RECOGNITION OF PATERNITY MARRIAGE REGISTRATION RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN MARRIGE DISSOLUTION DEATH REGISTRATION ACQUISTITION OF CITIZENSHIP BY ORIGIN CHANGING PERSONAL NAME BIRTH REGISTRATION OF A CHILD In order for the birth of a child born in USA, to be entered in the Register of Births and the Register of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, it is necessary to provide this Consulate General with the following documents:
Completed request form ( MS Word or PDF format) for registry into the Register of Births of the Republic of Serbia signed by both parents. Signatures must be notarized by the Notary Public, if the request is not submitted in person.
Birth Certificate in English must have a certified translation into Serbian language Cyrilic Alphabet. If the translation of the document is forwarded by mail the Consulate General performs a notarization of the translation for a fee of $34.00. If the document is sent without the translation then the fee for its translation and notarization is $78 for each such document. RECOGNITION OF PATERNITY If a child was born out of wedlock and the father is known and wishes to admit to the child’s paternity, this statement can be made at the Consulate General if the father is citizen of the Republic of Serbia (MS Word or PDF format). At that time both parents must be present while the child need be present only if he/she is older than 14 years of age. If parents are not able to come to the Consulate, the signatures on the statement must be certified by the Notary Public. Father who is a foreigner makes the statement of admission to paternity to the officials of his own country. Based on the statement of recognition of paternity, the child’s birth is recorded. MARRIAGE REGISTRATION In order for the marriage officiated in the USA to be entered in the Register of Vital Records - Marriages of the last place of residence in the Republic of Serbia, it is necessary to provide this Consulate General with the following documents:
Completed request forms (MS Word or PDF format) for the registration of marriage signed by both spouses. Signatures must be notarized by the Notary Public, if the request is not submitted in person.
If this is not the spouses’ first marriage, it is necessary to submit birth certificates from Serbia where in the "notes" an entry is made that the previous marriage has been divorced. This is not necessary if, in accordance with the new Law on Administrative Procedure, a statement is submitted to the competent authority in the Republic of Serbia to officially obtain the data necessary for the decision-making process (MS WORD or PDF format). If the statement is not signed at the Consulate General, it is necessary to have the same signed before a notary.
If the marriage is dissolved in the USA, it is necessary to start legal proceedings for the recognition of foreign court’s ruling on the dissolution of marriage, at the municipal court in the Republic of Serbia, in accordance with the last residence there. American ruling about the dissolution of marriage (divorce) needs to be notarized with Apostille seal and translated into Serbian language by an authorized court translator in the Republic of Serbia. Decision of the authorized municipal court from the Republic of Serbia on the recognition of foreign court’s ruling about the dissolution of marriage, must be submitted to the relevant Office of Vital Records in Serbia in order for it to be recorded into evidence.
DEATH REGISTRATION In order for the death which occurred in the USA to be entered in the Register of Vital Records – Deaths at the last place of residence in the Republic of Serbia, it is necessary to provide this Consulate General with the following documents:
Completed request forms (MS Word or PDF format) for the registration of death. Signature must be notarized by the Notary Public, if the request is not submitted in person;
American Death Certificate must have a certified translation into Serbian language. If the translation of the document is forwarded by mail the Consulate General performs a notarization of the translation for a fee of $34.00. If the document is sent without the translation then the fee for its translation and notarization is $78.00 for each such document. ACQUISTITION OF CITIZENSHIP BY ORIGIN A person older than 18 years of age, born abroad, whose one parent at the time of his birth was a citizen of the Republic of Serbia, while the other parent was a foreign citizen, can acquire the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia through origin if by his 23rd birthday he submits a request to be registered into the evidence of the citizens of the Republic of Serbia. (Article 10, Law on Citizenship) The following documents are required:
Completed request (Form MS Word or PDF format). The signature of the applicant must be notarized by the Notary Public if the request is not submitted in person. Notes:
Each document in English must have a certified translation into Serbian language. If the translation of the document is forwarded by mail the Consulate General performs a notarization of the translation for a fee of $34.00 per each document. If the document is sent without the translation then the fee for its translation and notarization is $78.00 for each such document. CHANGING PERSONAL NAME The most common changes in personal name arise during marriage and the acquisition of a spouse's surname. If a marriage is concluded abroad or in the United States, it is necessary to make a marriage application for registration in the registries of marriage in Serbia. Details about marriage registration can be found on this page above. Also, Serbian citizens who in the past emigrated to the United States often changed their personal name when they obtained the US citizenship. For the sake of illustration we give an example that a person named Jovan Petrovic changed his personal name to John Petrovich. In such cases the Consulate General advises that the personal name in Serbia should be aligned with the personal name used in the United States, which means that in legal language of both countries these citizens would be using the identical personal name. It is the opinion of the Consulate General that it is very important that the documents of both countries have the same personal name which makes it easier to travel as well as conduct all other legal busineses in both Serbia and the United States. Here is the following example: if a Serbian citizen changed his personal name in the US and did not do the same in Serbia, and then wants to apply for a passport of Serbia, it will be necessary that his personal name on the US Identification Document (US passport) matches exactly the name entered in the registers in Serbia. If the names do not match, prior to submitting a passport application, it is necessary to submit a request for a change of personal name in Serbia and in this way reconcile the personal name in the United States with a personal name in Serbia. Of course it is possible to do this the other way around - change your personal name in the US and return to the personal name already entered in the registries in Serbia. According to the Family Law of Serbia, the personal name consists of name and surname. There is no middle name such as in the United States. If a person has a middle name in the United States, for the registration in the registry books in Serbia that name is usually added to the first name (not to a surname). A person whose name or surname, or name and surname, contains more than three words, is obliged to use the abbreviated personal name in legal transport. In this case, the regristrar is given a statement on the abbreviated personal name. The request for a change of personal name should be submitted to the municipal administration in whose territory the applicant has residence in Serbia. The municipal administration that accepts the request for a change of personal name is obliged to inform the competent registrar about this in order to register the change of the personal name into the register of births and marriages and the authority that keeps records on the residence of citizens. For further information, please contact Consular Section of the Embassy. |