In the eyes of potential immigrants, not all European powers are equally attractive. First of all, people dream of getting permanent residence in highly developed, socially oriented countries. But sometimes you can come across a question, for example, how to obtain Serbian citizenship.
The republic, which was previously part of Yugoslavia, is now an independent state, moreover, it has the official status of a candidate for membership in the European Union. The latter moment had a significant impact on the increase in interest in Serbia on the part of immigrants wishing to acquire a passport of an EU citizen. Let's see what mechanisms for admission to citizenship are in place in this country today, what conditions the legislation in this area imposes on potential applicants.
How can you legally obtain Serbian citizenship?
In this European republic, there is a law on citizenship, which prescribes the methods and conditions for obtaining, losing and returning in case of loss of Serbian citizenship. The list of the main ways to obtain civil rights include the following: by origin; by birth; by naturalization; through international treaties concluded by the government of Serbia with other states.
The very first method, "by birth", is used if at least one of the parents has the rights of a Serbian citizen. There are other ways of obtaining Serbian citizenship, for example, for special merits, and in this regard Serbia is not alone, the same mechanism exists in many other countries of the world.
Citizenship by naturalization
For most immigrants, naturalization becomes the most acceptable option for acquiring citizenship of the Republic of Serbia. True, it is first necessary to obtain a permanent residence permit in the country. After that, you can submit an application for citizenship to the appropriate structures, subject to all the conditions set forth by Serbian legislation, you can expect a positive response. The Citizenship Law sets forth the following requirements for immigrants, potential applicants:
- reaching the age of majority, in Serbia - comes from the age of 18;
- able-bodied condition;
- renunciation of the citizenship of the previous country of residence or proof of the loss of the previous citizenship when acquiring the rights of a citizen of the Republika Srpska;
- three years of permanent residence in the territory of this country or neighboring Montenegro;
- adoption of the Constitution of the Serbian state, its laws.
In the case of applying for citizenship on the basis of special merit, the person must provide documents that serve as evidence of this. In this capacity, diplomas, certificates, awards, patents, reviews, reviews, recommendations and other documents and evidence can be used.
Other ways to obtain Serbian citizenship
It is clear that the normative legal acts of the Republic of Serbia recorded the moments of acquisition of citizenship by spouses of citizens of the country, as well as by incapacitated members. For example, a spouse can obtain citizenship using a simplified procedure, that is, the terms of residence in this case are reduced. For incapacitated members, applications are submitted by parents, guardians, while all documents necessary to confirm incapacity are provided without fail.
In addition to these methods of acquiring the rights of a Serbian citizen, which take place in the practice of other states of the planet, there is another rule in this republic. Article 19 of the Law on Citizenship states that it can be granted to a person, a citizen of any state on the planet, if it is in the interests of Serbia.
Benefits of Serbian Citizenship
Experts note that Serbia has good prospects for significantly increasing the number of able-bodied population at the expense of immigrants and new citizens. This is facilitated by fairly loyal legislation that sets forth easily achievable conditions.
For their part, many potential citizenship seekers see the many benefits of obtaining a Serbian passport. The main thing is the opportunity to live up to 90 days a year without issuing visa documents on the territory of the countries included in the Schengen agreement. In the future, after Serbia's accession to the European Union, its residents receive the right to live and work in any state of this political, economic and cultural alliance.
Another important point is the existence of the institution of dual citizenship, which allows many immigrants to retain the citizenship of their previous place of residence, but only if the legislation in their former homeland allows it.
