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    AI in Serbia: the rules, the readiness and where to start

    Last checked: 29 October 2026

    What should a company in Serbia know before starting with AI?

    Serbia has no dedicated AI law as of 29 October 2026. The Law on Personal Data Protection (Official Gazette 87/2018), modelled closely on the GDPR, is the law that applies to AI today, and the government's AI Strategy 2025 to 2030 plans an AI law aligned with European rules. A company should map where its AI makes decisions about people, check data transfers abroad, and watch for the draft AI law.

    At a glance

    Serbia at a glance

    Key facts about Serbia
    Data protection lawLaw on Personal Data Protection (Official Gazette RS 87/2018), applied since August 2019
    RegulatorCommissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection
    AI policyStrategy for the Development of AI in Serbia 2025 to 2030 (adopted 10 January 2025). No dedicated AI law as of 29 October 2026
    Time zoneCET, UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer (India is 4.5 or 3.5 hours ahead)
    CurrencyRSD (Serbian dinar)
    Business languageSerbian, with English common in technology firms

    Why now

    Why Serbia is worth watching

    Each point links to the document it comes from.

    • Eurostat reports that 10.12% of Serbian enterprises with 10 or more staff used AI in 2025, against an EU average of 19.95%.[1]

    • The government adopted the Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in Serbia 2025 to 2030 on 10 January 2025. One indicator is full application of an AI law by the end of 2027.[3]

    • The strategy aims to move Serbia from 57th to 49th place in the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index by 2030.[3]

    • The government adopted Ethical Guidelines for trustworthy and responsible AI on 23 March 2023, and the National AI Platform is reached from 360 locations, according to the strategy.[3]

    • A Ministry of Science state secretary said in August 2026 that the deadline to adopt the AI law is December 2026, and that it will require labelling of AI-made images, video and audio.[4]

    The rules

    The rules that matter for AI

    What each law or policy means when you build or buy an AI system.

    Law on Personal Data Protection (Official Gazette RS 87/2018)

    In force2018People have a right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that has legal effects or significantly affects them, with exceptions for contracts, law and explicit consent (Article 38). High-risk processing needs a data protection impact assessment (Article 54), and breaches go to the Commissioner within 72 hours where possible. Fines for controllers run from RSD 50,000 to 2,000,000 (Article 95).[2]

    Law on Personal Data Protection: transfers abroad (Articles 64 and 65)

    In force2018Data can go abroad without prior approval to countries that are parties to the Council of Europe data protection convention or that the EU has found adequate. Other destinations need safeguards, such as the standard contractual clauses issued by the Commissioner. This matters when an AI service stores or processes data outside Serbia.[2]

    Planned Law on Artificial Intelligence

    Draft2026The ministry says the law will be aligned with European standards and will require labelling of AI-generated or altered media. We found no official draft published for consultation as of 29 October 2026, so we do not state its other duties.[4]

    EU Artificial Intelligence Act, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (for exporters)

    Phased2024Serbia is not an EU member, but the AI Act covers providers and deployers in third countries where the AI output is used in the EU (Article 2). A Serbian firm selling AI services into the EU should check the AI Act bans and high-risk rules.[6]

    Where AI fits first

    Where AI fits first

    Software and IT services for export

    Building AI features for clients in the EU, such as document search and support chatbots.

    Work for EU clients can fall under the EU AI Act through Article 2, as well as the client's GDPR duties.[6]

    Public administration

    Answering routine questions and summarising files in Serbian.

    The 2023 Ethical Guidelines recommend that state bodies follow them when developing, using or buying AI systems.[3]

    Banking and insurance

    Document checks, fraud alerts and Serbian-language customer service, with staff reviewing any refusal.

    Automated credit decisions trigger Article 38 rights and usually a data protection impact assessment.[2]

    Your first steps

    Your first steps

    1. List every AI tool in use and note which ones make or shape decisions about people.
    2. Offer human review for automated decisions with legal or significant effects, as Article 38 requires.
    3. Run a data protection impact assessment before AI touches credit, hiring, health or monitoring of staff.
    4. Map where each AI service stores data, and put standard contractual clauses or another Article 65 safeguard in place for countries without presumed adequate protection.
    5. Read the 2023 Ethical Guidelines on trustworthy AI and apply them to your projects.
    6. If you sell AI services into the EU, check the EU AI Act duties that apply to you.
    7. Watch for the draft AI law and plan for labelling of AI-generated media.

    AI services for Serbia

    AI consulting and development for teams in Serbia

    We work remotely with companies in Serbia, in your time zone, and keep your data under the rules described above.

    AI agents and automation

    Agents that finish multi-step work across your tools, with people approving what matters.
    Learn more

    Document Q&A (RAG)

    Answers from your own documents, with the source shown for every answer.
    Learn more

    AI governance and data protection

    Policies, review steps and audit trails that fit your local data law.
    Learn more

    Software and cloud engineering

    Web apps, integrations and cloud platforms built around your AI use case.
    Learn more

    How we work with you

    How we work with you

    We work remotely with clients worldwide, in the client's time zone. Indian hours of 9:30 to 18:30 at UTC+5:30 are 04:00 to 13:00 UTC. In winter Serbia is on UTC+1, so a 9:00 to 17:00 Serbian day overlaps from 09:00 to 14:00, about 5 hours; in summer, on UTC+2, the overlap is 09:00 to 15:00, about 6 hours.

    Questions

    Common questions about AI in Serbia

    Does Serbia have an AI law?

    Not as of 29 October 2026. The Ministry of Science said in August 2026 that it aims to adopt one by December 2026. Until then, the Law on Personal Data Protection is the main law for AI that uses personal data.

    Does the EU AI Act apply in Serbia?

    Not as Serbian law. It can apply to a Serbian provider or deployer whose AI output is used in the EU. The planned Serbian law is meant to align with European standards.

    Can we send data to an AI service outside Serbia?

    Yes, with conditions. Transfers to countries presumed to give adequate protection need no prior approval. For other countries you need safeguards under Article 65, such as the Commissioner's standard contractual clauses.

    What are the penalties?

    Article 95 of the data protection law sets fines of RSD 50,000 to 2,000,000 for a controller or processor that is a legal entity. Penalties under the future AI law are not yet known.

    Complimentary tools

    Try these first

    Three complimentary tools from our AI Toolkit that suit a team starting out.

    AI readiness score

    Answer a few questions and see where your team stands, in about five minutes.
    Open the tool

    AI use case triage

    Test an idea against data, risk and effort before you spend on it.
    Open the tool

    AI project cost estimator

    Get a rough build and run cost range for a first AI project.
    Open the tool

    Read next

    Sources

    Sources

    Facts checked on 29 October 2026. Numbers in square brackets above match this list.
    1. [1] Eurostat, 2026-06-15. Enterprises using artificial intelligence technologies (isoc_eb_ai), 20…(ec.europa.eu)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Enterprises using artificial intelligence technologies (isoc_eb_ai), 2025 data. Primary statistics, queried on 29 October 2026. Used for the 10.12% Serbian figure and the EU figure of 19.95% from the same dataset.

    2. [2] Zakon o zastiti podataka o licnosti, copy hosted by crhov.rs, 2026-10-29. Law on Personal Data Protection, Official Gazette RS 87/2018(crhov.rs)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Law on Personal Data Protection, Official Gazette RS 87/2018. Serbian text of the law, accessed on this date. Used for Articles 38, 54, 64, 65, 95 and 102 (applies nine months after entry into force). English renderings are our own; the Commissioner's own copy was not reachable.

    3. [3] Government of the Republic of Serbia, via the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, 2025-01-10. Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Republic…(nitra.gov.rs)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Republic of Serbia 2025 to 2030. Primary text (05 No. 011-13287/2024-2). Used for the adoption date, the readiness index targets, the AI law indicator, the 2023 Ethical Guidelines and the National AI Platform.

    4. [4] Biznis.rs, 2026-08-15. Rok za usvajanje zakona o vestackoj inteligenciji decembar ove godine(biznis.rs)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Rok za usvajanje zakona o vestackoj inteligenciji decembar ove godine. Press report of statements by a Ministry of Science state secretary. Used for the December 2026 target and the labelling plan. Other reports say only a working version existed in October 2026.

    5. [5] Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, 2026-10-29. Commissioner's website (English)(poverenik.rs)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Commissioner's website (English). Primary. Used for the regulator's name. We found no AI-specific guidance on the pages we read.

    6. [6] Official Journal of the European Union, 2024-07-12. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act)(publications.europa.eu)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act). Primary text, read via the EU Publications Office. Used for Article 2(1)(c) on third-country providers and deployers.

    This is general information, not legal advice. Serbia's AI law was still being prepared when we checked, and some facts come from press reports. Check with a qualified Serbian lawyer before you act. Facts checked on 29 October 2026.

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