Status issues and civil registry | Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Republic of India

REGISTRATION OF A CHILD’S BIRTH

To register a child born outside Serbia in the birth registry and citizenship records of the Republic of Serbia (based on the last residence of the parents in Serbia), the following must be submitted:

Completed application (MS Word or PDF format) for registration in the birth registry, signed by both parents. If the application is not submitted in person, both signatures must be notarized.
Completed application (MS Word or PDF format) for registration of the child in the citizenship records of the Republic of Serbia. If not submitted in person, the signature must be notarized.
Original local birth certificate, apostilled and translated into Serbian in Cyrillic script. The translation may be done at the Embassy for an additional fee.
Photocopies of valid biometric passports of both parents (if one parent is a foreign national, include a copy of the foreign passport).
If parents do not have valid biometric Serbian passports, submit citizenship certificates for both parents.
Marriage certificate of the parents.
If the marriage is not registered in Serbia, you must submit an application for marriage registration.
If the child was born out of wedlock, a statement of paternity recognition is required.
If the child is over 14 years of age, their written consent is required (MS Word or PDF format), with the signature notarized unless signed at the Embassy.
Consular fee of 4 EUR, payable in cash.

Note:

Any birth certificate in a foreign language must be translated into Serbian (Cyrillic script). If submitted without translation, the Embassy charges 51 EUR per document for translation and certification.
Under the new Law on Administrative Procedure, one parent may sign a statement authorizing the competent authority in Serbia to obtain required documents officially (MS Word or PDF format).
If this statement is provided, you do not need to submit the marriage certificate or Serbian citizenship certificates of the parents.
Original documents are sent to the competent registry office in Serbia and are not returned.

PATERNITY RECOGNITION

If the child was born out of wedlock and the father is known and wishes to recognize paternity, he may do so at the Embassy, provided he is a citizen of Serbia (MS Word or PDF format).
Both parents must be present, and the child as well if they are over 14 years old.

If the parents cannot come to the Embassy, their signatures must be notarized.
A foreign national father must make the paternity declaration before the authorities of his own country.
After the declaration is made, the child’s birth can be registered.

MARRIAGE REGISTRATION

To register a marriage concluded abroad in the marriage registry in Serbia (based on the last residence in Serbia), submit the following:

Completed application (MS Word or PDF format) for marriage registration, signed by both spouses. If not submitted in person, the signatures must be notarized.
Statement on surname after marriage, signed by both spouses (MS Word or PDF format). Notarization required if not signed at the Embassy.
Original foreign marriage certificate, apostilled, and translated into Serbian (Cyrillic script).
Photocopies of valid biometric Serbian passports or ID cards of both spouses. If one spouse is a foreign national, provide a copy of their foreign passport or other ID.
Consular fee of 4 EUR, payable in cash.

Note:

If this is not the first marriage, a Serbian birth certificate with a note on divorce is required.
This is not necessary if a statement is provided authorizing authorities in Serbia to obtain the data officially (MS Word or PDF format).
If a document is submitted without translation into Serbian (Cyrillic), the Embassy will charge 51 EUR for translation and certification.
Original documents are forwarded to the registry office in Serbia and are not returned.

RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN COURT DIVORCE DECISIONS

If a divorce occurred abroad, a procedure for recognition of the foreign court ruling must be initiated before a municipal court in Serbia (based on the last residence in Serbia).
The divorce judgment must be apostilled and translated into Serbian by a certified court interpreter in Serbia.

Once the Serbian court recognizes the divorce, the decision must be forwarded to the competent registry office for it to be officially recorded.

DEATH REGISTRATION

To report a death that occurred abroad for registration in the death registry in Serbia (based on the last residence), submit the following to the Embassy:

Completed application (MS Word or PDF format) for death registration. If not submitted in person, the signature must be notarized.
Original foreign death certificate, apostilled, and translated into Serbian in Cyrillic script.
Valid Serbian passport or ID of the deceased.
If unavailable, submit another old document proving the person’s last residence in Serbia.
Consular fee of 4 EUR, payable in cash.

Note:

Death certificates in foreign languages must be translated into Serbian (Cyrillic). If not, the Embassy will charge 51 EUR per document for translation and certification.
Original documents are forwarded to the Serbian registry and will not be returned.

REGISTRATION IN THE CITIZENSHIP RECORDS

A person over 18, born abroad, whose one parent was a Serbian citizen at the time of birth, can acquire citizenship by descent if they apply before turning 23.

Required documents:

Completed application (MS Word or PDF format), notarized if not submitted in person.
Completed authorization statement for official data retrieval (MS Word or PDF).
If submitted, documents listed in items 3, 5, and 6 below are not required.
Proof the applicant is not already registered in the citizenship records, based on parents’ place of residence/birth in Serbia. Not required if an authorization statement is provided.
Original foreign birth certificate, apostilled and translated into Serbian (Cyrillic). Translation can be done at the Embassy for a fee.
Original citizenship certificates for the parents, not older than one year. Not required if the authorization statement is submitted.
Marriage certificate of the parents. Not required if the authorization statement is submitted.
Proof of residence abroad.
Photocopy of parents’ passports, notarized if the application is not submitted in person.

Note:

Every document in a foreign language must have a certified Serbian translation. If not submitted, the Embassy charges 51 EUR per document for translation and certification.

CHANGE OF PERSONAL NAME

Name changes usually occur upon marriage or when aligning names with foreign citizenship documents.
For example, someone named Jovan Petrović might become John Petrovich abroad.
The Embassy advises that names in Serbian documents be aligned with foreign ones, ensuring consistency in legal and travel documentation.

According to Serbian Family Law, a full legal name includes only first name and surname—no middle names.
If a person has a middle name abroad, it is usually added to the first name during registration in Serbia.

If a full name has more than three words, the person must submit a statement selecting a shortened version for official use.

Requests for name changes must be submitted to the municipality in Serbia where the person has residence.
The municipal authority will then inform the registry office and the residency records department to update all records.