There is a country in the Southeast of Europe that people from many other countries are considering for relocation. The healthcare system is reliable in the country, the higher education institutions are well respected around the world, and the social security system is strong. At the same time, the cost of living in the country is considerably lower than it is in Western Europe as well as most countries in the region. The name of the country is Serbia.
Living in Western European countries may be comfortable but it is expensive. Living in Serbia is almost as comfortable but much less expensive and this fact already makes it attractive for immigrants. Serbia also offers serious incentives to entrepreneurs, both domestic and foreign. The procedure of setting up a business company in Serbia is simple and the corporate income tax is only 15%. Could you find a country with such a low corporate income tax in Western Europe? You couldn’t.
The information below will be of interest to you if relocating to Serbia is one of the options that you are considering. We discuss some local ways of life and some traits of Serbian national character. Please read on to find out what to expect if (and when) you move to Serbia.
Traits of national character in Serbia
Serbia is a small European country with a population of about 6.8 million people. A million and a half Serbians live in the capital of the country, the city of Belgrade.
Another industrial center in Serbia is the city of Novi Sad (spelled ‘Novy Sad’ on some street signs). Other municipalities are smaller and much quieter. Foreigners relocating to Serbia most often settle down in Belgrade or Novi Sad. By the way, the latter city has nothing to do with sadness: its name translates as ‘New Garden’ from Serbian.
Serbian municipalities have vast regulatory authority: they are entitled to create Free Trade Zones, build techno parks, and provide social support to citizens and legal residents of Serbia. For example, the municipal authorities of Novi Sad have been giving subsidies to all schoolchildren regardless of their nationality since 2022. No such support is available in Belgrade as of today.
Speaking about the national character, Serbians are closer to Italians than to eastern Slavs. This shows in the speed that they work at: similarly to Italy, nobody is in a hurry in Serbia. There is no Spanish ‘mañana’, however, where ‘tomorrow’ may never come. Opening a bank account in Serbia might take you two or three weeks only because the bank officer has been busy with other things. The Serbian word ‘polako’ explains very much about the Serbian character: it translates as ‘without hurry, bit by bit’. Foreign investors coming to Serbia note that this sort of attitude to everyday life seems to be in the Serbian DNA.
The business day lasts from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Serbia: all state agencies are closed after that time. A notary public may work until 4:30 p.m. but nobody works in Belgrade after 5 p.m. In small cities, the working day ends even earlier.
Serbians do not find any virtue in working around the clock. They realize that life is short and never work for more than 8 hours a day, sometimes 6 hours a day. They spend the rest of the time with their families and have fun. There are no 24/7 services in Serbia even the bank client support work only until 8 p.m. If your bankcard has been blocked at 9 p.m., the earliest time when you can start solving the problem is tomorrow morning.
Violating the terms of a written agreement is seen as a smaller problem in Serbia than it is in Germany or Great Britain, for example. At the same time, an oral agreement supported with a handshake is almost sacred.
People stand in lines patiently in Serbia as time flows differently in the country. The probability that you can do many things in one day is low in Serbia and mostly due to the human factor.
If you start a business in Serbia, you’d better have Serbians on the staff. They are going to personally know other Serbians and this fact is going to facilitate your business operations. Personal relations are of great importance in Serbia.
You will also be pleased to learn that English is almost a second language for most Serbians. The teaching methods applied at schools and universities are efficient and Serbians speak English with only a slight accent.
A country in the center of Europe
You can reach Budapest, Sofia, and Zagreb in four hours by car from Serbia; Salonika and Vienna – in six. This makes you feel as if you were right at the center of Europe. The national language also plays an important role. The Serbian language is understood in at least six other countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. For this reason, learning Serbian would be an advantage for an immigrant because it will let him or her communicate with five million people living in neighboring countries.
Cost of living in Serbia
Renting a studio apartment in Belgrade is going to cost you €500 per month on average. Renting a 50-square-meter apartment in the center of Belgrade costs about €750 per month plus €120-€130 for utilities. €70 per month should be enough for food if you don’t eat out.
The quality of food products is extremely high in Serbia. The Government actively opposes the use of antibiotics, pesticides, and chemical additives. Serbians eat organic food and the only problem with that is its short shelf life.
A private kindergarten will cost you about €350 per month. There are private schools in Serbia but according to the immigrants’ reports, the quality of the instructions is high in state schools too. Teachers help foreign children to learn the language and adapt to the Serbian way of living.
By the way, since 2023, the municipal authorities of Belgrade have been compensating the costs of private kindergartens for Serbians and holders of legal residence permits. The highest amount of compensation that you can obtain is approximately €240. The Mayor’s Office has also made it obligatory for kindergartens to teach English to the kids. Parents don’t have to pay any extra money for the English classes as the municipal authorities cover the costs. Because everybody speaks English in Serbia, finding company personnel you can freely talk with is going to be easy.
As an expat, you will also need medical insurance in Serbia. The cost of the insurance policy starts at €8 per month and the quality of medical services in Serbia is quite satisfactory.
We suggest that you should find out more about Serbia and give it some serious consideration. Few countries in Europe offer such comfortable living conditions at such low costs.
