Forming a DOO company and registering as a sole trader in Serbia

Updated 17.09.2026 · 2 min read

Starting a business means more than obtaining an entry in APR. Before applying, decide how you will receive payments, pay taxes, employ staff and use the money. Registration then becomes part of a practical launch plan.

1. First choose a form suited to your actual transactions
2. What information to prepare
3. Time and cost: separate the stages
4. What to do after registration

For independent work, consider preduzetnik, a sole trader; for several owners, allocation of ownership interests and a separate company, consider a DOO. The choice depends on the activity, contracts, turnover and liability. Lump-sum taxation applies to eligible sole traders, not to a DOO.

We will compare initial and recurring costs, check activity requirements and explain what changes as the business grows. If residence is also an objective, we will add the residence application as a separate stage.

• The sole trader’s passport, or documents for the founders and future director.
• The name, exact address, principal activity and contact email.
• For a DOO: the owners, ownership interests, capital and management arrangements.
• A description of future clients, payment countries and expected transactions.
• A power of attorney and foreign company documents if a representative or legal entity is involved.

A DOO is registered electronically. Formation documents, translations and authorisations must be in a form suitable for submission. The minimum registered capital of an ordinary DOO is RSD 100 unless special rules require more; this is the company’s capital, not a government fee.

APR states five working days for a decision on an application. If the authority needs to obtain official information, the start of that period is determined separately. Preparing a power of attorney, translations, corrections and bank checks are not included.

According to APR’s published fees, the official registration fee is RSD 2,500 for a sole trader and RSD 8,000 for a company. RICS services for a basic registration task start at EUR 200. An address, banking, translations, notarial acts and accounting are priced according to your scope of work.

1. Check the registration details received and the tax identification number.
2. Prepare a bank application file and apply for a business account.
3. Set up accounting, electronic access and a payment calendar.
4. For a DOO, check beneficial ownership information obligations; for employees, arrange employment registration.
5. If necessary, move on to the owner’s and family’s immigration procedure.

We will link these actions into a clear timetable so that, after APR’s decision, you know the next step and its cost.

Starting with the cheapest registration is unhelpful if you later discover that the chosen form does not suit your contracts or payments. We check the operating model first, then prepare the documents.

We will review your starting information, identify the sequence of actions and prepare a cost estimate. You will receive the scope of services, indicative timescales and a clear next step.

Information checked on 17 September 2026. Before applying, confirm the current fees and requirements for your category.

• Welcome to Serbia: choosing a business form
• APR: company registration
• APR: sole trader registration
• APR: fees for sole traders
• APR: fees for companies
• APR: general company registration rules
• Welcome to Serbia: corporate bank account