# Serbian regulators shut down the go-to bank for Russian exiles, costing many their life savings

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/serbian-regulators-shut-down-the-go-to-bank-for-russian-exiles-costing-many-their-life-savings/
- Published: 2026-11-10T19:13:59+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-10T19:21:32+00:00
- Original publisher: Meduza
- Original article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/11/10/serbian-regulators-shut-down-the-go-to-bank-for-russian-exiles-costing-many-their-life-savings
- Topics: Europe, World

## Key points

- Alta Bank’s licence was revoked on 31 October.
- Compensation is capped at €50,000 per customer.
- Russian emigrants and businesses face frozen savings and account access problems.

## Summary

Serbian regulators revoked Alta Bank’s licence on 31 October, freezing savings held by many Russian emigrants and disrupting their businesses. The bank had become a popular choice among Russians in Serbia, and customers say they received no warning before branches closed.

Serbia’s Deposit Insurance Agency says compensation payments could start on 13 November, but customers can recover at most €50,000. More than 100 Russian entrepreneurs used Alta, according to a map compiled by the human rights group Kovcheg. One family, who moved to Serbia two years ago and opened a Japanese restaurant, says its savings exceed the insurance cap and that difficulty opening new accounts is making it harder to pay suppliers and rent.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.