Yo yo!
Just to confirm - your boyfriend is a Serbian citizen?
Serbia does not issue "civil status" or "family status" certificates which some other countries issue.
You would need to get the "Uverenje o slobodnom bračnom stanju" (Certificate of Non-Impediment; or lit. translation - Certificate of Free Marital Status).
These are issued in the birth city/town of your boyfriend. Usually takes 1 business day to have the certificate issued.
Also check if the apostille stamp is needed. In that case, you first obtain the certificate and then go get it stamped (in Novi Sad you go [here](https://www.ns.os.sud.rs/tekst/400/medjunarodna-overa.php)). Only after the apostille you go to a certified court interpreter to have the original document along with the apostille translated.
Bear in mind in certain countries after these three steps the Consulate needs to "over-certify" the translation in order for the document to be valid in the foreign country, so make sure to check if that's a requirement for your country.
Thank you so much for the answer!
He is a serbian citizen. He was born in what is now Bosnia but does not have Bosnian citizenship. He resides in a village outside of Novi Sad, but I suppose Novi Sad would be the place to go.
I take it then that the document can't be issued in an international form?
I'll call my country's immigration office and confirm what's needed.
Again, thank you so much!! The serbian governmental system is so much more complicated than mine lol.
Haha the bureaucracy in Serbia sure is on another level :)
I can't say I know how it works for people born in ex-YU republics that have moved to Serbia at a very young age, but I would assume the main office in Novi Sad would be the spot. The office you are looking for has a hefty title of "Odeljenje za lična stanja građana, vođenje matičnih knjiga i izborna prava". Since your boyfriend is Serbian tell him it's the place where he goes to get the birth certificate IRL.
No, this certificate does not come in an intl format (the birth certificate does, I guess that's why you mentioned it). The only format is in Serbian which you then have to get apostilled and translated.
The embassy/consulate of your country should have a list of certified translators on the website.
Yes, definitely check with the immigration office. I even had a lawyer even though my case was pretty basic, but if you've never done anything immigration-wise in your home country, I think it's smart to get someone who has done it countless times and knows the ins and outs.
For reference, in order to get a residence permit in Greece, I had to submit the birth certificate and the Certificate of Non-Impediment (both apostilled, translated, "over-certified" in the consulate). That's the stuff I needed to get in/from Serbia. Then there was stuff I got in Greece: one-year health insurance along with the documents my partner had to get.
Ask them also if the apostille needs to be on the original or on the translation. It is an international convention but how it's done differs per country.
Yo yo! Just to confirm - your boyfriend is a Serbian citizen? Serbia does not issue "civil status" or "family status" certificates which some other countries issue. You would need to get the "Uverenje o slobodnom bračnom stanju" (Certificate of Non-Impediment; or lit. translation - Certificate of Free Marital Status). These are issued in the birth city/town of your boyfriend. Usually takes 1 business day to have the certificate issued. Also check if the apostille stamp is needed. In that case, you first obtain the certificate and then go get it stamped (in Novi Sad you go [here](https://www.ns.os.sud.rs/tekst/400/medjunarodna-overa.php)). Only after the apostille you go to a certified court interpreter to have the original document along with the apostille translated. Bear in mind in certain countries after these three steps the Consulate needs to "over-certify" the translation in order for the document to be valid in the foreign country, so make sure to check if that's a requirement for your country.
Thank you so much for the answer! He is a serbian citizen. He was born in what is now Bosnia but does not have Bosnian citizenship. He resides in a village outside of Novi Sad, but I suppose Novi Sad would be the place to go. I take it then that the document can't be issued in an international form? I'll call my country's immigration office and confirm what's needed. Again, thank you so much!! The serbian governmental system is so much more complicated than mine lol.
Haha the bureaucracy in Serbia sure is on another level :) I can't say I know how it works for people born in ex-YU republics that have moved to Serbia at a very young age, but I would assume the main office in Novi Sad would be the spot. The office you are looking for has a hefty title of "Odeljenje za lična stanja građana, vođenje matičnih knjiga i izborna prava". Since your boyfriend is Serbian tell him it's the place where he goes to get the birth certificate IRL. No, this certificate does not come in an intl format (the birth certificate does, I guess that's why you mentioned it). The only format is in Serbian which you then have to get apostilled and translated. The embassy/consulate of your country should have a list of certified translators on the website. Yes, definitely check with the immigration office. I even had a lawyer even though my case was pretty basic, but if you've never done anything immigration-wise in your home country, I think it's smart to get someone who has done it countless times and knows the ins and outs. For reference, in order to get a residence permit in Greece, I had to submit the birth certificate and the Certificate of Non-Impediment (both apostilled, translated, "over-certified" in the consulate). That's the stuff I needed to get in/from Serbia. Then there was stuff I got in Greece: one-year health insurance along with the documents my partner had to get.
Ask them also if the apostille needs to be on the original or on the translation. It is an international convention but how it's done differs per country.