement before you book travel.

Company accounts

A company account needs an extract from the Serbian Business Registers Agency, the founding act, the specimen signatures of authorised persons, and identification for the directors and beneficial owners. Foreign companies opening a non-resident account need their own registry extract, apostilled and translated into Serbian. See our company incorporation service in Serbia.

Why applications get delayed or refused

• No document showing your address abroad
• Missing home-country identification or tax number
• Foreign documents that are not apostilled or translated by a court interpreter
• A purpose for the account or source of funds that is vague
• Trying to open fully remotely at a bank that needs a branch visit

Related to your application

A local account is often opened alongside other paperwork. If you hold or are applying for Serbia citizenship programme, the bank can ask for your certificate of registration or passport as part of its checks. You can browse every Serbia service, including company incorporation, passport renewal, and the police clearance certificate.

• A check of which bank in Serbia will consider your nationality, residence, and planned use of the account
• A document checklist built from that bank's current rules for non-residents
• Review of your passport, second ID, proof of address, references, and source-of-funds papers before anything is sent
• Help arranging notarised or certified copies, apostilles, and translations when the bank asks for them
• Preparation of the bank's application, signature, and tax-residence (FATCA/CRS) forms
• Submission and follow-up with the bank, including answers to its compliance questions
• A clear note in advance if the bank wants a branch visit, a video call, or more documents
• For companies: preparation of the corporate pack (incorporation documents, registers, good standing, ownership chart, board resolution)

1. Brief. Tell us who the account is for (you, your family, or your company), where you live, the currencies you need, and what the account will be used for.
2. Bank match. We identify a bank in Serbia that accepts your profile and confirm its document list, whether it needs a visit, and its opening deposit and fees. You then receive our quote.
3. Document pack. You send scans; we check them, arrange notarised copies, references, or translations if needed, and fill in the bank's forms with you.
4. Submission. The signed forms and certified documents go to the bank, by courier where originals are required.
5. Compliance review. The bank runs its due-diligence checks and may ask follow-up questions about your income, assets, or planned transactions. We help you answer them.
6. Account opened. The bank confirms the account number and you fund the opening deposit. Cards and online-banking access follow on the bank's own timeline.
7. After opening. Keep your details up to date: banks ask account holders to refresh identification and address documents from time to time.

You receive a quote before any filing starts. It separates the CitizenX fee from the bank's opening deposit and charges, notarisation, apostille, translation, and courier costs. Those extras are added only when they apply, and only after you approve them.

Minimum opening deposits and monthly fees are set by each bank and differ by account type, so we confirm them with the chosen bank before you apply.