Serbia has become in recent years one of the main financial centers in the Balkans thanks to its business-friendly environment, extraordinary position in Europe and a flexible and vanguardist legal framework.

Financial institutions and major brokerage players have been attracted to this Balkan country. For any Global Trading, Forex or investment portfolio, putting their money in Serbia can be an extraordinary decision.

In a nutshell, some of the benefits of creating a JSC or an EMI in Serbia are:

- Serbia has a vanguardist and competitive banking system which brings specialized services to clients at a fraction it would cost in other European banks.

- Running a business in Serbia is easy and inexpensive if you compare it to the rest of Europe.

- Serbia is on the crossroads of Eurasia, meaning a direct access to global markets.

- Registering a JSC and obtaining a financial license in Serbia is a fast and simple process.

- Cooperation with partners and clients from jurisdictions that are problematic to onboard with Western institutions. Another is the absence of CRS as well as other advantages of Serbia as a jurisdiction.

For a more detailed description of business conditions and lifestyle in Serbia, you can check the About section of our Country Page. In this section we will tell you why obtaining a Financial License in Serbia must be the next extraordinary decision in your career.

Setting up a Brokerage Company in Serbia

A brokerage company in Serbia can be a great financial decision thanks to its vanguardist legal framework and unique position. Registering a JSC (Brokerage Company) in Serbia will take up the following requirements:

- Serbian law stipulates that shareholders have to register a Memorandum of Association without a public offer. The memorandum should contain: Predominant business activity of the company (will be 6612 brokerage operations with securities and stock exchange goods), the minimum share capital of an investment firm (EUR 200,000 equivalents in dinar) , Corporate bodies (Shareholders, Directors and Chief Officers), etc

- According to Serbian Laws, the Director must be employed full time and the company must have at least two persons employed full time.

Then the JSC must adopt the article of association of the brokerage company. This will regulate management and other crucial matters to the company.

After that, the JSC has to apply for a license to perform its registered activity and to hold its clients' monetary assets and financial tools. The JSC has to submit an application to the government authority for the activity.

Then the government office must bring a response within 30 days from the date of application. The whole process for setting up a business of this type may take from 3 to 4 months with our partners. They will help you with every step of the process, preparing all the required documentation and providing world-class advice so you don’t have any problem.

The Serbian Payment an E-money Institutions

Payment institutions are some of the hottest products right now in Serbia for the reasons we have told you above: nearness to Europe and Russia, competitive operation costs, etc.

First of all, we will tell you the difference between payment and e-money institutions. The main difference is that e-money institutions can issue electronic money, such as a money balance recorded electronically

on a stored-value card (prepaid card) or an account (e-wallet). For having an idea on what e-money is, think of an Amazon gift card. Electronic Money Institution (EMI) can offer all the services a licensed Payment Institution can offer.

Regarding EMIs, it's important to say that Serbia follows European standards since they are candidates to join the European Union in the near future. Any company operating in this sector must be properly registered as a company under Serbian laws. Most non-residents use DOO companies, similar to limited liability companies (LLC).

For creating an EMI, then you must provide all relevant information about the E-money business, such as business plan, payment services and security measures aimed to safeguard the data of your clients. The minimum capital is 350 EUR. These are the following requirements:

- Hire at least two directors and provide evidence to the National Bank of Serbia about their background (education, work experience, etc)

- Open a “physical office” in Serbian territory.

- Prove that the applicant has enough capital to recover damages that can be inflicted on their clients.

- Issue identifying documents, such as passport, etc.

- Provide the business model.

Obtaining a PI or an EMI license can take from 3 to 6 months after the company registration date. 

Our partners offer a complete package that includes:

- Company Formation in Serbia

- A first year company registered address

- A set of corporate documents

- Assistance and due diligence file for Directors and shareholders

- Application submission to the National Bank of Serbia and assistance until finished

- Support in English, Russian, Spanish and Turkish 24 hours a day seven days a week.

- License application and follow up.

- Bookkeeping and Accounting

Contact us for more information

What can we do for you?

Mundo is a specialized portal where experts from all around the world share insights and analysis about Family Offices, Trusts, Foundations and other financial instruments to safeguard wealth and achieve freedom.

Serbia is on the lips of investors from Russia to the Middle East and China. Its strategic position, business-friendly climate and extraordinary relationships both with Europe and Asia makes it the perfect jurisdiction to establish a major brokerage company or an E-money institution.

Our partners in Serbia are a long-standing financial firm with years of experience on the local market. They can help you to achieve the following:

- Set up a company

- Open a bank account

- Get residency in record time through Serbian residency by investment programs.

- Applying for citizenship.

- Apply for a financial license 

- Establish your own E-money institution

Our partners can help you through the whole process of investing in Serbia, providing top quality advice in every step of the application. 

Get your financial license in Serbia with Mundo. Contact us now!