5 Consequences of Dismissal from Serbian Citizenship That Have a Direct Impact on Your Life
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Citizenship is of great importance for every human being. It creates a special bond between the individual and the state that enables the enjoyment of the widest range of rights (civil, political, economic, social, and cultural), but also a set of obligations.
Dismissal from citizenship means the end of that relationship, that is, the end of all rights and obligations that accompany the status of a citizen. What exactly does this mean?
In this article, we’ll focus on some of the most significant effects of losing your Serbian citizenship that have an immediate impact on your life, and that you should be aware of if you plan to submit a request for dismissal from Serbian citizenship.
After the dismissal from the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia (“Serbia”), you will be considered a foreigner in the eyes of the state and the competent authorities.
This means that every time you enter the country, you will have to register your stay on the premises of the organizational unit of the Ministry of Interior responsible for foreigners’ affairs or online.
Some citizens must have a visa for each entry into Serbia, while some can stay in Serbia as tourists, without visas, for a limited period of time. That period depends on the country you come from.
If you plan to stay longer, it will be necessary for the competent authority to grant you temporary residence.
In the case the competent authority issues a decision on approval of the temporary residence permit, you can stay in Serbia within the approved period, which is the maximum for the period of 1 year.
Providing that you want to renew the temporary residence permit, you must, among other conditions, fulfil the condition regarding the minimum period of stay in Serbia. Namely, a foreigner must stay in Serbia for at least half of the approved period for temporary residence.
Foreigners, in accordance with international agreements, have in Serbia all the rights provided for by the Constitution and the law, with the exception of the rights that, according to the Constitution, only citizens of Serbia have. Thus, a foreigner cannot be granted the right to vote or to be elected. Also, a foreigner cannot hold public functions.
If you decide to invest in real estate in Serbia, you should first check whether citizens of your country can acquire real estate in Serbia. This possibility will exist if there is reciprocity between Serbia and your country regarding the regulation of the acquisition of real estate for foreigners.
Reciprocity will exist if there is a bilateral agreement governing this issue between the two states. If such an agreement does not exist, it is sufficient that your country, legally or in practice, allows citizens of Serbia to acquire real estate in that country under the same conditions under which Serbia allows its citizens.
If reciprocity exists, you have the right to acquire real estate in our country – but with certain restrictions.
Foreign natural and legal persons who perform business activities in the Republic of Serbia can acquire any form of immovable property in our country, but only if these immovable properties are necessary for the performance of that activity.
On the other hand, foreign natural persons who do not perform professional activities in Serbia have the possibility to buy an apartment or house in Serbia without restrictions, but they do not have the right to buy land (except for the one belonging to that apartment or house). Foreign legal entities do not have this possibility – if they do not already have a business in Serbia or do not otherwise carry out business activities here, they are not able to purchase real estate in Serbia.
Even if it is undeniably established that foreign natural persons and legal entity may purchase land in Serbia, there is one exemption that applies to the selling of land to foreigners. In particular, the Serbian Law on Agricultural Land forbids foreign people and legal entities from acquiring agricultural land in Serbia under any circumstances. One exception is the extremely limited opportunity for EU citizens to purchase agricultural land.
In order to get a job in Serbia after being dismissed from Serbian citizenship, it will be necessary to obtain a work permit issued by the National Employment Service and to meet a number of prerequisites.
There are different types of work permit depending on the kind of employment.
Foreigner must have temporary residence permit in order to get work permit in Serbia and work permit is approved for the same period of time temporary residence permit is approved.
To conclude, labor implications in the case of your dismissal from Serbian citizenship would be the impossibility for you to work in Serbia in future, without prior getting temporary residence and work permit for the particular type of employment.
Providing that you possess an opened residential bank account in a bank registered in Serbia, in the case of a dismissal from Serbian citizenship, you would have to close this bank account and open a non-residential bank account as a Foreigner.
In order to do this, you would probably have to be personally present at the bank (depending on the bank) so you would have to travel to Serbia just for the purpose of closing and opening of a new bank account in the bank registered in Serbia.
If you were dismissed from the citizenship of Serbia and acquired foreign citizenship, or at the request of your parents, your citizenship Serbia ceased upon dismissal – you can acquire it again. Your country will welcome you without conditions if you submit an application that is correctly filled out and complies with all legal requirements.
P.S. Changing citizenship has serious consequences (both positive and negative), inform yourself in time about your specific case and prevent unpleasant surprises!
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