What you need to trade in Serbia. Profitable business in Serbia

It's no secret that many (maybe most) of those coming from Russia to Serbia are thinking about starting their own business here. Business is always a risk, and a business started on a foreign land is a double or triple risk, money and effort have to be invested by your relatives, and therefore you want to get, if not guarantees - where can guarantees come from here? - then at least the maximum possible information in order to orient in what is happening and not to meddle in the water, not knowing the ford.

In this sense, the statistical data published today by the Serbian Agency for the Register of Economic Entities (Agency for Good Register, APR) through the news agency Tanjug can be of some help. As of November 2015, there were 218,003 individual entrepreneurs registered with the APR, an increase of 2,636 from December 31, 2014. However, one should not conclude from this that in Serbia every year 2,500 people become private entrepreneurs or, in Serbian, forerunners. The reality is much more complicated: during the first ten months of 2015, 28,083 new sole proprietorships were founded, and 26,108 were closed. It is likely that a certain proportion of the newly opened and closed enterprises are firms that were intended to be “one-day” ones, but undoubtedly and the fact that these statistical indicators also include companies that have gone bankrupt and failed. It's a risky business indeed.

The distribution of established and closed enterprises by type of activity is typical. Most often in the past year, individual entrepreneurs opened restaurants and mobile catering facilities (2066 firms), followed by enterprises that produce drinks and provide places to drink them (1820), in third place are shops that sell food products, the same drinks and cigarettes (1546).

As for the losers, the largest number of them falls on the share of firms providing taxi services (1272), hairdressers and beauty salons (1178).

It is curious that the lists of 10 leading areas of activity for closed and newly created enterprises almost completely coincide. So, for example, hairdressers and owners of beauty salons do not lose heart: 1566 new ones came to the place of the closed ones, the same applies to taxi drivers - 927 entrepreneurs are registered as such.

The only pleasant exception to the general rule are firms offering services in the field of computer programming: they are among the leaders in the number of open enterprises, but far from the first places among closed ones. Unlike restaurants, cafes, bakeries, shops, beauty salons and taxi drivers, Serbian computer scientists are mastering a niche that is still far from being saturated. Here, there is less competition, more new opportunities - the level of development of IT services in Serbia is much inferior to the Russian one, and a boom in this area is still in the offing. The statistics are pushing you to opt for IT: there is a lot of delicious food in Serbia even without Russian migrants, but there is a place for computer professionals.

Lawyer: Igor Romanovsky

Migration law

Articles written

Serbia is a developing Balkan state, which in the near future will become a member of the European Union, which opens up broad prospects for the population. A stable economic level, low rates of corruption and crime, as well as democratic real estate prices attract hundreds of thousands of immigrants to the country every year. Working in Serbia and registering your own company are the most convenient and efficient ways to integrate into the European society.

Moving to Serbia is possible with a long-term visa. After crossing the border, you should apply for a residence permit. It is issued for up to 1 year with the right to extend. You can live and work in the country only if you have knowledge of the state language. The Serbian mentality is close to the Russians, and you can learn the language pretty quickly.

An advantage for foreigners who plan to work or open their own business in Serbia is the knowledge of not only the state dialect, but also English.

Features of the labor legislation of Serbia

Serbs are extremely hospitable and friendly people. The common Soviet past ensured mutual understanding and respect between the citizens of the Russian Federation and Serbia. There are three options for employment in this Balkan state for Russians:

• Contract job. The conclusion of a preliminary agreement with a Serbian employer allows a foreigner to move as quickly as possible and count on comfortable working conditions, as well as a highly paid position. It is the employer in such a situation who is engaged in issuing a special permit for the employee to carry out labor activities. A foreign highly qualified specialist is also entitled to a full package of social and medical insurance.
• Job search on a general basis. In this case, a foreigner enters Serbia, and only while in the country, he starts looking for a job. The most common positions that foreigners can apply for are teachers, chemists, biologists, pharmacists, IT specialists, etc.
• Seasonal activity. Working for a while in Serbia is a great option for those who want to get acquainted with the life and living conditions in the country. In summer, you can find vacancies in the direction of the restaurant or tourism business, as well as in the service sector.

To live and work in Serbia, a foreign worker must meet a number of requirements and criteria, namely:

• be of legal age and capable;
• have a temporary residence permit and work permit;
• stay in the country on the basis of any visa, except for the tourist category.

This is a great option for foreigners, such as citizens of Russia and other countries. Serbian banks have a simple account opening procedure for both individuals and companies. Corporate clients will definitely appreciate the speed as well. the fame of how quickly an account is opened in Belgrade or another Serbian city has spread far beyond the jurisdiction. For foreign citizens, offers of various banks are available:

• UniCredit;
• Banca Intesa;
• Raiffeisen;
• And others.

You can open an account in Serbia on the following conditions:

• Price from 3000€:
• Term 2-3 weeks.

The jurisdiction is not only attractive, but also has excellent prospects for the future.

Serbia: advantages and features of jurisdiction

Serbia is a small country in southeastern Europe with a population of 8.78 million. The jurisdiction is not part of the European Union and uses its own currency in circulation - the Serbian dinar (RSD). A bank account can be opened not only in dinars, but also in all popular world currencies, including euros, dollars and even Russian rubles. After all the procedures, you will get access to all the benefits of the jurisdiction.

For some foreigners, the fact that the joint-stock commercial bank Sberbank has a subsidiary, Sberbank Serbia, will also be attractive. Although a number of other banks are available in the jurisdiction, which are more attractive in many respects and combine a number of advantages:

• Ease of opening an account in Serbia;
• High rates on deposits in national currency;
• Possibility of service in Russian;

The republic is Slavic and has a language close to Russian. Strong ties and business contacts have been established between Serbs and post-Soviet countries. All this allows citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Georgia and some other states to carry out economic activities in another country without any problems. In some matters, this is even easier than in Hong Kong or the UAE, where support is also available in English, but Slavic hospitality is rare.

7 reasons why it is worth opening an account in Serbia

The republic has excellent prospects for the future, as it is systematically strengthening its economy, but even at the moment it can boast of strengths:

• The jurisdiction does not participate in the exchange of data under the OECD Convention;
• Not included in the "Black Lists";
• Suitable for foreign citizens;
• Suitable for corporate clients;
• Suitable for international activities;
• Remote account opening available;
• Low maintenance cost.

Serbian banks have really affordable rates when compared to Austrian or Swiss banks. The exact terms of service depend on the chosen bank, but you can focus on the following indicators:

The best Serbian banks for foreigners and companies

Opening an account in Serbia for a foreigner or a company is a solvable task, and as a rule, specialized companies are asked for a solution to help with the opening.

This is an incomplete list, and in each case you need to select a partner according to the situation. For example, if you need a remote opening, etc. In each special case, the list of options narrows down.

It will not work to carry out all operations online and via the Internet, since even for remote opening you will need to prepare a power of attorney. But this allows you to become the owner of a Serbian account without the need for a personal visit to another country. That is, remotely, since all procedures can be carried out even in Moscow.

For business owners, you will need to provide a package of documents: originals and copies with an apostille:

• The company's first stitching;
• Certificate of Good Standing (not older than three months);
• Certificate of Incumbency (not older than three months);
• share certificate;
• Power of attorney for the account manager;
• Passport of the Manager r / s - a notarized copy;
• Certification of the signature of the Administrator certified by a notary under the apostille r / s;
• A copy of the director's passport - a notarized copy;
• Certification of the director's signature - notarized under an apostille.

In addition, you will need to make a company presentation for the bank (PDF, Power Point). In addition to this, it is highly desirable to have a functioning company website. You will also need a company seal to work in a bank.

For remote opening, it is necessary to make a power of attorney (with an apostille) from the company for a representative in Serbia. Not only the original is required, but also one copy. This is only necessary for remote opening, without a visit to Belgrade.

Separately, it is necessary to consider bank accounts in Serbia for offshore companies, including partnerships.

Is it possible to open an account in Serbia for an offshore company?

With a professional approach - yes, it is possible to develop a scheme that allows you to open an account in Serbia for a tax-free company. Here it is necessary to consider the issue in a complex, and it is ideal if Economy of Serbia

At the moment, the Serbian economy is underdeveloped, which was caused by the events of the 90s of the last century. Despite this, fairly rapid economic growth began in the early 2000s. Serbia's economy is considered the strongest and fastest growing in the region. The geographical position and close ties with both Europe and Russia guarantee further economic development.

In recent years, large foreign companies have begun to invest in the Serbian economy and open their representative offices in Serbia. The opportunity to conduct a modern business based on the principles of the free market makes the Serbian economy attractive for investors. The fact that a fairly large percentage of the economically active population of Serbia either works in the EU countries (mainly Germany, Austria, Italy) or trades with them leads to an even closer integration of Serbia into the European economy. The signed free trade agreement with the European Union favors the development of imports and exports, which means it gives good prospects for economic growth.

Today, the European Union is the main trade partner of Serbia, the share of goods exported to Europe is 54.2% of Serbian exports. The main export commodities are oil and gas, electrical engineering, cereals and vegetables.

The recently signed duty-free trade agreement between Serbia and the Russian Federation has strengthened mutually beneficial trade ties. At the moment, perhaps, every Russian has met with Serbian goods, in particular with food, and was able to appreciate their quality. The prospects for increasing the import of Serbian goods to Russia are really great, since almost every manufacturer in Serbia is ready to increase production volume and improve quality in order to enter the Russian market. Also, do not underestimate the possibility of importing Russian goods, since Serbia, thanks to its favorable geographical position and good trade relations with Europe, can become an excellent springboard for the sale of Russian goods to Europe.

The construction of the South Stream has made Serbia a strategically important point for OAO Gazprom. The Russian giant recently acquired NIS (Oil Industry of Serbia) and continues to expand its influence in the region, the largest gas storage facility in Eastern Europe is being built in the Banat region of Serbia. The company's activities in Serbia are rapidly expanding, creating new jobs.

Of the economic problems of Serbia, it is necessary to note the serious level of unemployment and the budget deficit. The government has high hopes for loans from Russia and assistance from the European Union, which is ready to further increase injections into the Serbian economy.

The national currency is the Serbian dinar. The exchange rate of the dinar against the euro is approximately 110:1.

Business in Serbia

Favorable conditions for doing business have been created in Serbia, and the state as a whole does not create obstacles for the development of small and medium-sized businesses. Entrepreneurship in Serbia is based on free market principles.

Opening a business in Serbia is not at all difficult. A foreigner can establish a company of any legal form independently or jointly with citizens of Serbia. The process of opening a company takes several days, and if there are properly executed documents, it does not require much participation on the part of the entrepreneur himself.

The following legal forms of business exist in Serbia:

Individual entrepreneur (preduzetnik). This is the simplest form of business, similar to IP in Russia. The founder of the firm is responsible for the business with his own property. The minimum taxes for maintaining this form of business will be 70-80 euros per month. A limited liability company (D.O.O.) is organized in such a way that the owner is not responsible with his property for the activities of the company. Responsibility is guaranteed by the authorized capital of the company. An LLC can be founded by one person or a group of people. To create an LLC by one founder, the charter of the company is sufficient, and for a company with two or more founders, an agreement and an act of founding are required. Maintaining an LLC will cost you at least 150-200 euros per month. Also, an LLC existing in the Russian Federation can open its representative office in Serbia. A joint-stock company (A.D.) is opened for more serious business tasks. It can be open or closed. In general, the principles of work of joint-stock companies in Serbia are similar to Russian principles.

To open a company, you must have constituent documents, a lease or office ownership agreement and a passport.

The first step is to open a bank account, then all documents are submitted to APR (Agencija za Priivredne Registre). The specialist will check them and take them to work. Within 7 days the company will be open. You will be issued a paper confirming the registration of the company, as well as a PIB (personal tax number). After that, you must register with the tax office, the pension fund and the social security service.

Each foreign entrepreneur, in addition to taxes, is obliged to pay contributions to the pension and health insurance fund. At the time of registration, the company is set a minimum imputed tax, and after, based on the results of activities, the tax rate is adjusted. Upon reaching a certain level of income, the company is transferred to the value added tax (PDV) system.

Buying a property

In recent years, the Balkans have been increasingly attracting foreigners, and especially our compatriots. More and more Russians are buying property in Croatia and Montenegro. At the same time, people understand that it is important not only to live in a good climate, but also to earn money somehow. This is where attention is drawn to Serbia as the economic center of the region, and especially to the capital - Belgrade - perhaps the only place in the region where you can build a serious business.

At the moment, the Serbian real estate market is more attractive than ever. Due to the financial crisis, prices have fallen, perhaps to the lowest possible level. And in the future, in 2-3 years, they will have nothing left but to start growing. And after Serbia joins the European Union, prices will certainly rise by at least 50%.

The price of real estate in good areas of Belgrade ranges from 2 to 3 thousand euros per square meter. Of course, in the most prestigious areas of the city you can find much higher prices, but this is a separate issue. On the outskirts of Belgrade, you can buy housing for 800-1000 euros per square. In other cities of Serbia, the average price is 500 euros per square meter.

Recently, buying houses in Serbian villages has become very popular among Russians. People who are tired of big cities and traffic jams choose a quiet life in the fresh mountain air among the beautiful Serbian landscapes. In Central Serbia, you can buy a house with a plot of land for an average of 10 thousand euros. Again, the price depends on the distance from the capital.

For many people, building a house according to their own design seems to be a very tempting prospect. Your own home is, of course, very good, but here you need to be careful. It is necessary to prepare an architectural plan, obtain a building permit, and then a cadastral number for the built house. A person who does not have the necessary knowledge and connections will most likely spend more than one year legalizing the building. But a foreigner first of all needs to be registered.

Arriving at a new place, it is best to buy a finished house or apartment, and only then think about building it. We must not forget that each country has its own characteristics, including in construction, which may not be obvious to foreigners. Therefore, you should first "look around", and only then make decisions.

Basically, all residential buildings in Serbia are built by private investors: the developer buys a piece of land, obtains all necessary permits and builds a house. The problem is that until recently, until about the early 2000s, most of the buildings in Serbia were built semi-legally. It is not difficult to find a residential building that was built 20 years ago, but still does not have a cadastral number; the owner of such a house has been trying all these years to legalize it, but nothing comes of it, because there were discrepancies with the approved construction plan, or this plan did not exist at all. If you buy an apartment in such a house, of course, no one will evict you from it, but, nevertheless, the real price of such an apartment is lower than that of a completely legal one.
Some features of the construction and sale of real estate in Serbia do not seem obvious to Russians. For example, the fact that an apartment has an electricity meter and bills come in does not at all guarantee that the apartment is legal and has a cadastral number. In order not to get into an unpleasant situation, it is best to contact specialists who will help you prepare documents for the purchase of real estate and protect you from fraudsters; to suggest how different methods of heating apartments differ, and so on.

Entrepreneurship

To register a company, it is very important to properly prepare the constituent documents, understand all the intricacies of the legal forms of business, and correctly determine the scope of activities. You will definitely need a good accountant who will manage your affairs and submit tax returns.

1. It is important to determine the main activity of the company, which will be registered in the ARP. If the type of activity provides for certification or permits, then when registering the type of activity of the company, it is necessary to attach the necessary documents. This applies to such activities as, for example, production, circulation of something, processing and storage of hazardous substances, banking, activities of insurance organizations.
2. After determining the type of activity and the name of the company, it is necessary to draw up an act of foundation and certification (over) in court or at a notary with the seal of a translator. Court fees: about 30 euros, plus the cost of the services of an invited translator - 50 €.
3. Temporary accounts are opened for co-founders in a bank to deposit authorized capital in accordance with their shares (the capital can be from 100 dinars).
4. Certified documents with the act are submitted to the enterprise registration agency (ARA) to make a decision on the foundation and obtain the necessary details for the company, waiting up to 5 days. ARP fees: about 50 euros.
5. After successful registration in the ARP, the legal entity begins its life and, accordingly, the reporting period has begun. The work of an accountant to support the company begins.
6. To get started, you need a company seal. The workshop is required to present a decision on its registration in the ARP.
7. In accordance with the law, it is necessary to open a currency and dinar accounts of the company in a bank. Signatures of the co-founders with the seal of the company will be required. Upon opening the accounts, in a couple of days, the authorized capital is transferred to them from the temporary accounts of the co-founders.
8. At this stage, the founders of their family members can apply to the MUE for a temporary residence permit for a period of 6 to 12 months. The original decision on registration of the company in the ARP and other documents from the article "Residence permit" are required
9. Next, you need to register a "happy book" - a work book for the director and, if any, for other employees of the company. Registration is carried out in "Opshtyn" - the District Administration at the place of registration. "Radna knizhitsa" and other forms are sold in stores - "Sluzhni glasnik".
10. After registering the work book, the accountant requests a “radna permit” - a work permit for the director, and then for the rest of the employees. A certified uverenje from the Municipal Unitary Enterprise on Savskaya is required. "Radna permit" is valid until the end of "boravishnog permit" (until the end of the residence permit).
11. After obtaining a work permit, you can apply for state health insurance for employees, which operates in the same way - until the end of the "boravishnog permit". Extended on the basis of confirmation of the timely payment of taxes (plastic cards).

The monthly maintenance of the company depends on the turnover and the number of employees, which is reflected in the cost of accounting services and the amount of taxes.