Resume rules in Serbia
What employers in Serbia expect on a Životopis / CV, what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.
Call it a CV for Serbia, a resume for Serbia, or Životopis: it's the same document.
This is research, not legal advice. Employment and data protection law changes, state and provincial rules matter in federal countries, and practice varies by industry and seniority. Each entry shows when it was looked up and how confident we are. Where nothing reliable was published it says Not found rather than a guess.
Law and practice, side by side
The label on the right is what local hiring expects. The two lines under it are the law and the habit, which often disagree.
Photo: Common
Common; standard practice to include professional headshot on Serbian CV
What the law says: No legal mandate. Law on Personal Data Protection (Official Gazette RS 87/2018, effective Aug 21, 2019) restricts collection and processing of photos; employer must have lawful basis.
Date of birth: Common
Common to include date of birth in personal information section; traditional practice in Serbia
What the law says: No legal prohibition on applicant providing DOB. Law on Prohibition of Discrimination (2009) protects against age discrimination; employer may not discriminate based on age.
Marital status: Not found
Sometimes included in personal information section; increasingly optional
What the law says: No legal prohibition. Law on Prohibition of Discrimination (2009) prohibits discrimination based on marital status; employer may not discriminate.
Sex or gender: Optional
Optional; not standard to include on CV
What the law says: Law on Prohibition of Discrimination and Labour Law prohibit sex/gender discrimination. Employer must establish equal opportunities.
Nationality: Common
Common to include; relevant for work permit context
What the law says: No legal prohibition. Law on Prohibition of Discrimination prohibits discrimination based on nationality, ethnic origin, and national/ethnic background.
National ID number: Avoid
Avoid on initial CV; identification typically requested separately if offer made
What the law says: Law on Personal Data Protection (87/2018) restricts collection of identification numbers; employer must have lawful basis and proper notice.
The rest of the entry
- Local name of the document
- Životopis / CV
- Language to submit in
- Serbian; English acceptable for international companies
- Typical length
- 1-2 pages typical; detailed chronological format common
- Address detail expected
- City/region typical; full address not necessary
- Signature and date
- No evidence of requirement for handwritten signature or date on CV
- Officially prescribed form
- Europass available and used for EU-wide mobility; no Serbia-specific official form mandated
- Religion, ethnicity or caste
- Law on Prohibition of Discrimination (2009) explicitly prohibits discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, religious belief, political beliefs, and descent. Employers may not request or act on these characteristics.
- Health, disability or pregnancy
- Law on Prohibition of Discrimination (2009) prohibits discrimination based on disability and health status. Employers may not request health information at application stage unless directly job-relevant and justified.
- Other customary attachments
- No prescribed attachments; references may be requested post-offer
- Employer may not ask for
- Under Law on Prohibition of Discrimination: employers may not request or discriminate based on race, ethnicity, nationality, descent, religion, political opinion, gender, age, disability, health status, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, or social status. Law on Personal Data Protection restricts collection of sensitive data.
- Named statutes
- Zakon o zabrani diskriminacije (Law on Prohibition of Discrimination, 2009, National Assembly March 26, 2009); Zakon o zaštiti podataka o ličnosti (Law on Personal Data Protection), Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia No. 87/2018, effective August 21, 2019; Zakon o radu (Labour Law)
- Data protection regime
- Law on Personal Data Protection (87/2018, GDPR-equivalent) + Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection (Poverenik) as supervisory authority
- Anti-discrimination statutes
- Law on Prohibition of Discrimination (2009); Law on Labour (employment discrimination protections)
- Local language source
- Serbian
Where this came from
Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. High confidence. Result of that check: Confirmed.
Notes: LAW vs PRACTICE: Serbian Law on Prohibition of Discrimination (2009) is comprehensive and prohibits discrimination on numerous grounds including age, but does not prescribe CV format or mandatory content. PRACTICE shows customary inclusion of photo, DOB, and marital status as standard on Serbian CVs, similar to other Central/Eastern European countries. Law on Personal Data Protection (87/2018) aligns closely with GDPR and requires employer consent before data processing; applicants provide CVs with personal information understanding employers will process it. Commissioner for Information acts as data protection authority. Serbia has dual framework of dedicated anti-discrimination law plus employment protections in Labour Law.
Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this