How to hire creative talent in Serbia
Serbia has a concentrated creative and technology scene in Belgrade and Novi Sad, with a long tradition of design education and a growing population of freelancers working for clients abroad.
What the creative pool in Serbia actually looks like.
Motion design, illustration and graphic design are all well represented, supported by a strong local design school tradition. The games industry has also built up 3D and concept art capability.
- Motion design
- Illustration
- Graphic design
- 3D and concept art
Language, hours, contracts and getting paid.
- Serbian, with good English among younger designers.
- One hour ahead of London.
- Freelancer registration is common and international payment through Wise or direct transfer is routine.
- Most agencies engage people here as independent contractors on a monthly retainer, which does not require a local entity. The contractor invoices you and handles their own tax locally.
The boards people in Serbia actually use.
Job hunting is local. The global boards you already know have almost no audience here, and the sites that do are not in English and mostly will not take a posting from a company without a local presence.
Technology-focused board popular with developers and digital roles.
The largest employment platform in Serbia.
What catches foreign agencies out.
Belgrade dominates, though Novi Sad has a real scene of its own.
Tax treatment of freelance income has changed in recent years, so candidates may ask for specific invoicing arrangements.
Or skip all of it and post once.
Everything above is doable on your own. It takes a local number, a local entity on some boards, a translated description and somebody to read applications in Serbian. Elsewhere does that part for you. You write the role once in English, pick your markets, and upload examples of the work you want. We translate it, post it to the local boards, pay the posting fees, and score every applicant’s portfolio against your references before you see them.
- One job description in English, plus examples of the work you are looking for.
- Translation into Serbian, posting to the local boards, and the fees they charge.
- Applicants ranked by how closely their portfolio matches the work you uploaded.
Do I need a local entity to hire someone in Serbia?
Not to engage a contractor. Most agencies engage people here as independent contractors on a monthly retainer, which does not require a local entity. The contractor invoices you and handles their own tax locally. Employing someone on a local payroll is a different question and does normally require an entity or an employer of record.
What language should I write the job description in?
Serbian, with good English among younger designers. Elsewhere translates your English description into the local language automatically, so you write it once.
Which job boards should I post on in Serbia?
The boards that matter locally are HelloWorld.rs, Infostud. Elsewhere posts to them for you and covers the posting fees.
How much overlap will I get with my working day?
One hour ahead of London.
How do I pay someone in Serbia?
Freelancer registration is common and international payment through Wise or direct transfer is routine.