Serbian nationality law

Citizenship Act of
the Republic of Serbia
National Assembly of Serbia
  • An Act regulating the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia
PassedOctober 20, 1979
PassedDecember 14, 2004
Signed byPresident Boris Tadić
SignedDecember 29, 2004
Status: Current legislation

Citizenship of Serbia is regulated by the 2004 Citizenship Act, based primarily on the principle of Jus sanguinis. Article 23 of the citizenship law stipulates that any foreign national with Serbian descent has the right to acquire Serbian citizenship by written request. In certain cases, the act also allows dual citizenship, allowing an individual the right to retain their current citizenship and receive Serbian citizenship.

The 2007 amendments enabled ethnic Serbs residing outside Serbia the right to citizenship. These amendments, adopted after the Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006, also allowed citizens of Montenegro living in Serbia the right to gain citizenship, if they submit the request within a 5-year period.