Serbia dual citizenship: can you keep a Russian passport in 2026

9 min read · Published 6 October 2026

Serbia does not ban dual citizenship as such, but ordinary naturalisation requires release from your previous citizenship. Who is exempt, how not to end up without a passport and what Russia requires.

In short

With conditions: ordinary naturalisation in Serbia requires leaving Russian citizenship, while marriage to a Serbian citizen, Serbian descent and admission in the state interest let you keep both passports.

Previous passport on naturalisation	Renunciation on naturalisation
Country rule	Ordinary naturalisation requires release from your previous citizenship. Descendants of Serbs and spouses of Serbian citizens are exempt
Legal basis	Law on Citizenship of Serbia
What Russia requires	notify the Interior Ministry within 60 days
Checked	October 2026

Russia allows a second citizenship and does not end its own, so the answer depends on Serbian law and the route by which you obtain the passport.

What Serbia requires on naturalisation

Serbia's citizenship law applies in its 2018 wording: the liberal 2023 version was withdrawn. Ordinary naturalisation under Article 14 requires residence in Serbia and release from your previous citizenship, or proof that release will be granted after admission. A simple statement can replace release only if your country does not allow it or sets impossible conditions, and Russian law does have a release procedure.

Serbian citizenship without giving up a Russian passport is available to:

spouses of Serbian citizens under Article 17;
emigrants from Serbia and their descendants under Article 18;
members of the Serbian people under Article 23;
people admitted in the state interest under Article 19.

Even if all conditions are met, the Serbian interior ministry may refuse when the interests of the republic require it.

What Russia requires

Russia allows a second citizenship and does not end its own, but inside the country treats you only as a Russian citizen (Article 10 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ on Citizenship).

Within 60 days of receiving the second passport, file a notification with the Interior Ministry (MVD). If you are abroad at that moment, the period runs from the day you enter Russia.
Attach a copy of the foreign passport or another document proving the citizenship.

Failure to notify falls under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code: a fine of up to $2,400 or up to one year of income, or up to 400 hours of compulsory work.
Late or incomplete notification: a fine of $10-15 under Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences.
A residence permit abroad must be reported under the same rules (Article 11 of Law No. 138-FZ).

A Russian citizen with a second passport may not hold state or municipal office, serve in government bodies or stand for election. The duties of a Russian citizen, including military service, remain, and inside Russia the second passport is not taken into account.

How to keep both passports: step by step

Choose the route. Check whether marriage, Serbian descent or another route without renunciation applies to you: then you do not need to leave Russian citizenship.
On naturalisation, get a certificate from the Serbian interior ministry that you will be admitted after release from your previous citizenship.
Do not leave Russian citizenship too early. By December 2025 at least 32 citizens of Russia and Belarus had left their citizenship after preliminary approval and were left without a Serbian passport.
Apply for release through a Russian consulate only once the Serbian decision is reliable, and plan the timing: the procedure takes months.
Notify the Russian Interior Ministry within 60 days of receiving the passport, or within 60 days of entering Russia if you are abroad.

We structure this step so there is no gap between the two citizenships.

What happens to children

A child with one Serbian and one Russian parent usually gets both citizenships by birth if registered in both countries: in Serbia in the citizens' register, in Russia through a consulate. The child does not need to give up either. Serbia treats the child as Serbian and Russia as Russian, and it is easier to cross each border on that country's passport.

Taxes and military service

Taxes depend on tax residence, not the passport. A Serbian resident pays 10% on salary plus social contributions and 15% on dividends, and the double tax treaty between Russia and Serbia remains in force. If you live in Serbia more than 183 days a year and in Russia less, you will not be a Russian tax resident.

Compulsory military service in Serbia has been suspended since 2011, and the authorities are discussing bringing it back. A Russian citizen's military obligations remain with a second passport: Russia treats you only as its own citizen.

Common mistakes

Leaving Russian citizenship right after preliminary approval. The final Serbian decision may never come, leaving the person stateless for years.
Taking naturalisation when marriage or Serbian roots apply. These routes need no renunciation of a Russian passport and are shorter.
Missing the notification to the Russian Interior Ministry. The deadline is 60 days from receiving the Serbian passport or from entering Russia, and failing to notify is a criminal offence.
Breaking residence in Serbia. Long absences reset temporary and permanent residence, and the years have to be counted again.
Not registering a child in one of the countries. Without registration, the child's second citizenship has to be proved later with a larger set of documents.

How to get Serbian citizenship

The ordinary route is a residence permit, permanent residence after 3 years and a citizenship application 3 years later, so no earlier than after 6 years. The fee is about $250 for the whole family. Descendants of Serbs and spouses of Serbian citizens move faster and without giving up a Russian passport.

Requirements, timelines and costs are on the page Serbian citizenship.

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

The main risk is ending up between two citizenships

The law does not prevent naturalising in Serbia on your own. But mistakes cost more than fees: leaving Russian citizenship before Serbia's final decision, choosing naturalisation where a route without renunciation exists, and missing the deadline to notify the Russian Interior Ministry. Murblz support removes these risks: we check whether a route without renunciation fits you, prepare documents for the Serbian interior ministry and plan the release from Russian citizenship so there is no gap. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process.

The support fee depends on the route and family size; a manager will calculate it in the chat.

Talk to a manager now

This topic in other countries

Dual citizenship rules with Russia in other countries:

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

FAQ

Can you hold Serbian and Russian citizenship at the same time?

With conditions: ordinary naturalisation in Serbia requires leaving Russian citizenship, while marriage to a Serbian citizen, Serbian descent and admission in the state interest let you keep both passports.

Do I need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry about Serbian citizenship?

Yes. A Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days under Article 10 of Law No. 138-FZ; failing to notify carries criminal liability under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.

Do I have to give up Russian citizenship to become Serbian?

On ordinary naturalisation, yes, release from Russian citizenship is required. On marriage to a Serbian citizen or Serbian descent it is not.

When should I leave Russian citizenship when naturalising in Serbia?

Not before the Serbian decision is reliable: some people left their previous citizenship and were left without a Serbian passport.

How many years must you live in Serbia before citizenship?

On general grounds at least 6 years: 3 years of temporary and 3 years of permanent residence.

Will a child have Serbian and Russian dual citizenship?

Yes, if one parent is Serbian and the other Russian, the child is registered in both countries.

Does Serbia have compulsory military service?

It has been suspended since 2011, and the authorities are discussing bringing it back.

How much does Serbian citizenship cost?

The fee is about $250 for the whole family, plus translations, certificates and release from Russian citizenship if required.

Can you get Serbian citizenship through marriage without giving up Russian citizenship?

Yes, spouses of Serbian citizens obtain citizenship under Article 17 without leaving their previous citizenship.

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

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Serbia dual citizenship: can you keep a Russian passport in 2026

What Serbia requires on naturalisation

What Russia requires

How to keep both passports: step by step

What happens to children

Taxes and military service

Common mistakes

How to get Serbian citizenship

This topic in other countries

FAQ

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

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