Getting a Serbian bank card in 2026

A non-resident can open an account with a Serbian bank and get a card, and some banks verify identity by video call. Card types, documents, taxes and why banks refuse.

In detail

A Russian citizen can get a Serbian bank card even without a residence permit: under National Bank of Serbia rules a non-resident may open an account in dinars and in foreign currency, and the card is issued to the account. Some banks even verify identity by video call. Choosing a bank and support with opening an account are described on our personal account in Serbia page; here is the short answer.

Which card you can get in Serbia

A non-resident without income in Serbia usually does not get a credit card: the bank needs a credit history and proven local income.

How to get a Serbian bank card: step by step

1. Choose a bank. Requirements for non-residents and Russian citizens differ: some banks work with non-residents, others prefer clients with status in the country.
2. Collect documents: passport, residential address, a personal identification number or another number, and for a non-resident proof of residence over the last year.
3. Answer the bank's questions about the source of funds and purpose of the account: salary, work for foreign clients, rent, savings.
4. Verify identity at a branch or by video call if the bank allows it.
5. Receive the account and card. The plastic card is usually collected at a branch or posted to a Serbian address.

Those already living in Serbia will need a lease or a utility bill and the white card showing registration of their place of stay with the police.

What it costs and taxes

Banks charge a small fee for the account and card under their own tariffs. Deposits of individuals, residents and non-residents alike, are insured up to 50,000 euros per bank, about $57,000. Interest on dinar savings is not taxed, while the bank withholds 15% on interest from foreign currency deposits.

If the account is opened outside Russia, a Russian citizen who spent more than 183 days in Russia in a calendar year must notify the tax office of the account and file cash flow reports. Details in the article notification of a foreign bank account.

Why a bank may refuse

• The source of funds is not documented.
• The client or the money is linked to sanctions restrictions.
• The purpose of the account does not match the expected payments: for example, living expenses are declared but large transfers from companies arrive.
• There is no proof of place of residence over the last year.

The decision is always the bank's, and Serbian banks refuse without detailed explanations. So the bank and documents are best chosen before applying, not after a refusal.

A card in Serbia and a residence permit

A card does not give the right to live in Serbia, but with a residence permit opening an account is easier. When a foreigner obtains a residence permit and lives in Serbia for more than a year, the bank switches them to a resident account. How to get the status is covered in the article Serbian residence in 2026 and on the Serbian residence through business page.

How we help

The law does not forbid opening an account and getting a card on your own. But refusals cost more than bank fees: after one, the next bank looks at the client more closely. Murblz specialists assess the profile, choose a bank where the chances are higher, prepare source-of-funds documents and support the opening until the bank decides. Assistance with opening an account at a Serbian bank costs $6,500, and at banks with a more complex procedure $8,400.

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