The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts is an institution of special national importance and is the sole representative of the Republic of Serbia in international associations of national academies. It is an independent institution, has the status of a legal entity and is managed by its members. It owns movable and immovable property and is entitled to use certain state-owned immovable property in keeping with the pertinent law. It manages endowments and foundations as well as donations from individuals and legal entities and its activities are open to the public.

The legal basis for the work of SASA is found in the Law on the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which regulates its scientific research activities, and in the Statute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences, labor-related and financial laws, and other regulations.

SASA members are classified as full, corresponding and foreign members. The permanent working part of the Academy includes its full members (academicians) and corresponding members, who are entitled to receive the Academy award as a form of recognition of merit.

Territorially, SASA’s activities are carried out in its seat in Belgrade, its respective Novi Sad and Niš branches, SASA units outside its seat (at Sremski Karlovci), and in the SASA and University of Kragujevac Center for Scientific Research. Functionally, SASA’s activities are carried out in its departments, branches, units (Library, Archives, Gallery), committees, commissions, and its Center for Scientific Research.

SASA has management bodies and an administrative service in charge of professional, technical, financial, legal and other matters and founding rights in eight scientific institutes.

The work of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts is financed from the Budget of the Republic of Serbia, but SASA can also use the money from its funds, endowments and foundations, as well as the money earned through contracts with third parties and that received from donors or other sources.