What Is an Archival Inspection?
An archival inspection is an audit conducted by competent archives over legal entities and entrepreneurs in Serbia, to verify that documentation is stored, maintained, and protected in accordance with the Law on Archival Materials and Archival Activities.
Inspections can be regular (planned) or extraordinary (upon complaint or initiative). Any company in Serbia can be subject to inspection — regardless of size or activity.
What Do Inspectors Check?
1. Rulebook on Protection of Registry Material
Does the company have an adopted internal Rulebook? Is it up to date? Are employees familiar with it?
2. Category List of Registry Material
Does a Category List with retention periods exist? Has it been approved by the competent archive? Does it match the company's actual documentation types?
3. Archive Book
Is it maintained? Is it properly filled in? Was it submitted to the archive on time (by April 30th)? Are sequential numbers continuous?
4. Appointment of Responsible Person
Has a person responsible for protection of registry material been formally appointed?
5. Storage Conditions
Where is documentation stored? Is the room adequate (dry, fire-protected, locked)? Are shelves and binders in order?
6. Document Destruction
Has the company destroyed any documentation? If so — did it first obtain archive approval? Does a destruction record exist?
How to Prepare for Inspection
Use this checklist to verify your readiness:
- Adopted Rulebook on Protection of Registry Material
- Category List approved by the competent archive
- Archive book filled in and submitted for all previous years
- Responsible person appointed (with decision/resolution)
- Documentation stored in adequate conditions
- If destruction occurred — archive approval + record
- Electronic documentation properly archived
Penalties for Violations
According to Articles 42-43 of the Law:
| Violator | Penalty Range |
|---|---|
| Legal entities | 50,000 — 2,000,000 RSD |
| Entrepreneurs | 10,000 — 500,000 RSD |
| Responsible persons | 5,000 — 150,000 RSD |
The harshest penalties are for destroying documentation without approval, especially if documents of permanent value are destroyed.
What If Your Company Has Never Submitted an Archive Book?
This is a common scenario. Many companies operate for years without ever submitting an archive book. In that case:
- Don't panic, but act immediately
- Retroactively fill archive books for all previous years
- Adopt a Rulebook and Category List if you don't have them
- Appoint a responsible person
- Contact the competent archive — they are usually cooperative and help companies that come voluntarily
It's better to approach the archive yourself than to wait for an inspection.
Conclusion
An archival inspection is nothing to fear — provided your documentation is in order. The key is a systematic approach: Rulebook, Category List, archive book, and adequate storage.
With Arhivix, all these requirements are automated. The system generates the archive book, tracks retention periods, categorizes documents by Category List, and maintains complete records for any inspection. Sign up free.
