Law on Higher Education

Serbia’s Law on Higher Education regulates institutions, study organisation, accreditation, funding, employees and student status. Education rights operate within a particular programme and status. Institutional accreditation, programme accreditation, admission requirements and publicly funded places are different questions. Institutional statutes and rules elaborate procedures, but must be read alongside the law rather than treated as the only source of student rights.

Higher education institutions decide matters within their competence; accreditation bodies examine quality requirements, while the ministry and inspectorate perform statutory functions. For admission, check the official call, programme, requirements and deadlines. For examinations or status, request the precise rule and the appropriate institutional body’s decision. A student office can explain documentation, but oral advice is not always the formal decision to which a legal remedy attaches. Check who is authorised to decide the actual request.

Keep your contract, proof of payment, subject registration records, decisions and correspondence. Clarify whether a dispute concerns correcting records, objecting to an examination, changing status or seeking a financial entitlement: authorities and procedures differ. The 2025 amendments provide coverage of part of paid tuition under statutory conditions. This is not an automatic refund to every student for every expense. Check the covered institution and studies, personal eligibility, recognised amount and current procedure for obtaining the entitlement. A general announcement is not a substitute for checking those requirements.

The current publication chain is Official Gazette 88/2017, 27/2018 through another law, 73/2018, 67/2019, 6/2020 through other laws, 11/2021 authentic interpretation, 67/2021 through another law, 67/2021, 76/2023 and 19/2025 of 6 March 2025. The latest amendment takes effect on the eighth day, except Article 23 applying from 1 January 2026. Transitional provisions govern institutional alignment, governing body terms and funding. The official Legal Information System is the source; parliamentary PDF 332-25 is only the latest amendment. Also check current institutional rules for an individual request.

This is Avangarda’s informative editorial overview and translation, not an official translation. For a particular case, check the current law through the official source, relevant implementing rules and individual decisions, and seek qualified legal help where needed. This overview does not replace the legislation or a competent authority’s decision.

Connects statutory student rights with the programme, funding status and rules of a particular institution.

Students, applicants, employees, institutions and authorities; rights depend on the programme, status and statutory conditions.

When choosing an accredited programme, enrolling, taking examinations or checking tuition, student status and institutional decisions.