Do You Want To Start Working As A Freelancer In Serbia? Here’s What You Need To Do!

It has already been said many times that the freelance market is growing rapidly. There are many who recognize all the benefits of freelancing. Those usually include flexible working hours, self-management and control over your projects and schedule.

As of today, there are approximately 100,000 people in Serbia who make a living as freelancers, and this number is growing rapidly. Many are doing so by offering IT services to foreign clients.

Serbia also ranks 3rd country in Europe based on the number of active digital workforce and the 10th country in the world.

If you’re also thinking about starting your freelance journey in Serbia (or improving the services you already offer), you came to the right place.

We’re here to help you find the best possible way to freelance in Serbia!

How To Start Your Freelancing Career From Serbia?

Find Your Niche

Today, the freelance job market has available jobs for many positions. Among the most attractive ones are the positions for English teachers, writers, translators, copywriters, marketing managers, web developers, graphic designers, online salespeople, personal trainers, virtual assistants, sales and technical support agents, photographers, but also consultants from various fields. 

In addition to these, there are also simpler tasks that may include text entry, editing and transcription of video or audio content, processing and systematization of various materials, then research and preparation of materials for specific topics.

If you want to learn more about the most attractive jobs for freelancers, check out our post about the 10 Best Jobs For Freelancers And Remote Workers.

Prove Your Skills With Certificates

In a dynamic freelance market, certificates might be even more valuable than diplomas from national universities. Certificates can work as guarantees that you have the needed knowledge from a certain field. 

If you haven’t completed any courses yet, here are a few organizations and platforms you could check out and obtain the desired certificate: Cambridge, Microsoft, Google Digital Garage, Zend, Adobe, Oracle, Cisco, Autodesk, MikroTik and The Linux Foundation.

Join Freelancing Platforms And Build A Portfolio

First things first – you should join some of the largest freelance platforms on the market to get a feeling of the freelancing world. Among the most popular ones are Upwork, Fiverr, Peopleperhour, Freelancer.com and others. 

You should check out some local Serbian platforms and groups too: Pronadji u Srbiji, Freelance Serbia LinkedIn group, Freelancers Serbia Facebook group, Udruženje radnika na internetu.

The information you publish to your profile acts as your portfolio for potential employers, so try to be as professional as possible. Be honest about your previous experience and skills. Tag your skills accordingly and make it easier for employers to find you.

Find Your First Clients And Get Started On The Projects

In the beginning, your goal should not be getting as many earnings as possible. You should rather strive to get positive references and reviews from your clients after you’ve successfully finished the assigned projects. 

Your first projects should put your name out there, so a good suggestion would be to offer your services for a slightly lower price. This way, you’ll gain much-needed experience and also get the needed reviews. Based on these reviews, you can, later on, increase the number of projects you take on as well as increase your cost.

Don’t forget that a freelancer first needs to build his or her reputation before trying to score better, more expensive projects. Also, keep in mind that all customer comments are public, and a hard-built reputation can easily collapse with just a couple of negative comments or reviews.

Register As A Freelancer In Serbia

There are a few different ways how to legally work as a freelancer in Serbia. 

The first option is for you to become a lump sum entrepreneur. You will then have a fixed cost, which can vary depending on the municipality, activities and other factors. In this case, you do not need to have an accountant.

The second option is for you to become an entrepreneur. That means that you can employ yourself, receive a salary and make a profit that way. An accountant is required for this option.

The next option is to register as a limited liability company (D.O.O.), for which the registration costs are higher and the possibility of disposing of money is lower. In the case of registering a D.O.O. it is necessary to have an accountant, but in this case, you are not responsible for your personal assets, but with the invested initial capital.

And the last, the easiest and most convenient option when you freelance in Serbia is for you to use an Employer of Record service and get properly employed by all Serbian employment laws and regulations.

How To Get Properly Employed?

Native Teams offers the Employer of Record services to all freelancers and remote workers who wish to be properly employed in Serbia. That way, you can easily continue working on projects as a freelancer, but get all the benefits of being properly employed with your taxes being covered, and benefits included. It is the easiest way to rock your freelancing career without worrying about all the bureaucracy that comes with it.

With our Native Teams salary calculators, you can already easily calculate your salary and check all your country’s requirements.

Start Invoicing Your Clients

Furthermore, we created an easy-to-use invoicing system for you to invoice your local and international clients. There you’ll have all the necessary insights and requirements on their appearance and you can keep track of all your invoices, documents and client information in one place.

When you invoice your clients, Native Teams are behind you as a company. This means, that your clients will be legally obliged to pay your invoices in a timely manner.

Payments Made Easy With The Native Teams Virtual Wallet

We also created a unified Virtual Wallet system because we want you to have the freedom of using your favourite payment method, all while being part of Native Teams.

The Virtual Wallet is a place where you can either top up from any payment system or via the Native Teams client invoicing. Withdrawal on the other hand can be made through Native Teams payroll or any credit card/bank account.

When you join Native Teams, you’ll also be able to get your hands on the Native ATM card. This card will help you make online purchases, withdraw internationally with the lowest fees and keep track of all your financial transactions.

Having a freelance career in Serbia is less complicated than one might think. Native Teams is here to help you with the payment and employment solutions, so you can focus on your work instead of on the bureaucracy. 

Do you have any additional questions about freelancing in Serbia? Make sure to contact us directly.