A Guide to Company Search and Background Checks in Serbia

You’ve found them. A promising business partner, a potential key client, or a strong acquisition target in Serbia. Everything looks great on the surface, the website is professional, and the initial conversations have been positive.

But in business, trust isn’t just a feeling – it’s a verifiable fact. How do you really know who you’re about to work with? How can you be sure their company is financially stable and legally sound?

This guide will walk you through the primary tools available for conducting company search and background checks in Serbia. We’ll show you what they’re for, their critical limitations, and how to get a complete picture that protects your investment and empowers you to move forward with confidence.

Table of contents:

Why Due Diligence Isn’t Optional, It’s Essential

Before diving into the “how,” let’s quickly cover the “why.” Performing proper due diligence isn’t about being cynical – it’s about being smart and strategic. A thorough background check is crucial for:

• Avoiding Risky Partnerships: Verifying that a potential partner is financially stable and not on the brink of insolvency.
• Protecting Your Reputation: Knowing the history, ownership, and public perception of the companies you officially associate with.
• Ensuring Compliance: Confirming that a company is not on any government blacklists or currently involved in major legal disputes.
• Making Informed Decisions: Basing your multi-million dollar decisions on concrete facts, not just gut feelings or assumptions.

The Investigator’s Toolkit: 3 Key Resources for Company Searches

When starting your research in Serbia, you will likely come across three main resources. Think of them as different tools in an investigator’s kit – each useful for a specific job, but none telling the whole story on its own.

1. The Official Source: Serbian Business Registers Agency (APR)

The APR (pretraga.apr.gov.rs) is the Serbian government’s official business registry. It is the single source of truth for all legally registered entities in the country.

• What it’s good for: It’s the most reliable source for verifying a company’s fundamental data: its legal existence, official name, registered address, tax identification number (PIB), director(s), and its publicly filed annual financial statements.
• The Challenge for Foreigners: While the APR holds the most accurate data, it was not designed for international users. The interface can be clunky, and vital documents like financial reports are often available only in Serbian. Navigating the mix of Cyrillic and Latin scripts can be frustrating. You can find the raw data here, but it’s often difficult to find the context without local expertise.

2. The Financial Health Analyst: CompanyWall

CompanyWall (companywall.rs) is a popular commercial business platform that takes the raw data from the APR and presents it in a more user-friendly, analytical format.

• What it’s good for: As its name suggests, it excels at providing a quick overview of a company’s financial health. It offers credit ratings, solvency analysis, and financial performance indicators that help answer the question: “Is this company financially stable?”
• The Limitation: It’s an excellent tool for a financial snapshot, but it may not cover the full spectrum of a company’s legal history, past or pending court cases, or complex ownership webs.

3. The Global Verification Standard: Dun & Bradstreet

Dun & Bradstreet (dnb.com) is a global leader in business data. For many international companies (including Google for its verification processes), a D&B profile and a D-U-N-S Number are the gold standard for proving a business’s legitimacy on the world stage.

• What it’s good for: Checking if a Serbian company has a global footprint and has already undergone a level of international verification. A D&B profile signals a certain level of maturity and credibility.
• The Limitation: While essential for global trade, its database may not have the real-time, granular detail on local Serbian legal filings or financial nuances that a dedicated local search can provide.

The HLB TM Approach: From Raw Data to Actionable Intelligence

Using these tools in isolation is like trying to solve a puzzle with only three different pieces. You get a partial glimpse, but you can’t see the complete picture.

A professional background check doesn’t just pull automated reports; it assembles the full puzzle.

At HLB TM, we provide a comprehensive Due Diligence Report that transforms raw data into actionable intelligence. Our process goes far beyond a simple database search. We:

• Cross-reference all financial and legal data from the APR, CompanyWall, and other judicial and commercial databases.
• Conduct specific legal checks to uncover any history of litigation, disputes, or regulatory red flags.
• Analyze complex ownership structures to identify the ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs), ensuring you know exactly who is behind the company.
• Summarize our findings in a clear, concise report in English, highlighting any areas of concern and providing you with the confidence you need to make your next move.

Make Your Next Move with Certainty

A quick online search gives you clues. Professional due diligence gives you certainty.

Protecting your investment, your reputation, and your future in Serbia starts with knowing exactly who you are working with. When you need to be certain, we’re here to provide the clarity you need.

Contact Us to Discuss Your Due Diligence Needs: