Status issues and civil registry

REGISTRATION OF CHILD’S BIRTH

A child born abroad, if one of the parents was a citizen of the Republic of Serbia at the time of the child’s birth, acquires Serbian citizenship by origin. The application for the registration of birth is submitted through the diplomatic-consular mission in the area where the birth took place.

At the same time as the application for birth registration, a request for entry into the Register of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia must also be submitted (Articles 9 and 10 of the Citizenship Law).

For the registration of a child born abroad in the Birth Register and the Citizens Register of the Republic of Serbia, the following documents are required:

  1. Birth certificate for the child, issued by the competent Finnish authorities, certified with an Apostille stamp and translated into Serbian by a sworn translator. The translation must be done in Cyrillic script and transcribed into the Serbian language. In the Republic of Serbia, a person may have no more than three elements in their personal name; therefore, if the child or person has more than three, the parents must decide which names will be used in legal transactions in the Republic of Serbia
  2. Photocopies of Serbian passports for both parents (if one parent is a foreign national, submit a copy of the foreign passport)
  3. Application for registration in the Birth Register of the Republic of Serbia (completed at the Embassy)
  4. Application for entry of the child into the Citizens Register of the Republic of Serbia (completed at the Embassy)
  5. If the child is older than 14 years, their consent on the prescribed form is required
  6. Consular fee in the amount of 9 euros

Note:

Original documents are forwarded to the competent civil registry office in the Republic of Serbia and are not returned to the applicant.

 

REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGE

A marriage concluded abroad becomes recognized and legally valid once it is entered into the Marriage Register in the Republic of Serbia. The application for registration of marriage is submitted through the diplomatic-consular mission in the area where the marriage took place. The marriage is entered into the Marriage Register at the place of residence of the spouses, or, if they do not share a residence, at the place of residence of one of the spouses.

For the registration of a marriage concluded abroad in the Marriage Register of the Republic of Serbia, the following documents are required:

  1. Marriage certificate issued by the competent Finnish authorities, certified with an Apostille stamp and translated into Serbian by a sworn translator. The translation must be done in Cyrillic script and transcribed into the Serbian language
  2. Photocopies of passports of both spouses (if one spouse is a foreign national, submit a copy of the foreign passport or another foreign identification document)
  3. Application for entry into the Marriage Register of the Republic of Serbia (completed at the Embassy)
  4. Consular fee in the amount of 14 euros

Note:

Original documents are forwarded to the competent civil registry office in the Republic of Serbia and are not returned to the applicant.

 

RECOGNITION OF A FOREIGN COURT JUDGMENT ON DIVORCE

If a marriage has been dissolved in the Republic of Finland, it is necessary to initiate proceedings for the recognition of the foreign court judgment on divorce before the Higher Court in the Republic of Serbia (jurisdiction is determined by the place of residence).

The divorce judgment, as well as the certificate of its finality, must be translated into Serbian by a sworn translator.

Once the decision recognizing the foreign court judgment on divorce has been issued, it must be submitted to the competent civil registry office in the Republic of Serbia so that the divorce may be recorded in the civil registers.

 

REGISTRATION OF DEATH

An application for the registration of the death of a citizen of the Republic of Serbia that occurred in the Republic of Finland must be submitted in person at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Helsinki (or to the competent registrar in the Republic of Serbia). The application is submitted by a relative of the deceased or by a person authorized by them.

In accordance with the provisions of the Law, the fact of death is entered into the Death Register at the place of the deceased’s last residence, or, if the last residence is unknown, at the place of birth.

For the registration of death in the Death Register of the Republic of Serbia, the following documents are required:

  1. Original death certificate issued by the Republic of Finland, translated and certified by a sworn translator
  2. Proof of kinship between the applicant and the deceased (if the application is submitted by a relative)
  3. Power of attorney (if the application is submitted by an authorized person)
  4. Application for registration of death abroad (completed at the Embassy)
  5. Photocopy of the deceased person’s passport
  6. Photocopy of the applicant’s passport
  7. Consular fee in the amount of 9 euros

Note:

Original documents are forwarded to the competent civil registry office in the Republic of Serbia and are not returned to the applicant.