Embassy of the United States Serbia

Exporting to Serbia

President Obama announced the National Export Initiative (NEI) two years ago, with the goal of doubling exports by 2014. U.S. embassies are committed to supporting U.S. companies to start exporting or grow their exports to their host countries, in our case to Serbia. In this section, you’ll find a brief description of Serbia as an export market and some suggestions for getting started.

Getting Started

1. Visit the export.gov page on Serbia to get an overview of economic conditions and opportunities. Access the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library containing more than 100,000 industry and country-specific market reports, authored by our specialists working in overseas posts.
   
   The Library Includes:
   • Country Commercial Guides (read latest “Doing Business In” guides)
   • Industry Overviews*
   • Market Updates*
   • Multilateral Development Bank Reports*
   • Best Markets*
   • Industry/Regional Reports*
2. Contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center for advice and support on exporting to Serbia. Contact a Trade Specialist Near You.
3. Contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDCs) Starting a business can be a challenge, but there is help for you in your area. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges/universities administered by the Small Business Administration that provide educational services and advice for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
4. Contact in-country business support organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Serbia or the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.
5. Make use of business matchmaking services provided by Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) at US Embassy Belgrade.

Investing in Serbia

Potential investors: Getting Started

If you are considering investment in Serbia, here are some steps you may wish to consider as you get started:

• Contact the U.S. Embassy – If you are planning a visit to consider an investment, let us know by sending an email to Economic Section or the Foreign Commercial Service Office at the contact addresses on this page.
• Contact local U.S. business support organizations, such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbi or the Foreign Investors Council (FIC).
• Visit host country resources, such as the Serbian Chamber of Commerce or the Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA).
• For Embassy subscribe to our Facebook page or follow our Twitter feed.

Current investors: Staying Connected.

If you are a current U.S. investor in Serbia, the U.S Embassy wants to stay in touch. Here are a few steps you can take to keep the channels of communication open:

• Register with the U.S. Embassy – If you are active in Serbia let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses on this page.
• Add us to your mailing lists – we are always happy to stay informed!
• Subscribe to our Embassy Facebook page or Twitter feed.
• Set up a meeting via the contact information on this page with our economic or commercial team to discuss any issues that arise.

Working in Serbia

In this section you will find information on business visas, travel advisories, and anti-corruption tools.

Business Visas

You need a valid passport to enter Serbia. U.S. citizens do not need a visa to stay in Serbia for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. If you want to stay in Serbia longer than 90 days during any 180-day period, you must apply for a temporary residence permit at the local police station with authority over the place you are staying in Serbia. You cannot apply for a residence permit outside of Serbia. To apply for a temporary residence permit, must provide a copy of your birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable) and an official police report from your state of residence in the United States or from law enforcement authorities in the country where you permanently reside, if outside of the United States You must obtain the police report no more than 90 days before you apply for your residence permit. All of your documents should have an "apostille" stamp from the government office where you obtain the document. To learn more about apostilles and other official documents, please see our judicial assistance note.

Embassy of the Republic of Serbia
2134 Kalorama Road
Washington, D.C. 20008
Phone: (202) 332-0333 Fax: (202) 332-3933
Email: info@serbiaembusa.org

Serbia also has Consulates General in Chicago and New York City. Both Consulates provide information on travel and long-term stays in Serbia

Serbian Consulate General in Chicago
201 East Ohio Street
Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 670-6707 Fax: (312) 670-6787
Email: info@srbchicago.org

Serbian Consulate General in New York City 
62 West 45th Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 596-4241 Fax: (212) 596-4363
Email: office@serbiaconsulatenyc.com

Travel Advisories

Make sure to check the current State Department travel advisory for Serbia.

Serbian immigration police do not recognize the authority of Kosovo’s government, borders, or immigration officers. Travelers coming to Serbia by land through Kosovo have had problems with Serbian border authorities at checkpoints on the borders between Kosovo and Serbia; Serbian immigration police have refused to accept travelers’ Kosovo entry stamps, claiming that the travelers were in Serbian territory illegally, and refusing to allow them to travel any farther into Serbia. If you are planning to travel by land to Serbia, you can avoid this situation by entering the country through one of its non-Kosovo border-crossing stations.

FCPA

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is an important anti-corruption tool designed to discourage corrupt business practices in favor of free and fair markets.  The FCPA prohibits promising, offering, giving or authorizing giving anything of value to a foreign government official where the purpose is to obtain or retain business.  These prohibitions apply to U.S. persons, both individuals and companies, and companies that are listed on U.S. securities exchanges. The statute also requires companies publicly traded in the United States to maintain accurate books and records and implement appropriate internal controls. 

More information on the FCPA can be found on their website: www.fcpa.us

A party to a transaction seeking to know whether a proposed course of conduct would violate the FCPA can take advantage of the opinion procedure established by the statue.  Within 30 days of receiving a description of a proposed course of conduct in writing, the Attorney General will provide the party with a written opinion on whether the proposed conduct would violate the FCPA.  Not only do opinions provide the requesting party with a rebuttable presumption that the conduct does not violate the FCPA, but DOJ publishes past opinions that may provide guidance for other companies facing similar situations.

More information on the DOJ opinion procedure can be found here.