ECONOMIC CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM SERBIA (over article 19.)
Citizenship Program Serbia | Buy Passport from GCI. We are the world's leading experts in advising foreign investors on Citizenship & Residency by Investment. Serbian Citizenship Program. Read more on how to apply for Serbian Citizenship Program.
Serbian Citizenship by Investment Program is not quite the right expression for our idea, as our program is significantly different from the well-known Citizenship by Investment programs. That's why we prefer to call our idea Serbian Very Important Investor Program (VIIP). The VIIP is not open to all, it is aimed at foreign investors who, like us, want to support the emerging Serbian economy. Surely you are wondering now where the similarity to the conventional Citizenship by investment programs exists. This simply consists in the fact that according to Paragraph 19 of the Serbian Citizenship Law, it is possible for persons who significantly support the country of Serbia and thus represent a certain importance for the country to obtain citizenship of Serbia in this way.
Serbia
The Republic of Serbia is a democratic European state situated in central Balkan region, with a rich and vast culture and historic inheritance. Its ethnic diversity and full equality policy made it such an attractive place and living environment for so many nations around. Belgrade (Beograd) is the capital city of Serbia and is one of the oldest cities in Europe and since ancient times it has been an important intersection of the roads between Eastern and Western Europe. Situated at the point of river Sava merging into Danube River, known as “the gate” of the Balkans, this city is having many cultural monuments, archeological sites and is the centre of the highest state and national institutions of culture and art: Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Museum, the National Theatre and the University of Arts.
Citizenship in Serbia
Background and Legal Considerations
Several countries have adopted provisions that allow the acquisition of citizenship on the basis of an investment and/or a direct contribution to the state as a means of development of the country. In Serbia, Art. 19 of the Serbian Citizenship Act states that the government can reward foreign persons with citizenship in the event of extraordinary merit. This may take various forms, including economic ones, and can include capital contribution or other economic benefit brought to Serbia. However, citizenship is not granted on the basis of capital contribution alone. The foreign investor must make an extraordinary contribution alongside his investment, such as bringing new technologies to the country or creating a substantial number of new jobs.
Requirements
Under the citizenship-by-investment provisions, an applicant is required to invest actively in the Serbian economy, for example in the form of a joint venture or direct investment in a business that creates jobs or generates new export sales. Significant direct investment is generally required. Passive investments in government bonds, real estate, etc. do not qualify.
In addition to standard documentary requirements (passports, birth and marriage certificates, etc.), a completely clean personal record (certificate of no criminal record), a comprehensive CV and business background information must be provided by all applicants.
Procedure
The grant of citizenship on the basis of a capital contribution involves various procedures and requires Government approval at several levels. It is therefore essential that the applicant is properly advised from the beginning, that each individual case is carefully prepared and that informal approvals from the key ministries are obtained before the investment is made and the formal application process is started.
GCI UNIT Serbia advises on suitable capital contribution opportunities, liaises with the various government agencies and ministries, and finally prepares and lodges your application with the Government. As with other citizenship programs, the procedure involves a thorough background check, and applicants are normally required to attend an interview in Serbia. Citizenship documents are issued after the citizenship application has been approved.
The average time frame for an application is 4 - 6 months. Successful applicants receive full citizenship of the Republic of Serbia by decision of the Government of Serbia, and can apply for a passport immediately afterwards. Passports are issued within a few days.
The grant of citizenship is not reported to any other country, as it falls within the Government provisions relating to privacy/official secrets.
BENEFITS OF THE CITIZENS OF SERBIA
A good example of world´s impact of Serbian legacy is the honoring one of the most famous scientist Nikola Tesla, Chicago´s by Mayor Rahm Emanuel declared the 6th of August 2011 the Nikola Tesla Day, and invited all citizen of Chicago to participate in the celebration and recognition of the history of friendship and cultural and scientific exchange that unites sister cities Chicago and Belgrade.
Short facts:
When you acquire citizenship under the Serbian Citizenship Act, you and your family enjoy full citizenship for life, which can be passed on to future generations by descent.
- Citizenship in a European Country and Schengen member state that is stable, neutral and highly respected
- efficient application process
- Visa-free travel to more than 131 countries in the world
- E-2 and E-1 treaty “Investor Visa” signed between Serbia and the U.S. allows citizens of Serbia to operate a substantial business in the U.S. and reside therein;
For a standard multi- entry- Visa of 10 years for U.S. ,you need 48 ours.
- Serbian citizenship gives right of establishment in all 27 EU countries and of course, Schengen Area, Russia, China, India, UAE, Malaysia, Brazil etc..
- additional security and an exit strategy for you and your family. Hence, a second citizenship is the best insurance money can buy.
- The investment is considered as a lifetime investment, from which your children's children and the coming generations can take advantage without further expenses.
- The Consultant Middle East has an experienced and highly professional expert team with strong connections to the Government of Serbia and real estate industry, this allows you to take advantage of lucrative and valuable real estate opportunities, which are exclusively available to The Consultant Middle East clients.
- Based on feedback's of current clients of The Consultant Middle East, Serbian real estate market offers stable investment opportunities with reasonable returns.
- The Serbian citizenship gives you the possibility to expand your given business or take advantage of new business and investment opportunities in the EU.
- If your products are of 51% from Serbia, you can export to Russia and European Tax free! (sometimes only 1%)
- Our Serbian team and I personally are taking your application with the highest priority and we fully dedicate ourselves to your needs and support you in every aspect during the acquisition of the real estate and subsequently the application for the citizenship of Serbia.
- Serbian citizenship application procedure is very straightforward and efficient (for example the police clearance certificate of the current country of residence is required).
- Serbia is strategically well located, which makes travelling to Serbia very fast.
- Serbia has the cheapest Income Tax in Europe with only 10%
- Serbia is building a Free zone in Belgrade!
Performance Guarantee
The granting of citizenship is at the sole discretion of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, and we are unable to guarantee that applications will be approved. However, great care has been taken to provide the best possible safeguards for persons entering the program. Prior to taking on any mandate, a written agreement is made between the applicant and GCI UNIT Serbia defining the responsibilities of both parties.
Key advantages of Serbian citizenship
Opportunity to become an EU citizen in around 5 years, because Serbia it is already a Candidate for the full EU membership.
Serbian passport gives visa-free access to most countries worldwide.
There is no need to spend any particular time actually residing in Serbia
We believe that Serbia is the best place to invest when it comes to starting a business in Europe. It is one of the biggest growth markets within Europe. All companies get subventions as soon as they hire employees. It is the European country with the lowest tax rate of only 10%. The cost of living is the cheapest in Europe. The same applies to the labor costs. Real estate and land are very cheap to buy.
It is the gateway to Russia, China and Europe. Many Investors from all over the world have accepted Serbia as the best and most promising country within the last 3 years.
Let me introduce you to one example. If you are selling or export your products from Serbia to Europe or Russia, you pay only 1% Tax! Now calculate yourself, how much money you can earn, if you are a Serbian Citizen!
We can help you to get a fast backup, opportunities for you as an Investor.
Why invest in Serbia?
Serbia's economy is expected to grow faster in 2018 than ever in the past decade and will grow by just over 3 percent.
Overall, economic confidence has increased since 2017 in the form of increased investment from domestic and foreign sources. The business climate has improved noticeably and the environment should continue to develop positively in 2018.
In addition to sound economic growth, Serbia can point to a stable state of public finances. Serbia progress towards EU integration has pushed social protection and business investments to a higher level, transforming this country into a very attractive and fast growing market.
The Government encourages intensively foreign investments and emphasizes opportunities for active business possibilities, real estate short or long-term plans together with nature vacations, city-breaks and cultural events. Important to mention is that considerable amount of Middle East investments are increasingly each month and especially from UAE side. Numerous new projects are opened "Belgrade in Water" and the real estate market is just blooming.
The country is particularly interested in entrepreneurs, managers and leaders. We suggest the Citizenship Program Serbia will offer our customers a lot of benefits.
Serbia - Belgrade on Water
We are the inventors of the Serbian Very Important Investor Program (VIIP), to search for companies, managers and business people who want to invest in Serbia and support the emerging Serbian economy.
We have planned, developed and proposed this program to the Serbian government.
This program is currently under development, but there is the possibility for investors to apply. We submit applications from our investors to the Ministry of Economic and Interior Affairs.
The decision on accepting a foreigner to Serbian citizenship is in jurisdiction of the Government in case of national interest. That is why we can only submit a limited number of applications. The recognition of the citizenship of the applying foreign investors will be based on Article 19 of the Serbian Citizenship Law. Article 19 of the Serbian Citizenship Law states: "a foreigner, whose admission to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia would be of interest for the Republic of Serbia, can be admitted to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia.
The Government of the Republic of Serbia, on a motion of the competent Ministry, decides about admission to citizenship of the Republic of Serbia in line with para. 1 of this Article."
Those who are interested in Serbian citizenship must accept that the process can last longer than 90 days.
HOW TO APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP IN SERBIA?
To apply for Citizenship Program Serbia applicants must be at least 18 years of age, be of a good character with no criminal record, and have good health. They need to have a high personal net worth in order to be able to make the proper investment. An applicant may apply together with his or her spouse and dependent children, and, in some cases, dependant elderly parents or grandparents.
The process of applying for citizenship in Serbia is rigorous and requires diligent preparation in order to gather all the information needed. Application timelines can vary and be difficult to predict, although they usually depend on how easily an applicant can access the required documentation, as well as the complexity of the application as a whole.
