ALTA bankruptcy: what depositors should do now
For ALTA depositors with more than €50,000. AOD, the state Deposit Insurance Agency that also administers the bank’s bankruptcy, repays up to €50,000. The rest comes back only through the bank’s bankruptcy, and you have to file a claim with the court yourself.
Now: stage 4
Payout of up to €50,000 starts on 13.11.2026 at Poštanska štedionica
- Up to €50,000 — from 13.11 at Poštanska branches. Bring an identity document and the original deposit document. What to bring and where to go →
- More than €50,000 — you get the first €50,000 at Poštanska too. Claim the amount above it with the court by 4 February 2027. How to file →
Checked 8 Nov 2026. Updated with every official announcement. All stages: 7 →
- ✓The National Bank revoked the licence30.10.2026
- ✓The court opened bankruptcy03.11.2026
- ✓AOD named the paying bank, Poštanska štedionica; contract signed03.11.2026, contract 05.11.2026
- 4Payout of up to €50,000 at Poštanskafrom 13.11.2026, apply by 03.11.2029 (AOD notice of 06.11)
- 5Filing the claim above €50,000: the period runs in parallel with the payoutnotice published on 06.11.2026 (Official Gazette No. 109); 90 days — until 04.02.2027 · text of the notice (copy) · issue No. 109 of 06.11.2026
- 6Claims review and the court's final listup to 6 months after the filing period + up to 60 days (art. 17)
- 7Payouts above the limitno deadline in the law
Three steps if you have more than €50,000
Section titled “Three steps if you have more than €50,000”1. Today: save the statements and documents you already have
Section titled “1. Today: save the statements and documents you already have”- PDF statements you managed to download;
- the bank’s statement emails and SMS messages about balances;
- your account and deposit agreements.
You don’t need to send these documents anywhere on their own — just collect them now. If you have more than €50,000, file your claim with the court by 4 February 2027.
How to export them: What to save2. When to file the claim
Section titled “2. When to file the claim”Claim for the amount above €50,000 — by 4 February 2027. Where this deadline comes from → Don’t wait for the €50,000 payout: the deadline runs regardless.
More: claim above €50,0003. What to expect
Section titled “3. What to expect”How much the bank owes depositors above the limit will be clear after the claims review: AOD has up to 6 months after the filing period ends, then the court holds a hearing no later than 60 days after that (Law on Bankruptcy and Liquidation of Banks, art. 17). There is no payout deadline: money is paid as the bank’s assets are sold. At Univerzal banka (2014) the first payment above the limit came after 6 years 7 months (09.2020). Once payouts above the limit begin, payment details will be needed: before the first distribution at Univerzal (2020), the bank in bankruptcy (administered by AOD) asked creditors to send a copy of their ID card, account number and phone.
More: how it went with UniverzalExample: you have €140,000 at ALTA. This is an example, not a forecast.
- €50,000 is paid by AOD; you don’t file anything in court for it.
- €90,000 is your claim in court, filed by 4 February 2027. The money comes as the bank’s assets are sold. Univerzal depositors in rank I received about 96.5% of recognised claims, in three parts, after 6 years 7 months to 7 years 4 months, with no interest for the years of waiting (how it went).
If you have less than €50,000, AOD repays all of it: you don’t file anything in court; watch for announcements on aod.rs.
Why the licence was revoked, in the National Bank’s words: the bank’s financial condition “deteriorated significantly”, threatening the interests of its depositors (full quote).
Beware of scams. Do not send your passport or account details to anyone who promises to speed up the payout or buy your claim. Official announcements come from AOD (aod.rs), the National Bank (nbs.rs) and the Commercial Court in Belgrade; the bankruptcy notice is published in the Official Gazette (Službeni glasnik). How to avoid scams →
All sections
Section titled “All sections”- Payout up to €50,000When, where and with which documents: PoštanskaOpen →
- Claim above €50,000Who files, where and by whenOpen →
- What to save: statements and documentsWeb banking is closed: what to gather without itOpen →
- Procedure and timelineSeven stages from licence revocation to payoutsOpen →
- Stay safe: avoid scamsWhat to do if someone promises to “speed up the payout”Open →
- FAQCourt, Poštanska, lawyer, sole traders, currency, loans, power of attorneyOpen →
- A lawyerWhy you might need one, how to choose and checkOpen →
- NewsAnnouncements from AOD, the National Bank and the bankOpen →
- Where to open an account for the payout (in Russian)The payout through Poštanska can be transferred to an account at another bank in Serbia. Depositors share which banks let them open a personal account and a sole-trader or business account.Statistics by bank →Share your experience →
- Past cases (Univerzal)What depositors received in 2014Open →
- The bankOwner and management from registriesOpen →
- Bank documentsFinancial statements and audit reports, original PDFsOpen →
- LawsThe articles behind the deadlinesOpen →
- How to helpFix a mistake or add a sourceOpen →
- Useful links and helpChats, help with food and household items, official contactsOpen →
Most asked right now
Section titled “Most asked right now”Can I file my claim with the court yet?
Only if you have more than €50,000 at ALTA: the court claim is for the amount above it. The last day is 4 February 2027. File without waiting for the insurance payout. If you have up to €50,000, you don't file anything in court.
Where this deadline comes from · Where to find the notice · Law, art. 7
Should I rush to Poštanska now?
Not before 13.11. On 06.11 AOD announced that the payout of up to €50,000 starts on 13.11.2026 at the Poštanska branches designated for ALTA depositors, during working hours. AOD published the branch list on 06.11. The list has 54 branches in 13 cities. One of them, in Belgrade (Kraljice Marije 3), is marked “specialised, for payout only” (SPECIJALIZOVANA EKSPOZITURA SAMO ZA ISPLATU). What this mark means is not clear from the AOD document; we are waiting for clarification. Addresses and hours are on «How to get the insured amount up to €50,000», section «Poštanska branches». You can apply until 03.11.2029. What to bring (individual, sole trader, company): see «How to get the insured amount up to €50,000».
AOD branch list (PDF) · AOD notice, 06.11 (PDF) · AOD announcement, 03.11
Personal account and sole-trader account: one limit or two?
Two: the €50,000 limit applies separately to the individual and to the same person as a sole trader. AOD confirmed this in writing on 02.11.2026. Sole traders and micro, small and medium-sized companies are paid only by transfer to an account (AOD procedure, section VIII).
Do I need to file an application anywhere to get up to €50,000?
Not with the court. At a branch of the paying bank, staff show you how your amount was calculated and print the payout request; you sign it if you agree. If you disagree with the amount or the currency, you file a complaint (AOD, questions and answers).
Do I need a lawyer?
The law does not require one: a creditor can draft the claim alone, using AOD's template or in free form (AOD). A lawyer can help with the Serbian text and the interest calculation, but this does not change your rank or payout share: everyone in rank I gets the same share (art. 20 of the Law on Bankruptcy and Liquidation of Banks; art. 54 para. 3 of the Bankruptcy Law).
These are the most frequent questions. The full list is in the Questions and answers section: sole traders, currency, power of attorney, loans, safe boxes →
What happens after the court decision
Section titled “What happens after the court decision”The court opened ALTA’s bankruptcy on 03.11.2026 (case 10 St 275/2026, how to check it yourself). What comes next, by law and by how AOD handled Univerzal banka in 2014:
Latest official news
Section titled “Latest official news”AOD announces a competition for its trustee in the ALTA banka bankruptcy
On 09.11.2026 AOD announced a public competition to appoint its trustee (poverenik) in the bankruptcy of ALTA banka a.d. Beograd u stečaju. Basis: Article 9 of the Law on AOD and Management Board decision 241/26 of 06.11.2026. AOD is the bankruptcy administrator by decision of the Commercial Court in Belgrade 10 СТ 275/2026 of 03.11.2026. The trustee is chosen from the list of licensed bankruptcy administrators and runs the proceedings to the end. Applications: 7 days from publication in “Politika”. Nothing changes for depositors: the claim filing deadline and the payout of the insured amount are unchanged. Key quote in Serbian (Cyrillic): «Агенција за осигурање депозита покреће поступак именовања повереника са листе лиценцираних стечајних управника ради спровођења и окончања стечаја над стечајним дужником АЛТА банком а.д. Београд у стечају.»
All announcements from AOD, the National Bank and the bank’s website are on the News page.