With the opening of bankruptcy proceedings against Alta Banka on 3 November 2026, all payment operations through accounts held with the bank have stopped — payment orders are not being executed, incoming payments are not arriving, and funds on accounts are frozen. For companies and entrepreneurs this is not only a question of recovering their money, but of keeping the business running without interruption: paying salaries, taxes and suppliers, and receiving payments from customers. In this guide we explain what legal entities and entrepreneurs should do immediately, how to collect the insured deposit, how to file a creditor claim in the bankruptcy proceedings for amounts above EUR 50,000, and what happens with loans and mutual obligations towards the bank.
For a general overview of the Alta Banka bankruptcy — what happened, the deadlines and the procedure for all categories of clients — see our article Alta Banka Bankruptcy: How to Recover Your Money.
Is my company’s money insured, and up to what amount?
The Deposit Insurance Act covers businesses, but not all of them: entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium-sized legal entities are entitled to payment of the insured amount of up to EUR 50,000 per depositor. Large legal entities are not covered by the deposit insurance system — they recover their claims exclusively by filing a creditor claim in the bankruptcy proceedings.
The EUR 50,000 limit applies to the total of all deposits of one depositor with the bank, regardless of the number of accounts or the currency. A company that held, for example, EUR 200,000 on accounts with Alta Banka collects EUR 50,000 through deposit insurance and files a claim in the bankruptcy proceedings for the remaining EUR 150,000. Dinar funds are paid out in dinars and foreign currency funds in euros, at the exchange rate applicable on the day the bankruptcy was opened (3 November 2026).
How does a company collect the insured deposit?
The Deposit Insurance Agency has announced that the payout of insured deposits starts on 13 November 2026, through designated branches of Banka Poštanska štedionica. The list of branches is published on www.aod.rs and on the website of Poštanska štedionica.
For entrepreneurs and legal entities the documentation requirements are stricter than for individuals, so prepare everything before visiting the bank:
- original documentation proving the claim — the account agreement, a statement of account balance or bank statements;
- the certified signature form for authorised representatives (“OP form”) — original or certified copy;
- if the request is not submitted by the registered legal representative, a power of attorney on the company’s letterhead, signed by the registered representative and stamped (the template is available on the Agency’s website);
- the identity card of the representative or authorised person.
If you want the foreign currency funds transferred to an account with another domestic bank, you also need to provide transfer instructions: the name of the bank, the account number or IBAN, and the bank’s SWIFT code. The deadline for submitting the payout request is three years from the opening of the bankruptcy — no later than 3 November 2029. There is no need to rush, but for companies waiting on working capital every day counts.
What about amounts above EUR 50,000 — how do I file a creditor claim?
Everything above the insured amount — as well as the entire claims of large legal entities — is recovered exclusively in the bankruptcy proceedings, by filing a creditor claim with the Commercial Court in Belgrade, in accordance with the Act on Bankruptcy and Liquidation of Banks and Insurance Companies.
The key points businesses need to know:
- The deadline for filing claims is 90 days from the publication of the notice on the opening of bankruptcy proceedings in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia. The deadline is strict — a late filing may mean losing the right to recovery in the bankruptcy.
- Both secured and unsecured claims must be filed — on all grounds: account balances, term deposits, unexecuted payment orders, damages.
- The claim must state the legal basis, the principal amount and accrued interest, include evidence (agreements, statements, balance confirmations), identify any security, and designate an account for payment.
- The Deposit Insurance Agency, acting as bankruptcy administrator, examines the filed claims, after which an examination hearing is held. A disputed claim is not the end of the road — the creditor is referred to litigation to establish the claim, within statutory deadlines.
The priority of distribution favours depositors: depositors’ claims remaining after payment of the insured amounts rank in the first payment class, ahead of public revenues and other creditors. How much will actually be recovered depends on the bankruptcy estate, but a complete and timely filing with full supporting documentation is the precondition for recovering anything at all.
Payment operations have stopped — how does the business keep running?
While recovery through deposit insurance and the bankruptcy takes its course, the business cannot wait. Practical steps to take immediately:
- Open an account with another bank, if you do not already have one — without an active current account the company can neither receive nor execute payments.
- Notify customers and debtors of the new account, so that incoming payments do not end up on the frozen Alta Banka account and thereby in the bankruptcy estate.
- Update the account number on invoices and in contracts, as well as in standing orders and e-banking templates.
- Re-register the account used for salaries and public revenues — check the payment orders for taxes and social contributions and for employees’ salaries, to avoid falling into arrears towards the Tax Administration or your staff.
- Preserve complete documentation of the balances on your Alta Banka accounts as at 30 October and 3 November 2026 — statements, confirmations, agreements. This is your evidence both for the insured payout and for the creditor claim.
A word of caution: situations like this regularly attract fraud attempts. Request and submit account data and documentation exclusively through the official channels of the Deposit Insurance Agency, Poštanska štedionica and the court.
What about Alta Banka loans — is set-off possible?
The bank’s bankruptcy does not extinguish the obligations of its debtors — loans, credit cards and overdrafts must still be repaid, and the bank’s claims form part of the bankruptcy estate, collected by the bankruptcy administrator.
For companies that are at the same time depositors and debtors of the bank (funds on the account, a loan in repayment), the key question is the set-off of mutual claims. Whether set-off is available in a bank bankruptcy depends on when the statutory conditions were met and how the claims fell due — the wrong approach can mean waiting years for your deposit in the bankruptcy while repaying the loan in full immediately. This is the point where legal analysis pays off most, before a claim is filed or repayment continues without reservation.
How can IVVK Lawyers help?
Our team represents companies and entrepreneurs at every stage of the proceedings: preparing and filing the creditor claim with complete documentation, analysing set-off options, representation at the examination hearing and in litigation over disputed claims, as well as advising on business continuity and on relations with Alta Banka’s debtors. The deadlines are short and filing errors are difficult to cure — contact us in good time at milos.vuckovic@ivvk.rs or by phone, and we will respond promptly.
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice on a specific matter, please consult a lawyer.