What the problem is
If you are obtaining or renewing residence on the ground of sole-trader status in Belgrade and the registered address is at a coworking space or virtual office, your application can stall. Since December 2024 MUP Belgrade has been selectively delaying such cases, starting with the large coworkings, and there is no guarantee the list will not grow. According to community observations, some applications sit without movement for more than three months.
Important: if your address is already a residential one, or the business is registered in another city, this does not apply to you — the problem is specific to Belgrade and a 'virtual' address.
Fix one: move the address to your flat
The simplest route is to change the registered address from the coworking to the flat where you live. The nuances: after the change you will need a new tax decision, and if the address ends up in another city, taxes can rise noticeably. If the coworking was paid in advance, you can ask for a refund. And the landlord's consent is essential.
Fix two: add an additional office
A more flexible option is to keep the registered address at the coworking but add an additional office at your residential address. Under this scheme taxes are not recalculated, no new tax decision is needed, and moving to another flat later creates no problem. The additional office is arranged under the same rules as the main address: a contract is required. Once residence is granted, the additional address can be removed and added again before the renewal.
Fix three: real premises
If you have the budget, you can rent actual office premises and move the registered address there. This is the most reliable option, and the most expensive.
What not to do
Moving the address to another city is not a solution: MUP will ask for it to be returned to Belgrade. And do not count on a 'coworking that is not on the list yet': it is not there today, but tomorrow it may be, and you are back to the same problem.
If you are already in the process
After changing the address or adding an office, go to MUP without an appointment with the decision on the address change or the added office, and say that your application has stalled. In Belgrade that address is Omladinskih brigada 1: by the flags you need to catch an inspector and show the APR decisions. The documents will be taken and you will be asked to wait — either they will contact you, or in time the residence will be approved.
On taxes and the lease
If you set up an address or an additional office, a separate lease contract is required and the rental tax must be paid. Otherwise the questions will come not from MUP but from the tax authority: the contract can be requested at any visit for a certificate, and when closing the sole-trader business they check all contracts and tax payments before allowing the closure.
The situation is described from community observations as of September 2026; MUP rules can change, so verify current practice before applying.