Serbia is a country in the Southeast of Europe in the center of the Balkan Peninsula. It’s a landlocked country and it borders Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. The economy of Serbia is rapidly growing and new business companies are appearing.
Serbia is not a member of the European Union but it’s an official candidate for membership. This is probably the main reason why people from non-EU countries are moving to Serbia. Most immigrants settle down in Belgrade, the capital of the country and Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia. However, there are many more places that you could consider making your home if you decided to relocate to Serbia. Serbian children start learning foreign languages in primary school and many local people are fluent in English.
Why you should consider relocating to Serbia: pluses and minuses of the country
Serbia came into the center of immigrants’ attention only a short time ago. The country suffered the consequences of the Balkan wars; there were international tensions, and local conflicts before. Serbia started to turn into a stable democratic country not more than 2 decades ago. The goals of the present Government of Serbia are joining the EU, improving the living standards, and deepening cooperation with the neighboring countries. These are ambitious goals and achieving them requires diligent work. Serbia has both advantages and disadvantages and for this reason, there can be no definite answer to the question ‘Should you relocate to Serbia?’ Below we discuss both pluses and minuses that such a move would entail.
Pluses of Serbia
Serbia has been changing for the better very fast over recent years. No wonder why a growing number of people from other countries choose to relocate to Serbia: it is becoming more and more attractive. The same holds for foreign direct investments: they may be not very large but they have been steadily coming to Serbia. The infrastructure is also improving: slowly but surely. And of course we have to make a special note about the friendliness of the local population. Serbians welcome all foreigners no matter what their home countries are.
Additional advantages of living in Serbia:
- A very nice geographical location almost in the center of Europe. You can reach any European capital city within 1 or 2 hours from Serbia if you catch a plane. If you are traveling to one of Serbia’s neighboring countries, you can go by train or bus.
- A stable political situation though Serbia is trying to maneuver between the conflicting parties at the moment wishing to remain friends with both sides. Citizens of Serbia have visa-free access to the EU countries but we have to issue a warning at this point. If you come from a non-EU country and you obtain a legal residence permit in Serbia, you will not qualify for visa-free access to the EU. You will have to apply for a visa to the embassy of the country that you want to visit.
- Local people are extremely friendly to immigrants. The former do their best to help the latter adapt to a new lifestyle and a new environment.
- If you come from a cold country, you are going to appreciate the climate in Serbia. The temperature rarely goes below 0 degrees centigrade and the summertime is comfortable in the mountain areas. At the same time, summers can be extremely hot in Belgrade because there is no sea breeze there.
- The IT sector is especially well-developed in Serbia. All leading IT corporations have Serbian divisions now and there are multiple IT offices in Belgrade and Novi Sad. If you are related to software engineering in any way, finding a job in Serbia would not be a problem for you.
- Salaries in the IT industry start at about 1,000 per month. This may not sound very impressive but Serbia is an inexpensive country. Naturally, the prices have been growing because the number of immigrants has also been growing. Anyway, living in Serbia is much less expensive than living in Western Europe.
- There are multiple business opportunities in Serbia as the local Government does its best to stimulate private business. Please check out this website to learn about the advantages that Serbia offers to international entrepreneurs.
Even though there are many possibilities in Serbia and Belgrade is a vibrant European city, the pace of life is generally slow in the country. Nobody’s in a hurry. Local people simply enjoy life. They believe that if you pursue goals that are too ambitious, you may forget to live. Yes, this is what Serbians advise: Don’t forget to live!
Minuses of Serbia
There is no perfect country on the planet and Serbia certainly has some disadvantages too. Serbia has been an independent country for a comparatively short time and its national ideology has not been fully shaped thus far. Many Serbs living today suffered greatly when Yugoslavia disintegrated and a few wars broke out in the Balkans. They blame their neighbors for their sufferings. Radical attitudes become popular in Serbia from time to time.
Additional disadvantages of living in Serbia:
- Living in Serbia is inexpensive compared to Western Europe but salaries are also much lower in Serbia. We have noted above that salaries start at 1,000 euros per month in the IT sector but it’s a well-paying sector of the economy. Some Serbians working in other industries may find it hard to make ends meet. Serbia could hardly be referred to as a rich country.
- The quality of education services is lower in Serbia than it is in Western European countries. This concerns both secondary and higher education. Medical services are at a high level but a serious illness would make you pay a fortune to overcome it.
- Underdeveloped infrastructure in some cities. Many Serbian cities were bombed in comparatively recent times and not all of them have been fully rebuilt so far. You will see dilapidated houses and find bad roads if you travel outside Belgrade and Novi Sad. At the same time, trains run on schedule and getting to the capital city from the countryside is not a problem at all.
- The geopolitical situation in Serbia leaves much to be desired. The conflict with Kosovo has not been fully resolved. Tensions occur periodically and radical voices are loud in some regions of Serbia. Another Balkan war is not impossible even though the current administration is trying to solve the conflict in a diplomatic way.
True, Serbia isn’t perfect but the country has great prospects. Serbia seems to be moving in the right direction, it’s on the road to success. Compare life in Serbia 25 years ago and life in Serbia nowadays. You will see that the difference is astounding.