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Relocation to Serbia  /  Blog
01 Mar 2023

Serbian People

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If you were to select two words that best describe the Serbian people it would have to be temperamental and hospitable. Thanks to those qualities of your hosts, you will always have a great time in Serbia and feel like you’ve never even left home.

Serbia is the home to around 40 different nationalities, while each of them made their own mark on the population’s collective spirit.

Kosovo and Metohija not included, the total population stands at 7,120,666.

The population majority are Serbs – 82.86 percent, while its many minorities are: Hungarians (3.91 percent), Bosniaks (1.82 percent), Roma people (1.44 percent), Yugoslavs (1.08 percent), Croats (0.94 percent), Montenegrins (0.92 percent), Albanians (0.82 percent), and others. The highest number of minorities is in Vojvodina.

Language, script and religion

The official language is Serbian, while the official script is Cyrillic. Since Serbia is a country that has many ethnically versatile regions, in its multinational environment other languages such as Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, and Croatian are also in use. Latin script, which is very widespread in Serbia, is also learned in schools.

Serbian language belongs to a group of South Slavic languages. After a reform introduced by Vuk Karadžić in 1868, Serbian Cyrillic script consisted of 30 letters, and is even today learned according to a principle – write as you speak, read as it is written.

The dominant religion among the majority of population is Orthodox Christianity (84.98 percent), followed by Roman Catholic (5.48 percent), Islam (3.2 percent), Protestantism (1.08 percent), while other religions are present as well.

Serbia does not have a state religion – religious holidays are not considered state holidays.

Hospitality, the main trait of the Serbian people

Hospitality seems to be an innate principle of the Serbian people, while a smile, heartiness and high spirits are a main characteristic of the hosts, and can guarantee you good times and enjoyment. Hospitality is a common thing in Serbia, so much that it is often the case that many guests are surprised by the warm and hearty welcome, above any expectations, that remains securely in their fondest of memories. Therefore you shouldn’t be surprised when you get kissed as many as three times, as such are the customs in Serbia, just like yelling out “Živeli!” (Cheers!) by which you reciprocate the host’s kindness in the best way.

People who enjoy festivals and celebrations

The temperamental and cheerful people in Serbia always find a way to happiness and joking, even when it appears there isn’t one. The traditional festivities that bring entertainment, music and gourmand in abundance are a right place to get acquainted with the playful and cheerful temper of the citizens of Serbia.

01 Mar 2023

Serbian Language

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All Slavic languages originate from the language of the community that used Proto-Slavic language. Due to the movement of Slovenes in three directions, three language groups developed from the once unique Proto-Slavic language:

  1. South Slavic languages – Serbian / Croatian, Slovenian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Old Slavic;
  2. Eastern Slavic languages – Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian;
  3. Western Slavic languages – Polish, Czech, Slovakian, Serbian.  

The first Slavic alphabet was Glagolitic script, but it was replaced by the Cyrillic alphabet (south-eastern Europe and east) and Latin (central Europe) in the areas where Slavs lived. In Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, citizens speak a very similar languages, so some linguists consider it as the same polycentric language, while in official use, names such as the Serbian language, the Croatian language, the Bosnian language, etc. are used. Citizens of these countries understand each other very well and no interpreter is needed.

Some of the useful phases that can help you in everyday communication:

  • Good day! – Dobar dan!
  • When is the last bus leaving? – Kada polazi poslednji autobus?
  • How much is it? – Koliko košta?
  • Which bus drives to Vozdovac? – Koji autobus ide na Voždovac?
  • How do I get to School of electrical and computer engineering of applied studies? – Kako da stignem do Visoke škole elektrotehnike i računarstva strukovnih studija?
  • When is the exam? – Kada nam je ispit?
  • Where can I find the material for exam preparation? – Gde da nađem materijal za pripremu ispita?
  • Where can I find the literature for this exam? – Gde mogu da pronađem literaturu za taj ispit?
  • Where is…..? – Gde se nalazi….?
  • Thank you for the information. – Hvala na informacijama.

In Belgrade, there are a lot of language schools who offer Serbian for foreigners courses, some of the useful links are:

01 Mar 2023

Life In Belgrade

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About Belgrade

Belgrade is at a regional crossroads. You can reach it by plane, ship, bus or car. It is a capital of Serbia, with some 1,659,440 permanent residents (according to the census from 2011). Belgrade is located at the mouth of the Sava and Danube rivers, a city of tumultuous history, one of the oldest European cities. Its history dates back 7,000 years. The climate in Belgrade is continental moderate, with an average temperature of 11.7℃. The remains of Neolithic cultures were discovered in Belgrade, which means that it was inhabited continuously and that the intensity of settling intensified. Many of today’s residential areas in the vicinity of Belgrade lie on the cultural layers of earlier prehistoric settlements. The territory of the city is divided into seventeen municipalities: Cukarica, Novi Beograd, Palilula, Rakovica, Savski venac, Stari grad, Vozdovac, Vracar, Zemun, Zvezdara, Barajevo, Grocka, Lazarevac, Mladenovac, Obrenovac, Sopot and Surcin. Belgrade is as a monument of nature whose green treasures comprise Kalemegdan, Tasmajdan, Avala, Topcider, Zvezdara, Kosutnjak and Ada Ciganlija. In downtown Belgrade you can also find true natural sanctuaries such as the Botanical Garden and the Great War Island.

Culture and art

Belgrade is the center of culture and art of Serbia. It is Belgrade where our most notable artists create, where over 11000 theatrical performances, exhibitions, concerts, performance events, and other artistic programs are presented and where prominent authors in the world of art are hosted.

Belgrade is the center of the highest state and national institutions of culture and art: Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences (https://www.sanu.ac.rs/), the National Library of Serbia (https://www.nb.rs/), the National Museum (http://www.narodnimuzej.rs/), the National Theatre (https://www.narodnopozoriste.rs/) and the University of Arts (http://www.arts.bg.ac.rs/).

It is Belgrade where the most significant works of architecture are located, Kalemegdan and Belgrade Fortress, cultural monuments and other immovable cultural treasures, numerous archeological sites with remnants of developed civilization and culture on Belgrade territory from prehistory until this day.

The City of Belgrade is the founder of 30 cultural institutions (12 theatres, 8 institutions for protection of cultural values, 4 libraries, 6 cultural centers and galleries) and at the same time contribute in the implementation of schedules and scheduled attractions of institutions and artistic associations.

The City of Belgrade is the founder of 11 cultural events (FEST, BITEF, BEMUS, BELEF, International Competition of Music Youth, Festival of Documentary and Short film, October Salon, Joy of Europe, Belgrade Book Fair, Sopot Film Festival, Belgrade Jazz Festival), and also the supporter of 69 events in the field of culture performed in Belgrade.

Life and study in Belgrade

Belgrade is considered as a cultural, educational and economic center of this part of the world, which is the main reason why students choose the capital of the Republic of Serbia as a place to study. There are many higher education institutions in Belgrade in all fields of study. By developing science and investing in innovations in the field of education and quality, Belgrade’s higher education institutions attract many students from all over the country, the wider SEE region and the world. Students who choose to study in Belgrade provide great opportunities for training and professional development. Also, students in Belgrade have the opportunity to conduct professional practice in the largest companies operating in the country, and later in employment. Especially at schools of applied studies, internship is one of the important elements of the educational process through which students acquire a professional experience, which is of great importance to them in developing their own careers.

Students have at their disposal the University Library “Svetozar Markovic” and the National Library of Serbia, where they can use a large publication fund, as well as rare editions and paid access to notable international magazines and books.

Also, students in Belgrade have the opportunity to conduct professional practice in the largest companies operating in the country, and later in employment. Especially at schools of applied studies, internship is one of the important elements of the educational process through which students acquire a professional experience, which is of great importance to them in developing their own careers.

05 Jan 2023

Serbian Traditional Cuisine

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Serbian traditional cuisine contains a myriad of tastes and smells, much owing to the mixture of influences of various peoples who were just passing through or were living in this region. As is the case with the culture in general, this fusion of different influences resulted in originality, so that today a rich Serbian table offers unforgettable tastes that can only be enjoyed in Serbia.

Serbian cuisine is characterized by highly diverse, solid and spicy food, which can be roughly described as a mixture of Greek, Bulgarian, Turkish and Hungarian cuisine. The use of meat, dough, vegetables and dairy products is predominant in it.

Food preparation is a special part of the Serbian tradition and culture. In Serbian villages the kitchen was called “kuća” (house), while the center part of it was the hearth, which presented an important, cult place, next to which everyday-life took place and where the whole family gathered.

Serbian specialties you have to taste are: burek, gibanica, grilled meat, roast, Karađorđeva steak, cabbage rolls, goulash, đuveč (a type of a stew), moussaka, mućkalica (a mixture of different types of meat and vegetables in a form of a stew), čvarci (similar to pork rinds), kajmak (milk cream), pršuta (dry-cured ham, similar to Prosciutto), and sour milk.

Drinking coffee is a centuries-old tradition in Serbia, so you mustn’t miss home-made coffee accompanied by baklava, vanilice or Turkish delight, while the kind hosts will first offer you slatko and water in their homes.

A plum, considered a national fruit in Serbia, out of which a well-known rakia – Slivovitz is brewed, has, in a way, become one of the symbols of Serbia. You mustn’t leave Serbia without having at least one glass of it.

For many of the Serbian national cuisine specialties there isn’t a right word in the foreign language dictionaries, nor is there a taste they can be compared to. Therefore it is best that you come and taste them yourself. But, before that, you can find stories about Serbian dishes you want to taste on this page, as well as, the recipes for them, because, who knows, you might wish to prepare them yourselves somewhere, miles away from Serbia!

09 Jun 2020

Entry into the Republic of Serbia and temporary stay

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Conditions for invitation to the Republic of Serbia and visa

You can look up at the general conditions for entering foreigners in the Republic of Serbia by following this link. Entry into the Republic of Serbia is possible on the basis of a visa, for countries whose citizens need a visa to enter the Republic of Serbia, but also without a visa, for the countries whose citizens have been granted “free” entry into the Republic of Serbia. Before you apply for the realization of student mobility in the Republic of Serbia, please check whether you need a visa to enter and stay in the Republic of Serbia and what are the conditions for obtaining it. Details of the visa policy of the Republic of Serbia and the conditions for obtaining a visa are determined by the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Serbia. Follow this link to check if you need a visa for traveling to the Republic of Serbia.

Overview of the general conditions for obtaining a visa for the Republic of Serbia can be found by following this link. For further information on visas, please contact the Embassy or Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in your country. Contact information about embassies or other diplomatic missions of the Republic of Serbia worldwide can be found on this link. If you are a citizen of a member state of the European Union, for a short stay in the Republic of Serbia (a stay of less than 90 days for any period of 180 days counting from the date of your first entry into the Republic of Serbia) you will not need a visa or residence permit. Although citizens of a state that is a member of the European Union only need a personal ID card to enter the Republic of Serbia, we recommend that in addition you also have and use a passport. If you are a citizen of the state for which visa is required to enter the Republic of Serbia, then you must apply for a visa in the country where you reside. If you are accepted for a student mobility program, you need to immediately start the procedure for obtaining a visa, because this process may take more than a month. VISER will send you a letter of invitation in order to obtain a visa.

Passport

Before starting the mobility program, please make sure you have a valid passport. Your passport should have a validity period covering the entire planned mobility period, as well as at least six months after the expiration of the mobility period, or after the planned return from the Republic of Serbia.

Registration of Residence Address

As a foreign citizen, upon arrival in Belgrade, you are obliged to make an application to register the address where you will reside during your stay in the Republic of Serbia. A foreign citizen or persons providing accommodation services for a fee (hostel, landlord), is obliged to make a registration in the Republic of Serbia within 24 hours from the moment of entering the Republic of Serbia where the foreign citizen will reside in the Republic of Serbia. VISER will help you to apply for a stay. The registration of a foreigner’s residence is submitted in the police station on whose territory the address of the facility where the foreign citizen is located or in the regional police administration, an organizational unit that performs activities related to the movement and stay of foreigners. Please note that as a foreign citizen, you should immediately notify the competent police authority about any change related to your residence. You will need a passport or other identification document to apply for residence.

Authorization for temporary residence

For a stay in the Republic of Serbia that lasts less than 90 days in any period of 180 days, counting from the date of your first entry into the Republic of Serbia, you will not need a temporary residence permit. However, if you are planning to stay in the Republic of Serbia for more than 90 days, as a foreign citizen, you are obliged to obtain a temporary residence permit. Temporary residence of a foreign citizen in the Republic of Serbia may be granted on several grounds, including the learning of the Serbian language, studying, participating in international student exchange programs or students, or specialized specialization, training and practice. As a foreign citizen applying for a temporary stay in the Republic of Serbia based on studies, you will need the following documents:

  1. Valid passport;
  2. Proof of means to support yourself during a planned stay in the Republic of Serbia;
  3. Registered address in the Republic of Serbia;
  4. Proof of medical insurance valid during your stay;
  5. Proof of paid administrative fee;
  6. Two photographs (35x45mm, in color, enface);
  7. Filled-in forms (two copies).

In addition to the above mentioned documents, depending on the basis on which you request the authorization of a temporary stay (learning the Serbian language, studying, participating in international student/s exchange or professional specialization, training and practice), you will need some additional documentation (confirmation that you are participating in student exchange). VISER will help you to provide this confirmation. The request for granting temporary residence is submitted to the police directorate, the Foreigners’ Administration located in Savska Street No. 35. For the first application for temporary residence, the request is processed for about 4 weeks, while the extension of the same period is significantly shorter. After the foreign citizen submits a request with proper supporting documentation, an interview with the police inspector will be scheduled. Based on his studies, a foreign citizen is granted a temporary stay for a maximum of one year or a shorter period if the study program for a foreigner is short-term. After the expiration of the temporary stay, the stay can be extended for another year. Please note that the extension of the temporary stay may be refused if it is established that the foreign citizen does not continuously achieve satisfactory progress in his/her studies. Finally, a foreign citizen is obliged to use the temporary stay for the purpose stated in the request itself, so that the temporary stay will be terminated if it is established that a foreign citizen resides in the Republic of Serbia contrary to the purpose for which the temporary stay was authorized. More information on authorization for temporary residence in the Republic of Serbia can be found on this link.

If you are looking to move to Serbia, whether as a company or an individual, look no further than Relocation.rs. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you make a smooth transition to living and working in Serbia.