The law of the Republic of Serbia provides the possibility for legally capable individuals, based on their connection to Serbia, to apply for and under certain conditions acquire the citizenship of our country. Admission to citizenship in this manner is called naturalization, and it occurs upon the request of the individual, with the decision made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The circle of individuals who may acquire our citizenship through this means is quite broad and, under certain conditions, encompasses:
- Foreigners or stateless individuals who have been granted permanent residency in the Republic of Serbia, or a foreigner whose acquisition of citizenship in our country would serve the interests of our nation, along with their spouse;
- Individuals born on the territory of Republic of Serbia;
- A foreigner who is married to a citizen of Republic of Serbia and has been granted permanent residency;
- Emigrants originating from the Republic of Serbia and their descendants;
- Children whose parents acquired citizenship of Republic of Serbia through naturalization;
- Children whose adoptive parents are citizens of Republic of Serbia;
- Members of the Serbian ethnicity;
- Escaped, exiled and displaced persons from the territory of the former SFRY.
In this text, we will focus on individuals who, due to certain facts determined by the legislator, can acquire the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia in a facilitated manner, namely:
- Individuals born on the territory of the Republic of Serbia;
- A foreigner who is married to a citizen of the Republic of Serbia;
- Emigrants and descendants of emigrants.
What is the main difference and relief for the aforementioned potential citizens of the Republic of Serbia is that they do not have to have a release from foreign citizenship or proof that they will receive it, as a precondition for naturalization.
In the following text, we provide readers with a closer description of the material legal conditions for the naturalization of the aforementioned individuals.
The main and common condition for obtaining the citizenship of Republic of Serbia is the submission of a written statement by the applicant that he considers the Republic of Serbia to be his/her country.
Furthermore, contingent upon the category to which the applicant pertains, additional conditions are outlined as follows:
- An individual born on the territory of the Republic of Serbia may obtain Serbian citizenship provided that they have maintained uninterrupted residency within the territory of the Republic of Serbia for a minimum duration of two years prior to the submission of their application for citizenship. The aforementioned requirement necessitates that the applicant had a formally registered place of residence or domicile during the two-year period preceding the submission of their application.
- A foreigner married to a citizen of the Republic of Serbia may obtain Serbian citizenship upon meeting the following prerequisites cumulatively:
- Being married to a citizen of the Republic of Serbia for a minimum period of three years;
- Holding an approved permanent residency
at the time of application submission.
- Emigrants and their descendants may be eligible for Serbian citizenship, under the condition that they have attained the age of eighteen and have not been deprived of their legal capacity.
- An additional facilitation is provided for the spouse of an emigrant or descendant of an emigrant who has acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia, which is reflected in the fact that it is sufficient for them to submit a written statement declaring the Republic of Serbia as their country.
