Purchase of real estate in Serbia

Justification of the choice of purchasing real estate in Serbia by Russian citizens, with detailed consideration of the pros, cons, characteristics, and subtleties of the registration.

Advantages of the geographic position of Serbia

I will express my purely subjective opinion, substantiating the facts. Let's start with the geographical position of Serbia. A few hours drive by car to the north, and you are already in Hungary or Italy. A few hours to the east, southeast, west, or southwest, and you are on the sea according to your preferences: Black (Bulgaria), Aegean (Greece), Adriatic (Italy, Montenegro), or Ionian (Albania, Greece). Good, high-speed routes will allow you to quickly move both in your own car and on international buses.

Whether you buy real estate in Serbia for permanent or temporary residence, I recommend considering the issue discussed above.

Climate and sights of Serbia

From early March to mid-October, sunny weather prevails with quite comfortable temperatures. In summer, in July, it can be a little bit hot, but at that time, local people, as a rule, go to the sea, country cottages, or local mountain resorts, where the temperature is more comfortable. As for the resorts, I didn’t make a misprint, there are a lot of them, and it’s worth visiting them at least for the sake of the beauty of the places (see photos).

If you buy an apartment or a country house in Serbia, most of the year you can count on a comfortable climate with the possibility of local travel or a quick trip to the sea.

People and mentality of Serbs

It is important to add to the foregoing an argument that has a special meaning for me: people and mentality. In Serbia, there is a reserved, sincere disposition towards the Russians, which is very important in everyday life. It's nice when you are surrounded by people who are mentally close, sympathetic, and, most importantly, positive in the Balkan way. Loud feasts with chants and dances, people with an Orthodox worldview that has not been lost (whoever was, knows)—this is the Serbia I know.

Characteristics of cities in Serbia

As for major cities, Belgrade (the capital), Novi Sad, and Nis each have their own characteristics. Belgrade can be compared with Moscow: everyone is in a hurry somewhere, there are traffic jams, and there is a problem finding parking. Novi Sad is more like St. Petersburg: a lot of students, an abundance of bike paths, and a characteristic regularity of life. Nis is difficult to compare with something; it's a completely civilized town.

Until recently, many considered listed cities for real estate purchases, but you will have to take into account the overflow of those cities by vehicles, which makes the life of a car driver uncomfortable, and admit that the cost of a square meter has risen indecently. I would recommend the nearest suburbs with a developed infrastructure where you can move around without interference and leave the city freely.

What to buy in Serbia: an apartment or a country house?!

In Serbia, the history of Russia in the 1990s is exactly repeated. The population from the periphery, for lack of work, moves to the cities, which causes a rapid growth in the development of apartment buildings: human hives, with apartments of questionable quality in terms of layout, sound insulation, and an unjustified high price per square meter. In big cities, public transport is well developed, and for people who don't want to bother, buying an apartment is even a solution, but car drivers may be uncomfortable because there will be an eternal problem with finding parking. You can find quite interesting options, but I do not recommend taking anything recklessly.

Comfortable and habitable houses, even in a good location, are in demand in Serbia, and the price can be very significant. It means residential family houses, not country cottages, for which a non-Serbian citizen will not be issued a residence permit. A non-Serbian citizen cannot buy a land plot without a residential building either.

At the moment, the most promising thing is the purchase of houses in the suburbs with a normal land plot and sane neighbors. If the house is suitable for life (i.e., has permission for use as a residence), the buyer will have a place to live and relax, and automatically there will be a basis for obtaining a residence permit in Serbia (temporary residence permit) with subsequent receipt of a permanent residence permit.

For those who aren't looking for easy ways and are ready to expect a result in compliance with their desires, the option of buying an old object with a land plot for subsequent building of their own version is quite acceptable.

In that case, it is important to determine the requirements for the location and the land plot and, having received a document confirming the right of ownership, proceed to the development of an architectural project in accordance with the requirements.

When searching for a site, I recommend requesting options with an area of 17 acres, so that the side adjacent to the public road is at least 27 meters wide. In the event of an offer, it will be necessary to request the cadastral number of the site and an extract (a real estate folio in the land register) from any law firm in which all important information on the site and owners will be clearly displayed.

To be continued, but if you have any questions, please contact us by telegram.