Retiring in Serbia: Residence, Healthcare, Taxation and Daily Life

The Serbian Ministry of the Interior does not describe a “retiree visa”: its table of grounds for temporary residence cites employment, studies, family reunification, property ownership, independent stay, medical treatment and special categories. A retiree who settles generally bases their application on independent stay or property ownership, after confirming the ground chosen with the Serbian embassy in Paris or the foreigners’ department. The application is filed electronically on the portal welcometoserbia.gov.rs, or in person at the competent police directorate, and is extended at least three months before the permit expires.

The common documents are a passport valid for at least three months beyond the period applied for, two 35 x 45 mm photos and proof of housing (lease or statement from the landlord). Means of subsistence are shown by a salary certificate, proof of pension contributions, bank funds at least equal to the Serbian minimum wage for the year, or a guarantee from a Serbian entity or person accompanied by proof of funds. Health cover is shown by one of the means listed: European card or proof of cover in the country of origin, insurance policy, proof of funds for urgent or chronic care, guarantee or Serbian health insurance card. Foreign documents are translated by a sworn court translator and statements are certified by a notary. The exact amount of resources required for a given ground should be confirmed with the Ministry. The settling-in formalities are in the guide living in Serbia.

Form S1, valid in the European Union and the European Economic Area, cannot be used in Serbia. It is the France-Serbia agreement that organises cover. CLEISS distinguishes three situations.

• French pension only: the retiree with no rights in the Serbian scheme requests from the fund that pays their basic pension form SE 21-08/SRB-FR 121, thereby certifying their entitlement to benefits in kind, and that of their resident family, and registers with the local Serbian fund. Retirees of the general scheme use the “health care rights abroad” questionnaire of Assurance retraite (the French pension fund).
• French and Serbian pensions: the retiree lives in the State that pays them a pension, Serbia. They come exclusively under the health insurance scheme of their State of residence (article 16 § 3 of the agreement) and register as a resident pensioner with the Serbian fund.
• French pension and activity in Serbia: active status takes precedence over retiree status, and the Serbian scheme becomes competent.

In all three cases, the retiree reports their departure to their French funds and returns their Carte Vitale to their CPAM (local health insurance office), if they were insured in France. During a temporary stay in France, they request form SRB-FR 111/SE 21-05 from the Serbian fund for urgent care; in the case of a French pension only, form SE 21-08 plays this role, and only the pensioner and their minor children are covered, a spouse living abroad not being covered. Local cover can be supplemented by the CFE (Caisse des Français de l’étranger, the French social security fund for expatriates; its retirees’ offer, with a contribution that depends on age and the plan chosen, cfe.fr) or by international insurance that opens direct access to private clinics and repatriation. See healthcare reimbursement in Serbia, retirees’ health insurance abroad and retirement insurance abroad.

The France-Yugoslavia treaty of 28 March 1974, signed in Paris and in force since 1 August 1975, continues to apply between France and the Republic of Serbia under the agreement of 26 March 2003 on succession to bilateral treaties (BOFiP, published on 12/09/2012). The list of treaties on impots.gouv.fr offers a consolidated version of this text, amended by the multilateral convention. It is this text that designates the State competent to tax pensions of French source; the BOFiP summary consulted does not reproduce these articles, and the retiree reads them or has an adviser read them before choosing their tax residence.

CLEISS specifies a direct consequence: for a retiree who is no longer insured in France, French pensions no longer bear CSG, CRDS or CASA; a health insurance contribution remains possible if they keep French rights, for example during stays in France, at indicative rates of 3.2% on the basic pension, 4.2% on the supplementary pension and 7.1% on pensions of the self-employed workers’ schemes. French tax residence is defined by the home, the main place of stay, professional activity and the centre of economic interests; leaving for Serbia does not automatically end it.

For a retiree who has also worked in Serbia, CLEISS recalls the rules of the local scheme: retirement age of 65 for men and, for women, an age rising by 2 months a year until 65 in 2032, a minimum contribution period of 15 years, retirement with no age condition with 45 years of contributions, early retirement from age 60 with 40 years of contributions and a reduction of 4.08% a year (0.34% a month) capped at 20.4%. These rules mainly concern mixed careers; the arrangements for coordinating insurance periods between the two countries should be confirmed with the pension fund and CLEISS.

The standard of living is measured using official statistics: the Serbian Statistical Office shows an average net salary of around 120,000 dinars and tracks consumer price inflation. A retiree who receives a pension in euros compares their housing, transport and supplementary health costs with these benchmarks; prices for rents and services vary widely between Belgrade and the other cities. Public transport in Belgrade is free according to France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry).

Belgrade offers the French embassy, the French School, an Institut français and two direct flights a day to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle in normal circumstances. Novi Sad and Niš, where the Institut français also has a branch, appeal for their calmer pace. France Diplomatie spells out the points of attention: winter pollution, seismic risk, spring floods, dangerous secondary roads and a public health service that is sometimes overloaded.

• Inform the pension fund, the CPAM and the supplementary funds of the change of residence.
• Request the appropriate form (SE 21-08/SRB-FR 121 or registration as a resident pensioner) before leaving France.
• Prepare the documents for the residence permit: passport, housing, income and health cover, with sworn translations.
• Arrange insurance covering hospitalisation and repatriation, as recommended by France Diplomatie.
• Register with Fil d’Ariane and on the register of French nationals living abroad with the embassy.
• Have the French driving licence exchanged within 6 months of arrival.

To compare contracts, see expat health insurance and Serbian healthcare system.