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Visa policy of Serbia

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Visitors to Serbia must obtain a visa from one of the Serbian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.

Visa policy of Serbia is similar to the visa policy of the Schengen Area. Serbia grants visa-free entry to most Schengen Annex II nationalities, except for Brunei, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Kiribati, Malaysia, Mauritius, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nicaragua, Panama, Samoa, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Taiwan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Venezuela. It also grants visa-free entry to several additional countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Suriname and Turkey.

Visa policy map

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Visa policy of Serbia
  Serbia
  Visa not required (90 days)
  Visa not required (30 days)
  Visa not required (14 days)
  Visa required

Visa exemption

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Ordinary passports

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Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries and territories may enter Serbia without a visa for the following period:[1][2]

90 days within any 180 days

30 days

30 days within any 1 year

14 days

ID - May enter with a national ID card (incl. Irish passport card).
1 - 30 days visa-free period for holders of passports endorsed for public affairs too.
2 - Including all classes of British nationality.

Fee exemption

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Nationals of the following countries are exempt from short (up to 90 days) and long stay (up to 180 days) visa fees:[65]

Substitute visa

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Since 8 November 2014, holders of valid visa or residents of Cyprus, Ireland, Schengen Area member states, United Kingdom or the United States may enter Serbia without a visa for a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period, provided visa remains valid for the entire length of stay.[66]

Reciprocity

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Serbian citizens may enter most of the countries whose citizens are granted visa-free access to Serbia without a visa except for Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain (grants visa on arrival), Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Palau (grants visa on arrival), Paraguay, United Kingdom, United States.

Non-ordinary passports

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Holders of diplomatic, official & service passports of the following countries and territories may enter Serbia visa-free for up to 90 days (unless otherwise stated):[1]

D - Diplomatic passports only.
1 - 60 days
2 - 30 days
3 - 14 days

Future changes

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Serbia has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet entered into force:

Country Passports Agreement signed on
 Vanuatu[67] All 21 November 2019
 Palestine[68] Diplomatic, service 09 January 2020
 Saint Lucia[69] Diplomatic, service 3 February 2022
 Sao Tome and Principe[70] Diplomatic, service 6 July 2022
 Ghana[71] Diplomatic, service 8 July 2022
 Eswatini[72] Diplomatic, service 29 July 2022
 Tajikistan[73] Diplomatic, service 21 September 2022
 Antigua and Barbuda[74] All 16 January 2023
 Togo[75] Diplomatic 15 March 2023
 Guinea-Bissau[76] Diplomatic, official, special 6 April 2023
 Maldives[77] Diplomatic, service 9 May 2023
 Venezuela[78] Ordinary 14 July 2023
 Guatemala[79] Ordinary 22 September 2023
 Uzbekistan[80] Diplomatic, official 23 September 2024
 Tuvalu[81] Diplomatic, official 23 September 2024
   Nepal[82] Diplomatic, official 26 September 2024
 Tuvalu[83] Ordinary 21 November 2024

Online applications

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As of 2024, visas can be applied for online. However, they are still not issued in electronic form, requiring a visit to a diplomatic or consular office to have the visa affixed to a passport.[84]

General entry requirements for Serbia

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Entry stamp
Exit stamp
Entry and exit stamps on a blank sheet issued at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.

The following are general entry requirements for Serbia:[85]

  • Valid passport/travel document;
  • Valid visa in the passport, if a Serbian visa is required for passport holders of the respective country;
  • Proof of sufficient funds for staying in Serbia. Sufficient funds are considered to be 50 euros per day of stay, proved by possession of the appropriate amount of cash, bank statement, traveler's cheques, credit cards or a letter of guarantee;
  • Certificate of vaccination or a note that he/she has not contracted a contagious disease despite coming from an area affected by a pandemic, as defined by the information of the Ministry of Health.
  • If underage children are traveling with one of their parents, it is necessary to submit a relevant certified authorization by the other parent; or if the child is traveling with a third person such authorization is required from both parents or guardian;
  • It is recommended to have a health insurance for the period of stay in Serbia, covering possible medical costs to the amount of not less than 20,000 euros.

Visa requirements

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Serbian visa specimen

Requirements for tourist / business visa

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Tourist visa entitles its holder only for tourism trip and visit of relatives and / or friends. Tourist visa holders are prohibited to engage in business or work activities in Serbia.[86]

General visa requirements:

Valid passport (passport must be valid at least 90 days from issue date of visa) Letter of invitation:

  • Invitation letter for a private visit certified by the relevant authority of the Republic of Serbia;[87]
  • Invitation letter for a business visit by a company in Serbia;[88]
  • Invitation letter for a tourist trip – a proof of payment for the trip issued by a travel agency (voucher or other type of payment receipt);
  • Completed visa application form: (PDF);[89]
  • Photo (size 3.5x4.5 cm);
  • Return ticket or Itinerary (copy of driving license and insurance if traveling by car);
  • Proof of sufficient funds for staying in Serbia;
  • Health insurance;
  • Visa fee.

Visa applications should be submitted to the Embassy or Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia abroad.[90]

For the issuance of a transit visa, person should have an entry visa for the country entering after the Republic of Serbia. In case a visa is not required for that country, person will be asked to present other documents explaining the purpose of his/her visit there.

Serbian diplomatic mission reserves the right to request additional documentation. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Requirements for temporary residence visa / work visa

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Anyone wishing to live and work in Serbia will be required to apply for a temporary residence permit (for nationals requiring a visa, a temporary residence visa has to be obtained before entry).[91] To obtain a temporary visa for employment purposes, you will need to secure a job offer from a Serbian company or government department, or a foreign company based in Serbia.

The criteria for approval of an employment visa include suitable educational qualifications or work experience, a secured employment contract in Serbia, proof of adequate means of subsistence in Serbia, police confirmation that you have no criminal record, and a satisfactory medical examination. All official documents must be translated into Serbian.

Requirements for permanent residence

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Permanent residency in Serbia can be acquired after five years of temporary residency, three years of temporary residency if married to a Serbian citizen and on special basis.[92]

Obligatory registration

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If foreign travelers stay at a hotel, hostel or other commercial accommodation during their visit to Serbia, they are not required to register with the police, since the accommodation will complete the registration on their behalf and issue a receipt confirming it (if not automatically issued, the traveler should request it).

When staying in a private accommodation, the owner of the apartment / house must register the foreigner with the police station of the precinct in which the residence is located (alternatively, the owner can issue a written authorization in advance through a notary for the foreigner to register him/herself within 24 hours of the foreigner entering the country.[93][94] The process involves filling in an online form (also available at major police stations) which is signed and stamped by a police officer.

Visitors should safeguard this form during the stay in the country, as it may be checked by police inside the country and / or when exiting Serbia. Failing to complete the registration may result in a RSD 5,000-150,000 fine (also for the accommodation provider / host), imprisonment and / or deportation.

Visitor statistics

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Most visitors arriving in Serbia for tourism (counting only those in registered tourist accommodations) were from the following countries of nationality:[95][96][97]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Visa regime that the Republic of Serbia applies to foreign citizens". Mfa.gov.rs.
  2. ^ "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
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  12. ^ "None".
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  14. ^ "Odluka o ukidanju viza za državljane Ruske Federacije". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  15. ^ Previous visa-free agreement under different terms were applied in period 1965 (on duty),1967 (for tourism)-1990 as Yugoslavia and 1990-2009.
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  24. ^ "Visa-free access to the Republic of Serbia for HKSAR passport holders - Immigration Department". www.immd.gov.hk. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  25. ^ "Zakon o potvrđivanju Sporazuma između Vlade Republike Srbije i Vlade Specijalne Administrativne Regije Makao Narodne Republike Kine o međusobnom ukidanju viza". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  26. ^ "Odluka o ulasku nosilaca svih vrsta putnih isprava Ujedinjenih Arapskih Emirata u Republiku Srbiju bez vize". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  27. ^ "Zakon o potvrđivanju Sporazuma između Vlade Republike Srbije i Vlade Mongolije o ukidanju viza za državljane dveju zemalja". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  28. ^ "Odluka o ukidanju viza za ulazak u Republiku Srbiju". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  29. ^ "The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Moldova on the Exemption of Visa Requirements for their Respective Nationals". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  30. ^ "Zakon o potvrđivanju Sporazuma između Vlade Republike Srbije i Vlade Republike Moldavije o ukidanju viza za državljane dveju zemalja". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  31. ^ "The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the People's Republic of China on mutual visa exemption for holders of ordinary passports". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  32. ^ "Zakon o potvrđivanju Sporazuma između Vlade Republike Srbije i Vlade Narodne Republike Kine o međusobnom ukidanju viza za nosioce običnih pasoša". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  33. ^ "The Decision on visa exemption for the nationals of Republic of Peru, holding ordinary passports". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
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  35. ^ "The Decision on visa exemption for the nationals of the Republic of India, holding ordinary passports". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  36. ^ "Odluka o ukidanju viza za ulazak u Republiku Srbiju za državljane Republike Indije". www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  37. ^ "The Decision on visa exemption for the nationals of the Islamic Republic of Iran, holding ordinary passports". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  38. ^ "Decision on visa exemption for the nationals of the Republic of Indonesia, holders of ordinary passports". mfa.rs. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
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  40. ^ "DECISION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA ON VISA EXEMPTION FOR TNE NATIONALS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SURINAME, HOLDERS OF ALL PASSPORTS". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  41. ^ "ABOLISHED VISAS FOR CITISENS FOUR (4) COUNTRIES OF THE CARIBBEAN REGION AND TWO (2) COUNTRIES OF THE LATIN AMERICAN REGION". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  42. ^ "ABOLISHED VISAS FOR CITISENS OF GEORGIA, HOLDERS OF ORDINARY PASSPORT". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  43. ^ "ABOLISHED VISAS FOR CITISENS OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN, HOLDERS OF ORDINARY PASSPORTS". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  44. ^ "ABOLISHED VISAS FOR CITISENS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI". mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  45. ^ "Abolished Visas for Citisens of Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Commonwealth of Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago". Archived from the original on 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  46. ^ "Соглашение между Правительством КР и Правительством Республики Сербия о взаимной отмене визовых требований для владельцев общегражданских паспортов (Agreement between the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the mutual abolition of visa requirements for holders of general passports)" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2018-11-06.
  47. ^ Одлука о укидању виза за улазак у Републику Србију за држављане Федерације Свети Китс и Невис и Републике Палау: 3/2019-32. www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  48. ^ "Visa Waiver Agreement with the Republic of Suriname". Archived from the original on 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  49. ^ "Abolished Visas for Citisens of Armenia, Holders of Ordinary Passports". Archived from the original on 2019-11-02. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
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  63. ^ "Serbia Has Introduced Visas for Nationals of Bolivia Following EU Pressure". 28 February 2023.
  64. ^ "Serbia Has Introduced Visas for Cubans in Bid to Align it's visa Policy with EU". 14 April 2023.
  65. ^ [1]
  66. ^ "Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Portuguese Republic". Lisbon.mfa.gov.rs. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  67. ^ "Vanuatu signs MOU and Visa Waiver Agreement with Serbia". Vanuatu Daily Post. November 23, 2019.
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