Postal service is a service that includes any handling of postal items by postal service providers involving the collection, processing, transmission and delivery of postal items in domestic and international postal traffic. Postal service does not cover transport of postal items as a stand-alone service.

Universal postal service

Universal postal service is a service of general interest and is a set of postal services that are continuously provided throughout the territory of the Republic of Serbia, within the prescribed quality, at affordable prices and on equal terms for all users, without discrimination.

Universal postal service in domestic and international postal traffic shall include the collection, sorting, transport and delivery of:                    

• letter-post items weighing up to two kilograms;
• written communication in court, administrative and misdemeanor proceedings, regardless of the limits;
• collection and delivery of parcels up to ten kilograms in domestic postal traffic;
• collection of parcels up to ten kilograms and delivery of parcels up to twenty kilograms in international postal traffic;
• secogrammes of weight up to seven kilograms without postage in domestic postal traffic;
• collection, transfer and payment of a postal order in domestic and international postal traffic.

Universal postal service can be provided by the public postal operator (the PPO), whereas other postal operators can provide universal postal service other than reserved services, based on a license. Only the public postal operator has the exclusive right to use the name or the word "post" in any language or script in the name or business.

Universal service provision enables users to access the public postal operator’s network at a reasonable distance from their place of residence, including postal mailboxes at public places and the PPO’s business premises.

Universal postal service shall be provided every business day, not less than five days a week, except on days of national and religious holidays, force majeure and threat to the health and safety of employees at postal operators.

The Agency shall prescribe exceptions from the five-day postal delivery, referring mostly to special and remoted geographic areas, with small number of inabitants and postal items, where less than five-day delivery is justifiable.

Reserved postal services

Reserved postal services are part of a universal postal service entrusted to a public postal operator and include:

• collection and/or sorting and/or transport and/or delivery of letter-post items of up to 50 grams;
• collection and/or sorting and/or transport and/or delivery of documents in court, administrative and misdemeanor proceedings, as registered mail, regardless of limits;
• receiving and/or transferring and/or paying of postal orders.

Letter-post items up to 50 grams shall not be considered reserved postal services if their price is equal to or higher than the amount which is two and a half times the price of the letter-post item of the fastest category according to the valid price list of the designated postal operator, universal postal service provider. 

Other postal services

Other postal services include:

• collection, sorting, transport and delivery of parcels weighing over ten kilograms in domestic postal traffic;                    
• collection, sorting and transport of outbound parcels weighing over ten kilograms in international postal transport;
• sorting, transport and delivery of inbound parcels weighing over twenty kilograms in international postal traffic;
• value-added services;
• complementary services.

All postal operators may provide other postal services in accordance with the law governing the postal services. 

Value-added services

Value-added services are postal services that have special requirements regarding the quality and manner of collection, sorting, transport and delivery.  

The value-added services shall be considered:      

• courier services which include collection of a postal item at the sender's address and direct transport and delivery at the recipient's address, without sorting;                    
• express services which include collection, sorting, transport and delivery of postal items within the shortest and guaranteed timeframes, the next business day at the latest;          
• electronic tracking services from collection to delivery of the postal item;         
• services where the sender has direct communication with the person directly providing the postal service for additional instructions regarding the delivery of the postal item;           
• delivery of the consignment with the agreed delivery time;           
• other services in accordance with the law governing the postal services.  

Complementary postal services

Complementary postal services are postal services that contain a special way of handling the collection, sorting, transport and delivery of postal items.

The complementary services shall be considered:

• services upon request of the recipient, and
• services upon request of the sender.

A request for all complementary postal services may be submitted at any stage of the provision of postal services, until delivery.