73nBasic Bank Account in Serbia
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Basic account, foreign-currency account, sole-trader and company accounts · what's the difference

What is a basic account

A basic account (platni račun sa osnovnim uslugama) is an ordinary personal dinar account with a card and mobile banking. You have a legal right to it, even if the bank doesn't want to open other products for you.

On this page
  1. What this account is
  2. What it is not
  3. Resident and non-resident basic account
  4. How to ask for exactly this account

What this account is

  • A personal current account for an individual, in dinars (čl. 73n st. 3 ZPU).
  • Included: a debit card, online and mobile banking, cash at the bank's branches and ATMs, transfers within Serbia, IPS and QR payments, standing orders and direct debits. The number of transactions is unlimited (t. 4–5 Odluke NBS 89/2022).
  • Price: no more than 150 RSD per month (t. 3 Odluke NBS 89/2022).
  • The bank must open it for anyone who is legally staying in Serbia and has no other account with a Serbian bank, and it can refuse only in writing (čl. 73n, 73nj ZPU).
  • You can use it to receive your salary, pay rent, utilities and taxes, and shop online.

What it is not

ProductWhat it isMust the bank open it?
Basic account
platni račun sa osnovnim uslugama		A personal dinar account for everyday paymentsYes, under Art. 73n ZPU
Foreign-currency account
devizni račun		An account in euros and other currencies, for transfers from and to other countriesNo. You can ask for it as an extra service on top of the basic account, and the price of that service is capped (t. 6 Odluke NBS 89/2022), but the bank has no duty to open it
Sole-trader account
račun preduzetnika		An account for a sole trader's business (paušal and others)No: a sole trader is not a “consumer” (čl. 2 t. 9–10 ZPU). The bank may refuse, but not for discriminatory reasons
Company account
račun pravnog lica (d.o.o.)		A company's accountNo, general rules and AML checks apply
Savings and term deposits
štednja, oročeni depozit		Keeping money to earn interest, not for paymentsNo
Paid account packages
Start, Plus, Premium…		Packages with extra servicesNo. The bank cannot push them on you instead of the basic account (čl. 73p ZPU, t. 8 Odluke NBS 89/2022)

Resident and non-resident basic account

If you have lived in Serbia on a residence permit for more than a year, you are a resident, and the account will be a regular dinar current account. If you have no residence permit, or have been in Serbia for less than a year, you are a non-resident, and the bank will open a dinarski tekući račun nerezidenta (non-resident dinar current account). Your right to a basic account does not depend on this (čl. 2 ZDP, t. 14 Odluke NBS 63/2026). More on documents in the “Law” section.

How to ask for exactly this account

  • At the branch, say and write the exact name, “platni račun sa osnovnim uslugama”, and the article number, 73n. Staff often offer a paid package or answer about a foreign-currency account instead.
  • Submit a written application (template in the “Documents” section). The bank must answer within 10 working days.
  • You can ask for a foreign-currency account as a separate request after the basic account is opened.