Work and business in Serbia: sole proprietorship, DOO, remote work, local jobs

Serbia remains one of the few European destinations with relaxed entry rules for many nationalities, including Russian citizens, and fast business registration. If you are considering a move and want to understand how to earn a living there, through your own sole proprietorship, a company, remote work or local employment, this guide collects everything: from real salaries and tax rates to specific cases of people who have already been through it. The data are current as of May 2026 and based on an analysis of more than 14,000 messages from the Russian-speaking community in Serbia.

---

The market: salaries and opportunities

Before planning a business or a job, take a sober look at the Serbian labour market. It is very different from large markets such as Russia's, in both scale and specifics. Understanding the real situation will protect you from inflated expectations and help you choose the right strategy.

Salaries: what there really is

According to the Statistical Office of the Republic, the average net salary in Serbia for August 2026 was 117,282 dinars (about EUR 1,000) and the median 93,325 dinars (about EUR 800): half of workers earn no more than that. The minimum wage in 2026 is 371 dinars per hour net, that is about 59,000–68,000 dinars a month depending on the number of working hours (roughly EUR 510–580); from 1 January 2027 it is 405 dinars per hour. For comparison: an inexperienced construction labourer, in relocants' experience, earns from EUR 1,000, on a par with the national average salary.

These figures need context. If the median salary is about EUR 800 and a one-bedroom in Belgrade starts at EUR 500, it becomes clear why most Russians in Serbia work for themselves or remotely rather than looking for local jobs.

The market for foreigners: a realistic picture

Here is what you need to understand straight away: Serbia is not about career growth. It is a stable base for those who earn remotely or run their own business.

"How hard is it to find a job for Russian citizens, and if it's possible, what are the most accessible options?"

The answer from the experience of dozens of people living in Serbia: without Serbian and without a niche specialisation, only Russian-speaking restaurants and hospitality are available. There are practically no IT vacancies in Serbia itself for foreigners without the language. A senior IT specialist working remotely is, by general consensus, the best option for living in Serbia.

In our data, "work in Serbia" was discussed 38 times in six months, and almost every time the discussion reached the same conclusion. The objection "it's hard to find work, especially without Serbian" comes up regularly, and our data contain no counter-arguments. The problem is widely acknowledged.

Acquaintances of many participants in relocant discussions are moving on from Serbia, to Spain and other EU countries:

"Well, Serbs are slowly leaving too, those who can. And then, having made money in Europe, they come back here to enjoy their retirement."

This is an accurate description of Serbia's role: a base for living, not for a career. If your income comes from remote work or your own business, Serbia works very well. If you are counting on building a career locally, think carefully. The objection "no career growth or development prospects" comes up 3 times in six months, and the verdict is clear: for ambitious careerists, Serbia is not the best choice.

Four ways to earn

Depending on your situation, four main models are available in Serbia:

1. Sole proprietorship (preduzetnik/paušalac): for freelancers, IT professionals, consultants. The most popular route.
2. DOO: for those who need a full company: several founders, employees, large turnover.
3. Remote work: for a Russian or other foreign employer, without registering a business in Serbia. The question is how to get legal status and pay taxes.
4. Employment with a Serbian company: with a single work permit or with the "ima pravo na rad" note. The simplest to arrange, the hardest to find.

More on each option below in this guide. If you are only interested in one route, there is a link to a detailed article at the end of each section.

---

Sole proprietorship (paušal/preduzetnik): step by step

A sole proprietorship is the most popular route to legal status for freelancers and entrepreneurs from Russia. "How to open a sole proprietorship/paušal" was discussed 33 times in six months in our data, and the trend is growing: interest in this route keeps increasing.

In Serbia a sole proprietorship is called a preduzetnik. There are two tax regimes: standard and simplified (paušal). The difference is fundamental and directly affects how much you will pay each month.

Preduzetnik vs paušalac: the difference

Preduzetnik (standard regime): taxes are calculated on actual income. The tax rate on self-employment income is 10% (Art. 38 of the Law on Personal Income Tax), plus mandatory health and pension contributions. The total tax burden comes to about 30% of income.

"I started looking into the details of opening a sole proprietorship and it turned out the tax will be about 30%"

This is one of the most frequent objections, mentioned 8 times in six months. And it is fair for the standard regime. If your income is EUR 3,000 a month, you pay about EUR 900 in taxes and contributions. That is noticeable.

Paušalac (simplified regime): a fixed tax amount that depends on the region and activity but not on income. For IT professionals, in entrepreneurs' experience, it is usually about EUR 200 a month. At an income of EUR 3,000 and above that is less than 10%, which makes paušal one of the most favourable tax regimes in Europe for freelancers.

But there is a catch: on low incomes the percentage is noticeable. If you earn EUR 1,000 and pay EUR 200 in tax plus EUR 100 for an accountant, that is already 30% of income just to maintain your status. So paušal is best for those whose income is consistently above EUR 2,000–2,500 a month.

For comparison: in Georgia a sole proprietor pays 1% of turnover. Formally cheaper. But a direct comparison is incorrect without other factors: access to banking, the possibility of getting residence on the basis of the business, the stability of the legal environment.

What it costs to open a sole proprietorship: the full estimate

It takes about a week with an intermediary. A key fact many people do not know: in applicants' experience, you do not need a residence permit to open a sole proprietorship. On the contrary, a registered business gives you a ground to apply for residence.

"Is it easy to open a sole proprietorship? If I've come as a tourist for now, to scout things out, for a month, can't I open one?"

You can. Many open a sole proprietorship while in Serbia as tourists on a visa-free stay (30 days for Russian citizens) and then apply for residence on the basis of the registered business. This is a standard route that hundreds of people have taken.

Monthly running costs

Costs do not end once the business is open. Here is the full monthly picture:

Depending on the option:

• Paušal (IT) outside Belgrade: EUR 200–400 tax + EUR 100 accountant + EUR 50 registered address = EUR 350–550/month
• Paušal (IT) in Belgrade with an office for the permit: add from EUR 200 = EUR 550–750/month

An accountant is mandatory: not a recommendation but a practical necessity. Without one you risk fines and problems with the tax authority, and working out Serbian tax law on your own is extremely hard, especially without the language.

A registered address at EUR 50/month is the minimum option; business incubators offer even cheaper. But a registered address and an office are different things, and the difference is critical for the residence permit.

An important 2024 change: coworking spaces and residence

In applicants' experience, since 2024 Belgrade has stopped accepting coworking addresses as registered addresses for residence applications through a sole proprietorship. You now need a separate office, from EUR 200 a month. This adds EUR 200+ a month to the cost of running a business in Belgrade.

An IT specialist who moved from Batumi to Belgrade confirms the trend: large coworking spaces "started turning people away", refusing to provide registered addresses for sole proprietorships. This is not an isolated case but a systematic trend.

In other Serbian cities the situation with coworking spaces may differ: the coworking ban for residence is so far confirmed only for Belgrade. But the trend towards tightening is visible across the country. If you are considering a smaller city (Novi Sad, Subotica, Zrenjanin), check the current requirements before applying.

Pitfalls when opening a sole proprietorship

Electronic signatures and returns. In entrepreneurs' experience, you cannot get a qualified electronic signature without a residence permit, and without it you cannot file a number of returns online:

"I need to file the eco tax data by 30 April. But I don't have an electronic signature, since I applied for residence only two weeks ago."

This can be solved through an accountant, but you need to plan for it. If you open a business in March–April, there may not be enough time to get the residence permit and the electronic signature before the eco tax deadline.

Education document. For a residence permit through a sole proprietorship you will need a school certificate or diploma: when a single permit for self-employment is issued, qualifications are assessed (Art. 23 of the Law on Employment of Foreigners). If you plan to open a business in Serbia, bring the original with you from your home country. The apostille is added in the country that issued the document; the court translation can be done locally, but you must have the document itself.

Tax obligations. If you opened a sole proprietorship in Serbia but do not pay taxes, your residence permit may not be renewed. The tax authority may also bring claims. This is not a theoretical risk: our data contain specific warnings from people with such experience.

A detailed article on each step of opening: how to open a sole proprietorship in Serbia. On the coworking problem, see the article coworking and residence through a sole proprietorship.

---

DOO: when you need a company

A DOO (društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću) is the Serbian limited liability company. It is the next level after a sole proprietorship, and it does not suit everyone. Let us look at when a DOO is justified and when a sole proprietorship is simpler.

When a DOO is necessary

• Several founders: a sole proprietorship by definition has one owner; a DOO lets you have partners
• You plan to hire staff: a sole proprietorship can also hire, but a DOO is more convenient for a team and for contracts with companies
• Large turnover and contracts with legal entities: some counterparties work only with companies
• You need limited liability: a sole proprietor is liable with all personal assets; in a DOO liability is limited to the contribution
• You plan to raise investment: investors take a stake in a DOO, not in a sole proprietorship

How it works in practice

One of the most telling stories is a family of four who moved from Novosibirsk to Novi Sad. They opened a DOO, enrolled their two children (16 and 13) in school and opened an account at Alta banka. Here is what opening the account required:

"Russian citizens, the DOO just registered, no residence permit, a one-year lease on the flat, 3 months of statements from Russian accounts, the white card."

Note: they did not have residence permits when they opened the account; the registered DOO was a sufficient ground. Alta banka approved the application in 30 minutes. This is an important detail: without a residence permit and without a DOO (or sole proprietorship), an individual will usually not get a bank account. Our data contain a separate case: a family of tourists without a DOO or residence permits was refused by Alta in the same 30 minutes.

DOO vs sole proprietorship: key differences

For most freelancers and solo entrepreneurs, a sole proprietorship (paušal) is simpler, cheaper and faster. A DOO makes sense when the business outgrows solo work or when you plan teamwork with partners from the start.

A bank account for a DOO

Opening a bank account with a DOO works much like with a sole proprietorship. Alta banka is the main choice for Russian-speaking entrepreneurs. The minimum set of documents: passport, the DOO's articles of association, a lease, 3 months of statements from home-country banks and the white card.

Bear in mind: without a residence permit and without a registered business (sole proprietorship or DOO), opening an account as an individual is extremely hard. Alta banka will not open one for an individual without a residence permit or a DOO: there is a case of refusal within 30 minutes. Poštanska štedionica considers applications in 5–6 days, but the queue to apply can take 3 hours.

More in the article on opening a bank account.

---

Remote work: taxes and status

Tax residence, immigration status and business registration are separate matters. Not having a Serbian sole proprietorship or residence permit does not by itself remove Serbian tax obligations.

Under Articles 7 and 8 of Serbia's Personal Income Tax Law, a person can be a Serbian tax resident because they have a residence or centre of business and vital interests in Serbia, or because they spend at least 183 days there in a 12-month period beginning or ending in the relevant tax year. Serbian residents are generally taxable on worldwide income; nonresidents may owe Serbian tax on Serbian-source income, including work performed in Serbia. Applicable exemptions and tax treaties must also be considered.

Working for a foreign employer

Foreign payroll withholding does not automatically settle Serbian obligations. The treatment of salary depends on tax residence, where the work is performed, the employment arrangement and any applicable treaty. Foreign-tax credits may be available, subject to limits and evidence of tax paid abroad.

Registering a paušal sole proprietorship does not by itself settle the tax treatment of a separate foreign employment salary. Check employment income and business income separately with a Serbian tax adviser.

Working for foreign clients

The appropriate registration and tax route depends on the actual activity and contract. Do not assume that every foreign payment qualifies for the same regime or that a fixed business-tax amount covers all income. Serbia's official tax guidance also describes self-assessment for certain income received from foreign payers.

Remote work without a sole proprietorship: what to check

Business registration alone does not answer whether your stay and work are permitted. Before working remotely from Serbia, check:

• Your lawful basis and permitted duration of stay, and any work-authorisation requirements for your circumstances
• Your tax residence, the source and type of each income stream, filing obligations and possible treaty relief
• Whether business registration is required for the activity, and which tax regime actually applies
• Social-insurance obligations and health-insurance coverage, separately from income tax

For immigration routes, see Serbian residence permit in 2026. For taxes, consult the Personal Income Tax Law, official income-tax guidance and PURS guidance on foreign-tax credits.

---

Local employment: the single permit

Working for a Serbian company is the simplest route in terms of paperwork but the hardest in terms of finding a job. The market is small, salaries are modest, and without the language there are very few options.

What changed: the single work permit

Since February 2024 the single permit for residence and work (jedinstvena dozvola) has been in force. This is a serious simplification of the procedure for employing foreigners:

• If your residence card bears the note "ima pravo na rad" (has the right to work), the employer does not need to ask the employment service for a labour market test
• No need to wait 10 days for the check
• No need to pay additional government fees
• It is enough to sign an employment contract and register it through the CROSO portal

Before this change, hiring a foreigner was much more complicated: the employer had to prove it could not find a local candidate, wait for the labour market test results and pay for the permit. Now, if you already have a residence permit with the right to work, signing a contract is enough.

This means that if you have a residence permit (for example, through property; a permit through a sole proprietorship is a single permit for self-employment, and changing employer on it requires the employment service's consent) with the "ima pravo na rad" note, getting a job is formally simple. The hard part is finding the job itself.

Who looks for and finds work

A real example: a design engineer from Chelyabinsk with 8 years' experience in mechanical engineering received an offer from a Russian-speaking company:

"Sure, I'm a mechanical engineer (design engineer), tooling and custom equipment manufacturing, 8 years' experience. Anyway, they invited me and offered a good salary. Even a very good one."

But this is the exception rather than the rule. Such offers go to specialists with niche qualifications in demand in Serbia's industrial sector. Engineers, technologists, production specialists: for them a market exists. For others, especially without the language, there are far fewer options.

Another case: a property owner who got a residence permit with the right to work. His card says "ima pravo na rad", which lets him take jobs without additional permits.

What is available without Serbian

"Hello, how hard is it for a Russian to find work, hospitality, etc.?"

Without the language you can realistically get a job in a limited set of places:

• Russian-speaking restaurants and cafes: EUR 680–800. Hard work, long shifts, but you can get hired quickly.
• Construction: from EUR 1,000 (physical work, no experience). That is above the national median salary.
• Russian-speaking service companies: if you have a suitable specialisation (accounting, law, real estate for Russian-speaking clients).

There are practically no IT vacancies in Serbia itself for foreigners without Serbian. Serbian IT companies hire locals: the language and knowledge of local specifics are essential. This is confirmed by the fact that our data contain no counter-arguments to the objection "it's hard to find work": the problem is acknowledged even by those who have lived in Serbia for years.

Salary expectations: be realistic

For employees, the minimum wage in 2026 is 371 dinars per hour net (about 59,000–68,000 dinars a month, ~EUR 510–580). The national median salary is about EUR 800 and the average about EUR 1,000. If you are offered much more with minimal qualification requirements, be on your guard (more in the section on scammers).

More on vacancies and salaries in the article working in Serbia.

---

Tax burden: comparison table

One of the main questions when choosing how to earn is how much to pay the state. "High taxes ~30%" comes up 8 times in six months in our data: one of the most frequent objections. Let us go through all the options.

The main tax regimes

Business running costs

On top of the tax come fixed monthly costs that do not depend on income:

Total cost of running a sole proprietorship:

• In Belgrade (with an office for the permit): EUR 350–550/month (tax + accountant + registered address) + from EUR 200 office = EUR 550–750/month
• Outside Belgrade: EUR 350–550/month (tax + accountant + registered address) = EUR 350–550/month

When paušal does not pay off

If you earn less than EUR 1,500 a month, paušal becomes a noticeable burden. Example: income EUR 1,000, tax EUR 200, accountant EUR 100, registered address EUR 50, a total of EUR 350 to maintain your status, or 35% of income. In this case consider other options: remote work for a Russian employer with 13% Russian income tax (if that applies to you), or a residence permit on another ground (study, family reunification).

Comparison with other countries

Relocant discussions often compare Serbia with Georgia, where a sole proprietor pays 1% of turnover. Formally Georgia is cheaper, but the comparison is incorrect without the full picture: banking infrastructure, residence conditions, access to the European market.

At an income of EUR 3,000+ a month, paušal costs less than 10%, a competitive rate for Europe. In most EU countries a freelancer pays considerably more.

---

Scam employers: how to protect yourself

Job fraud in Serbia is not theoretical. Warnings about bad-faith employers appear regularly in our data from the Russian-speaking community. We have collected the typical schemes and specific signs by which you can recognise the danger.

Scheme 1: unofficial employment in hospitality

According to reviews in our data, some hospitality employers promise official registration but in fact do not register the employee. The typical picture:

• They promise to register you in the system but do not
• They delay wages for weeks
• Real shifts of 14–15 hours instead of the promised 12
• Mobbing (bullying at work)
• On leaving, refusal to pay what is owed

Two independent sources (a former employee and a customer) confirmed such a scheme at one hospitality venue in Belgrade. Negative reviews of such venues are systematically removed from platforms, which makes checking harder.

Scheme 2: probation contracts with deductions in industry

In industrial towns (Smederevo, Kragujevac, Čačak, Pančevo, Valjevo) there is another scheme. Employers take a foreigner on a 3-month probation contract at the minimum wage (371 dinars per hour net in 2026, about 59,000–68,000 dinars a month) and deduct sums "for paperwork" from it. In effect you work for less than the minimum wage, and official registration may never happen.

Those who do not know Serbian and cannot read the contract terms are especially vulnerable. Recommendation: have any employment contract translated by a court interpreter before signing. A translation costs a few thousand dinars, but it will protect you from much bigger losses. A court interpreter (sudski tumač) is a licensed specialist whose translation has legal force.

Scheme 3: scammers on Telegram

A separate problem is scammers who pose as community experts. They create copies of real people's accounts and offer "help" with jobs, paperwork and purchases.

A real case: a woman bought a non-existent iPhone on the recommendation of "a woman from the chat": the seller had a Telegram channel with reviews that had been running for two years. Chat administrators repeatedly warn about such cases, but scammers keep creating new accounts.

How to protect yourself: 7 signs of a scam employer

1. No documents confirming your registration: they promise to register you, but you never see any papers. Ask for an extract from the registration system.
2. A probation contract at the minimum wage with deductions: "for documents", "for training", "for the uniform". Any deduction from the minimum wage is a red flag.
3. Conditions in practice differ from what was promised: an 8-hour day was promised, but you work 14 hours. Days off were promised, but there are none.
4. Negative reviews are removed: if a search for the company finds only glowing reviews but real people say otherwise, be on your guard.
5. Contact only through messengers: no official website, registered address, public legal entity or contract.
6. Job offers in private messages from strangers: legitimate employers do not look for staff in Telegram DMs.
7. Conditions that are too attractive with low requirements: the median salary in Serbia is about EUR 800. If you are offered EUR 2,000 with no experience and no language, that is suspicious.

The main rule: check the employer in several sources before starting work. Do not agree to work without official registration and a signed contract.

A detailed article: job scams in Serbia.

---

Real cases: 4 stories

Theory is good. But the real stories of people who have already been through it show what you will face in practice. Here are four cases, one for each way of earning.

Case 1: a family with a DOO in Novi Sad

Profile: a family of 4 from Novosibirsk, parents and two daughters (16 and 13), with a dog (a Pekingese). Route: DOO + school for the children + a bank account. Time to settle: about 4 months.

They flew via Sochi with the dog (in passengers' experience, Air Serbia carries animals in the cabin up to 8 kg for EUR 100). In 4 days they found a flat, 3 bedrooms, 105 sq m, EUR 900 in central Novi Sad, and got the white card.

"I'll let you in on a secret: you can find a flat quickly. We spent one day looking online and booking viewings for the next day, on the second day we viewed and chose, on day 3 we signed and got the white card at the police station, on day 4 we moved in."

The younger daughter was enrolled in year 6 of a Serbian school and the older one in E-Gimnazija (EUR 1,800/year + EUR 200 for translations and recognition of documents). Within a month and a half the children had adapted; their classes had 4–6 Russian-speaking children each.

They opened an account at Alta banka, approved in 30 minutes. The documents: passport, Russian internal passport, the white card, 3 months of statements from Russian banks, a one-year lease and the DOO's articles of association.

The result: the children are at school, the company is running, the account is open. The full cycle from landing to a stable life took about 4 months.

Case 2: an entrepreneur with a sole proprietorship (preduzetnik), several years in Serbia

Profile: an entrepreneur who has lived in Serbia for several years, in a 52 sq m flat with gas heating (underfloor). Route: sole proprietorship (preduzetnik) + accountant + registered address at EUR 50/month.

He works as a preduzetnik with an accountant and rents a registered address for EUR 50 a month. The business is stable and all processes run smoothly. He shares his real utility costs:

"My three-room flat in Moscow is empty, housing services + rubbish + electricity at the minimum, since nobody lives there, comes to 18,000 a month. Here, 52 m with gas in December: 3 thousand for gas, 2.8 for electricity, 500 rubbish, 1.7 Infostan, about 2 thousand water."

Utilities for 52 sq m in December come to about 10,000 dinars (~EUR 85). But in January costs rise sharply: gas alone can be 18,000 dinars, and total utilities 25,000–30,000 dinars (EUR 215–260). The seasonality is huge, and you need to budget for it.

A practical tip from this entrepreneur: a business incubator for a registered address costs even less than EUR 50, but not all incubators work for a residence permit.

The result: a stable life, the business running, everyday matters solved. It shows that a sole proprietorship in Serbia is a workable long-term model.

Case 3: an IT specialist on paušal, moving from Georgia

Profile: an IT specialist who lived in Batumi (Georgia) for 2 years and moved to Belgrade. Route: sole proprietorship (paušal) + an account at Alta. Time to settle: about 2 months.

He opened a paušal business, and Alta banka opened an account in three days:

"Alta opened the account in three days. Applied on Thursday, got the documents on Tuesday, two days later a message came that the cards were ready"

He ran into two practical problems. First: large coworking spaces "started turning people away", refusing to provide registered addresses. This confirms the 2024 trend: in Belgrade a coworking space no longer works for residence through a sole proprietorship.

The second problem: without a residence permit you cannot get a qualified electronic signature, and without it you cannot file a number of returns. In particular, the eco tax data must be filed by 30 April, and if the residence permit is still in progress this creates a bureaucratic dead end. It is solved through an accountant, but you need to know about it in advance.

The result: residence application filed, account open, flat found. The process from landing to a stable state took about 2 months.

Case 4: an engineer with a job offer

Profile: a design engineer from Chelyabinsk, 8 years' experience in mechanical engineering. A wife and 2 cats. Route: an offer from a Russian-speaking company → a work permit. Preparation for the move: about 1.5 months.

"Sure, I'm a mechanical engineer (design engineer), tooling and custom equipment manufacturing, 8 years' experience. Anyway, they invited me and offered a good salary. Even a very good one."

Preparing for the move took about a month and a half. The practical details he ran into:

• Transporting the cats: in passengers' experience, Air Serbia carries one animal per passenger in the cabin, up to 8 kg, for EUR 100. Two people, two cats. But veterinary documents are needed.
• A flat with pets: harder to find. Airbnb from EUR 800 a month; on 4zida.rs you need to look for listings that say pets are allowed.
• Shipping belongings from Russia: in relocants' experience, Serbian duties of ~30% on amounts above EUR 50 make shipping large items unprofitable.

The result: he started work in April 2026. It shows that for specialists with niche, in-demand qualifications, a job in Serbia is realistic, but such vacancies are few.

---

The full cost map: what you need to start

For those planning to move and start a business, here is a summary table of costs. The figures are based on real cases and our data for January–May 2026.

One-off costs (start)

Monthly costs (business + living)

Note the difference between Belgrade and smaller towns: EUR 500–700 a month. If you work remotely, the quality of life in Novi Sad or Subotica may be no worse, and rent is 2–3 times cheaper. In passengers' experience, the train from Subotica to Belgrade takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, and a return ticket is 1,800 dinars (~EUR 15).

A detailed breakdown of all costs is in the article the cost of living in Serbia.

---

Smaller towns vs Belgrade: where business is cheaper

The cost difference between Belgrade and smaller Serbian towns is one of the key factors for an entrepreneur choosing where to live. If your work is not tied to a specific office, a smaller town can save a significant part of your budget.

Rent: 3–5 times cheaper

Subotica is a special case. It is a town on the Hungarian border, with good infrastructure and a high-speed train to Belgrade (in passengers' experience, about 1 hour 15 minutes, 1,800 dinars return). With rent from EUR 170 and remote work, it is an excellent option for those who do not need Belgrade every day.

An office for the permit: Belgrade's problem

Outside Belgrade, the situation with coworking spaces and registered addresses for residence through a sole proprietorship may be softer. The 2024 coworking rule is confirmed primarily for Belgrade. In other cities practice may differ, but the trend towards tightening is nationwide.

If you are ready to live outside the capital, the savings on flat and office rent can be EUR 400–600 a month. The quality of internet, mobile service and basic infrastructure in large provincial cities (Novi Sad, Subotica, Niš) is quite sufficient for remote work.

Practical advice on finding a home

The main search platforms: 4zida.rs, nekretnine.rs, cityexpert.rs. A tip from our data: message the owner directly on Viber and offer to pay several months ahead; it works as an argument for a lower price.

---

Summary: which route to choose

The choice of how to earn in Serbia depends on your situation. Here is a short decision map:

You are an IT freelancer or consultant earning from EUR 2,000/month → a sole proprietorship (paušal). The most favourable and most popular route. A fixed tax (~EUR 200/month for IT), set up in a week, residence on its basis.

You plan a business with partners or employees → a DOO. More expensive and complex to run, but it gives limited liability and room to scale.

You work remotely for a Russian company → formally you do not have to open anything extra in Serbia (13% Russian income tax under Law 389-FZ), but to get residence and legal status in the country it is recommended to open a sole proprietorship in parallel.

You are a specialist with niche qualifications and have received an offer → employment with a single permit (jedinstvena dozvola). The simplest route, but such jobs are hard to find.

Your budget is limited (less than EUR 1,500/month) → consider a smaller town instead of Belgrade. Subotica, Zrenjanin, Plandište: rent from EUR 150–300. Savings of EUR 400–600 a month compared with the capital.

The key point: do not try to "save" on legal status. Working without a business, without a residence permit, on visa runs is a temporary solution that creates accumulating risks. Opening a sole proprietorship and applying for residence takes 1–2 months and costs about EUR 600. It is an investment in stability.

---

The data in the article are based on an analysis of the experience of the Russian-speaking community in Serbia for January–May 2026 (14,116 messages). Prices and rules may change, so check the current information when planning. If you need help choosing a business form, registering a sole proprietorship or preparing documents for a residence permit, book a consultation with a Parallax specialist.