Visa policy of Serbia

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.

Ordinary passports
Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries and territories may enter Serbia without a visa for the following period:

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.

Substitute visa
Since 8 November 2014, holders of valid visa or residents of the 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.

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

Non-ordinary passports
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):

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

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

General entry requirements for Serbia
The following are general entry requirements for Serbia:
 * 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.

Requirements for tourist / business visa
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.

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;
 * Invitation letter for a business visit by a company in Serbia;
 * 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);
 * 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.

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
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). 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
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.

Obligatory registration
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. 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
Most visitors arriving in Serbia for tourism (counting only those in registered tourist accommodations) were from the following countries of nationality: