Serbia Has Imposed A Tacit Ban On Granting Citizenship To Natives Of Russia And Belarus?
- 22.05.2025, 17:31
The issuance of passports has been effectively suspended.
More than 20 Russian natives have been rendered stateless because they gave up their Russian passports for Serbian ones, but were unable to obtain them because of restrictions on issuing passports to former Russians.
This was reported to The Moscow Times by a consultant familiar with the situation, as well as by one of the stateless people.
It is not easy for ordinary Russians to obtain a Serbian passport. After three years of living in Serbia with a residence permit, the right to permanent residence is granted with the possibility of applying for a passport. One can become a passport holder only after renouncing other citizenship.
But, according to the source, after renouncing Russian citizenship, former Russians did not receive Serbian passports and are now stateless - stateless persons.
According to the interlocutor, the reason for this situation may be an unspoken ban of Serbian authorities on granting citizenship to natives of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Officially, such a ban has not been introduced, but in practice the issuance of passports to citizens of these countries has actually been suspended, the consultant said. The victims have already asked local authorities for explanations, but, as the source notes, they have not received a substantive answer and their legal status is still uncertain.
Serbia is also facing pressure not only from Russia, but also from the European Union. In 2022, the government planned to launch a "golden passport" program that provided for simplified citizenship for foreigners, including Russians working in the country. The minimum period of residence was to be reduced to one year. However, as The Financial Times wrote, the European Commission warned Belgrade of a possible suspension of the visa-free regime between Serbia and the EU, and granting citizenship to investors would be a threat to the internal security of the European Union.
While the Serbian authorities continue to grant passports "in the interest of the republic" - under an exceptional procedure that does not require renunciation of previous citizenship.
From the beginning of 2022 to April 2025, as reported by Important Stories, 204 Russians - members of the elite, businessmen and even defense workers - have received Serbian passports granting visa-free access to EU countries.