Russians, are you planning to buy real estate in Serbia? Who is allowed to do this, and what cannot be purchased?

Real estate rental prices in Belgrade have skyrocketed in recent months, primarily due to Russians moving to the capital. This has stirred up the question of whether foreigners can buy apartments and houses in Serbia. Our law states that they can, and the procedure is very simple. The only condition that foreigners must fulfill to be able to buy real estate in Serbia is that they must come from countries where Serbs are allowed to become owners of apartments and houses.

The Law on Basic Ownership Relations (Property Law) defines the right of foreign individuals to acquire property in the Republic of Serbia through civil transactions inter vivos (such as sales contracts, donation agreements, lifetime support agreements, etc.) and civil transactions mortis causa (inheritance).

However, foreigners in Serbia cannot acquire agricultural plots, such as fields, gardens, orchards, meadows, vineyards, pastures, reeds, swamps, and fish ponds.

The Republic of Serbia has established contractual arrangements for real estate purchases with a small number of countries. This means that citizens of Serbia can buy property in those countries, and citizens of those countries can purchase property in Serbia.

Contractual interaction was established based on trade and shipping agreements made in the first half of the 20th century. In some countries, reciprocity is clearly established, while in others it exists based on the application of the most-favored-nation clause. The United Kingdom, the United States, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Japan are countries that apply most-favored-nation clauses.