It’s simpler with us” is a slogan that reflects API Bank’s approach to creating services and establishing relationships with each client. API Bank, which is managed by a multinational team that has international expertise in modern banking, is the first bank in Serbia to offer housing loans to foreigners living and earning money abroad
We are happy that we entered this market niche and started to acquire and serve such clients for whom Serbia is attractive from different perspectives. For example, people are increasingly willing to work remotely from here, to own a nice appartment for family travel for weekends and holidays. Because Serbia is beautiful! – Marija Stepina.
Yours is the only bank in Serbia to approve housing loans for foreign citizens. Who can take out a loan with you and under what conditions? Do you approve them for people who live and earn abroad?
In striving to better address the expectations of our clients, we have created a modern solution that will give the right answer to non-resident clients looking to acquire property in Serbia.
Other banks usually don’t work with them, because it is difficult to define and verify their income, which they receive abroad. We accept Serbian citizens and non-citizens, as well as Serbian residents and non-residents receiving income in other countries, and this is what makes us unique.
The amount of the loan ranges from 5,000 to 500,000 euros, with a minimum down payment of 20% of the value of the property to be purchased. The repayment period for loans with a currency clause and foreign currency loans is 240 months, and 120 months for dinar loans.
These days we work closely with real estate developers and are looking forward to organising joint sales campaigns to advise clients who want to buy real estate in Serbia and are seeking the support of the bank in one place.
You opened a new branch at the beginning of this year, representing a new, modern space called M44, which, in addition to regular services, offers clients a large number of safes. It could be said that this is very important, given that safes are a banking product that’s in short supply on our market?
Before deciding about offering the safe box service, which is one of the oldest banking services in the world, we conducted market research and confirmed our assumption that there is a certain deficit of properly set storage in the primary location of Belgrade.
So, yes, there is a lack of supply.
We are working on our recognisability via social media and close cooperation with respected real estate developers, which are a business card of Belgrade
From another perspective, we introduced this service with the aim of teaching people how to manage certain risks in life, how to be more responsible in safeguarding things that are valuable to them and thus feel more secure. We want to introduce the good habit of storing valuables not used in everyday life in a safe place, i.e. in a safe deposit box in the bank. Moreover, the habit of storing valuables in a bank will, in IT terms, clear your operating memory – you will always know that the most valuable material things you have are in the safe box in a secure place.
The ideal location and biggest capacity, as well as friendly and professional staff, await you at the new API Bank branch at 44 Makedonska Street, in the very centre of Belgrade.
You can choose a size of safety deposit box and duration of rent for your valuables that suits you. We currently have a special offer, which will run until the end of August, whereby the opening of current account is not required if you only want to rent a safety deposit box.
API Bank is specific in that it researches markets and finds sought-after niches that are lacking or don’t even exist. You focused on safes first, but what can we expect now? Will the new branch make your brand even more recognisable?
Let me reiterate that our greatest achievement today is enabling our diaspora and foreigners to acquire financing for the purchase of real estate in Serbia. We are really surprised with the demand and good profile of people who are interested in our product. The ambition of API Bank is to be recognisable as a Serbian bank for which interest among the diaspora and foreigners in Serbia has the same importance as relations with domestic companies and citizens.