Free Zones in Serbia

As an additional benefit for companies to streamline their operations in Serbia, many municipalities offer the possibility of operating within designated industrial zones. Such zones offer advantages such as a streamlined process for obtaining land, favorable geographic locations and ready-to-use infrastructure.

Currently, 14 of those industrial zones are also licensed free customs zones: Pirot, Subotica, Zrenjanin, FAS Kragujevac, Sabac, Novi Sad, Uzice, Smederevo, Svilajnac, Krusevac, Apatin, Vranje, Priboj and Belgrade.

Free zones in 2015 had a turnover of about 5 billion euros, an increase of 97% compared to the previous years. Significantly, the share of domestic production materials in the production of which in the year of 2013 increased by 260% compared to the previous years performance. More than 200 multinational companies are operating in Free Zones in Serbia and they are employing more than 20,000 people, while the value of export from the zones in 2014 amounted to over two billion euros. Export of goods from free zones is constantly growing and accounts for 20% of total Serbian exports.

Besides general benefits that Serbia is offering, investors have additional benefits for operating in the free zones as well as each free zone is offering certain incentives in order to attract potential investors and clients into their free zone area.

General benefits offered to investors in Serbia

• Products that are at least 51% of Serbian origin are exported to the Russian market with the duty of just 1%
• Low tax rates: VAT 8%/20% - in free zones 0%, property tax: 0,4%, tax on profit and capital gains: 20%
• Investments over 7.5 million USD and 100 newly employed workers are not subject to income tax in the period of 10 years
• Various tax incentives for investment, for the maximum period of 10 years and with 20% of tax deduction
• Tax incentives for the newly employed workers
• Tax loan valued 40% of the investment value for investment in assets
• Exemption from income tax for the revenues for the period of 5 years from concessions
• Tax exemptions for the eligible investors that invest in vocational training, vocational rehabilitation and employment of the disabled
• Two-year tax loans for the undeveloped area
• The grants for the development of agriculture, ecology, environmental protection, scientific research, etc.
• Financial incentives for investment in creating new positions - www.siepa.gov.rs

The benefits that you have by operating in Free zones in Serbia:

• Exports of goods and services from the zone and imports of goods and services in the zone are free and you do not pay customs duties and other charges.

• Import of equipment, machines and construction materials are not subject to customs duties and other charges.

• Value added tax is not paid on the entry of goods into a free zone.

• Value added tax is not paid on provision of transport and other services to users of free zones that are directly related to the entry of goods into a free zone.

• Value added tax is not paid on energy (electricity, gas, fuel oil, coal).

For more information visit the Free Zones website HERE.