Case: How a European Company Legally Structured Payments Between the EU and Russia via Serbia
Client Situation
A European supplier of medical equipment faced difficulties in international payments:
- it was necessary to receive payments from Russian counterparties;
- at the same time — make payments to suppliers in the EU;
- carry out re-export operations;
- while complying with banking requirements, currency control rules, sanctions, and compliance regulations.
Why Serbia
At that time, certain banks in Serbia were willing to service international trade with counterparties from the EU and Russia, including payments in euros and roubles. This was possible under the conditions of:
- transparency of the operational structure;
- successful completion of all KYC/AML procedures;
- availability of a full set of supporting documentation.
Actions by REVERA Lawyers
The legal team:
- Conducted a comprehensive legal and compliance analysis of the business structure, supply chains, and payment flows.
- Developed and agreed with the bank on the appropriate structure for servicing international trade operations.
- Prepared corporate documents, KYC materials, and documents confirming the sources of funds.
- Assisted in the client identification procedures and in opening a corporate bank account.
- Implemented a payment scheme fully compliant with applicable banking, regulatory, and compliance requirements.
Result
The client obtained a fully operational banking and legal infrastructure for international trade and cross-border payments.
This allowed the client to:
- continue working with Russian buyers and European suppliers;
- maintain compliance with all applicable banking regulations, currency control rules, and anti-money laundering (AML) laws.