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Everything you need to know to sell or buy an apartment in Serbia while in Germany — what must be in the POA, how to certify it and what the steps are.
To sell or buy property in Serbia without being physically present, you need to give a special power of attorney for real estate transactions to a trusted person or lawyer. This POA must be certified and must contain all legally required elements.
A general POA is not sufficient for real estate
The POA for real estate transactions must contain all the following elements. Missing information can lead to the POA being rejected by the cadastre office, notary or buyer.
Full name, date and place of birth, residential address, passport or ID number, JMBG (if available).
Full name, date and place of birth, address, ID number and JMBG of the representative (person you are authorizing).
Cadastre municipality (KO), parcel number, property sheet number (LN), type of object (apartment, house, garage), area in m², floor. Find this data on katastar.rs or in your property sheet.
Explicitly state what the representative may do: conclude the sale contract, receive the purchase price, hand over possession, sign the handover protocol, file the cadastre registration request, sign all necessary documents.
Always specify an expiry date — e.g., "this POA is valid for one year from the date of certification" or a specific date. Institutions in Serbia increasingly reject POAs without a specified period.
Specify a minimum sale price (e.g., "not less than X EUR or equivalent in RSD") and payment terms. This protects you from a sale below the expected price.
Explicitly state whether the representative may further transfer the authority to a third party. Default: may not, unless stated.
Obtain cadastre data before the consulate visit
The 2020 amendments to the Obligations Act strengthened the specification requirement for real estate transactions. A general POA of the type "handle everything regarding the property" is no longer acceptable. The following must be specified:
Obtain cadastre data of the property
Check the current property sheet on katastar.rs. Note: cadastre municipality, parcel number, LN number, type and area of the object.
Hire a lawyer in Serbia to prepare the text
The lawyer handling the sale/purchase writes the POA text with all necessary elements. Alternatively, use our generator for a framework.
Book and visit the Serbian consulate in Germany
With your passport and 2 copies of the POA, sign before the consular officer. Pay the consular fee on the spot (~30-50 EUR).
Send the original POA to Serbia
Use DHL Express or Fedex with tracking. Do not send by post without tracking — the original cannot be easily replaced. Delivery time: 2-5 business days.
Representative executes the transaction
The lawyer/representative signs the sale contract, has it certified by a Serbian notary, files the cadastre registration request and sends you the ownership transfer confirmation.
The notary in Serbia certifies the sale contract — not the POA
| Item | Consulate (path 1) | German notary (path 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Text preparation (lawyer in Serbia) | 50-150 EUR | 50-150 EUR |
| Certification | 30-50 EUR (consular fee) | 50-150 EUR (Notary per GNotKG) |
| Apostille | — | ~25 EUR |
| Certified translation of notarial deed | — | 100-300 EUR |
| Shipping DHL/Fedex to Serbia | 20-40 EUR | 20-40 EUR |
| Total (approximate) | 100-240 EUR | 245-665 EUR |
The consulate is significantly cheaper
Sources: Law on Obligations (ZOO), Official Gazette RS, No. 18/2020 (real estate amendments) — paragraf.rs; Republic Geodetic Authority — rgz.gov.rs.
Last updated: March 2026.