Insurants

Law on pension and disability insurance specifies three categories of compulsory insurance:

1. Employed persons
2. Self-employed
3. Farmers

For individuals who meet insurance conditions for more than one of these bases the priority of insurance bases is specified in the abovementioned order, meaning that existence of employment excludes insurance based on simultaneous farming and self-employment businesses. 

Employed persons include:

1. Employed persons, i.e. employed by a company, other legal entity, government institution, local government unit institution or individual;
2. Civilians employed by the Army and army units and institutions;
3. Selected or appointed persons, if they are paid for the function and/or receive salary;
4. Persons employed outside their employer’s premises in accordance with labor regulations;
5. Employed persons directed to work abroad and/or employees of company which does business or provides services abroad, unless covered by compulsory insurance in the foreign country or specified otherwise by international agreements;
6. Serbian citizens employed on the territory of the Republic of Serbia by foreign or international organizations and institutions, foreign diplomatic and consular offices or foreign legal entities and individuals, unless specified otherwise by international agreements;
7. Serbian citizens employed abroad, if not covered by compulsory insurance with a foreign insurance holder, or if pension and disability insurance regulations of the country do not allow realization or usage of rights outside the country’s territory;
8. Foreign citizens or individuals without citizenship employed on the territory of the Republic of Serbia by foreign legal entities or individuals, unless specified otherwise by international agreements, or international organizations and institutions and foreign diplomatic and consular offices, if such insurance is specified by international agreements;
9. Persons employed temporarily or occasionally in accordance with regulations, unless insured otherwise;
10. Persons employed temporarily or occasionally in accordance with regulations through youth employment offices which are considered as employers for the purpose of this law, aged at least 26, or regardless of age if not attending school;
11. Persons made redundant and persons dismissed due to bankruptcy, liquidation or any other case of termination of employer’s business, while receiving financial compensation according to labor and employment regulations;
12. Professional army servicemen.

Self-employed persons include:

1. Persons conducting commercial or other business independently in accordance with regulations, unless covered by compulsory insurance as employees;
2. Founders and/or members of a company, in accordance with regulations, who work in the company, regardless of whether or not they are employees of the company of which they are founders and/or members;
3. Persons working under service contract and/or copyright contract, or based on other contracts, who receive payment for performed work and are not insured otherwise;
4. Priests and religious officials, unless covered by compulsory insurance based on employment;
5. Persons who terminated their independent business, while receiving financial compensation according to labor and employment regulations.

Farmers include:

1. Persons considered to be engaged in farming (farmers, farmer’s household members and mixed household members), unless insured based on employment or self-employment, pension users or attending school;
2. For the purpose of Paragraph 1 of this Article, a household is a community of people living together, earning, and spending income gained through work of community members, regardless of relation;
3. Insurance is compulsory for the farming household holder or at least one household member, while other household members may get insured under conditions specified by the Law on pension and disability insurance.

For the abovementioned insurant categories, insurance qualification is acquired on the first day of employment and terminated on the date of termination of employment, self-employment or farming business, and/or contract work. People under 15 years of age may not acquire insurance. Insurance is established based on insurance application and insurance withdrawal.

People above 15 years of age not belonging to any of the abovementioned categories can get insurance pursuant to Article 15 of the Law on pension and disability insurance, thus acquiring their rights from the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund. Insurant qualification based on compulsory insurance acquisition is gained on the date of application submission, and exceptionally and on request, no sooner than 30 days prior to application submission. Insurant qualification is terminated on the date indicated on the application by the person. 

When submitting the application for acquisition of compulsory insurance, the person selects one of 13 bases offered, which will be used as contributions base for payment of pension and disability insurance. The insurant may change the contributions base during the insurance period. There is no limitation as to the number of requests for base change.