Someone who cannot come to Serbia can authorise another person to represent them in buying or selling property, in probate proceedings, in court or before administrative authorities. For the power of attorney to be usable in Serbia, its content, the certification of the signature and the translation all matter.
When a special power of attorney is needed
A general power of attorney covers only ordinary business. Selling or buying real estate requires a special authorisation, and a settlement or waiving a right without compensation requires an authorisation for each individual case. The power of attorney should contain the details of the principal and the representative, an exact description of the property or matter and all the powers granted, for example to sign the contract, receive or pay money and file applications with the cadastre.
Form of the power of attorney
A power of attorney must have the form required for the transaction for which it is given. When the contract is concluded as a notarially certified deed or a notarial record, as with real estate transactions, it is enough for the principal's signature on the power of attorney to be certified. For a divorce lawsuit, the power of attorney must be certified, issued only for that dispute and must state the type of claim and its grounds.
How a power of attorney is certified abroad
- At a Serbian embassy or consulate. The signature is certified on a power of attorney drawn up in Serbian, also for foreigners with a foreign passport. Certification is done in person, and no apostille or translation is then needed.
- By a foreign notary or other competent authority. An apostille is added to the certification if the country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and for other countries legalisation is required. Serbia has legal assistance treaties with some countries under which neither legalisation nor an apostille is needed. One such treaty is the 1962 treaty with the USSR, which applies in relations with Russia: a document issued or certified by a competent authority in Russia, with signature and seal, is used in Serbia without legalisation. Some authorities may still ask for an apostille, so before sending the power of attorney it is wise to check what the notary or cadastre receiving it requires. If in doubt, the apostille is obtained in Russia.
- Translation. A power of attorney in a foreign language is translated by a certified court interpreter in Serbia.
Probate proceedings from abroad
An heir living abroad can make the declaration of inheritance at a Serbian embassy or consulate, or certify there a power of attorney authorising another person. An inheritance can also be renounced by a written statement with a certified signature.
Revoking a power of attorney
The principal can limit or revoke a power of attorney at any time, by a statement in any form. A revocation has no effect against a third party who did not know and did not have to know of it, so it is useful to notify the representative and the persons they were to deal with in writing.
Common questions
Note: This text is general information and is not legal advice for a specific case. It reflects the regulations at the time of the page's last update (October 2026). Assessing a particular situation requires reviewing the documents and circumstances of the case.
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