Visa to Serbia for Russians in 2021, is it necessary to apply for Schengen, how much does a tourist and transit permit cost?

Russians do not need a tourist visa to Serbia in 2021, but the period of visa-free stay in the country is limited to 30 days. To obtain a visa for a longer stay in this Balkan state, you need to contact the Serbian consulate in Russia. What documents to collect and what to take care of so that your trip to the Balkans goes smoothly and carefree, read in this material.

It should also be taken into account that Kosovo has a special visa regime. The Serbian Constitution considers the republic to be its territory, but it is not subject to control and is considered a partially recognized state.

Belgrade is the capital of Serbia

Rules for entry into Serbia for Russian citizens in connection with coronavirus in 2021

Serbia opened its borders to Russians after the coronavirus in 2021. In November, international flights between Russia and Serbia were resumed.
Russians do not need a PCR test or a certificate confirming the absence of coronavirus to enter Serbia. There is no quarantine for visiting tourists.
A passport for traveling to Serbia must be valid for at least 90 days from the end of the trip.

Do I need a PCR test to travel to Serbia?

Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians do not need a PCR test to travel to Serbia. Only citizens of Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Macedonia need to have a certificate confirming the absence of coronavirus.

The situation with coronavirus changes frequently, so before the trip itself we recommend that you check the information with official representatives again; contacts can be found on the official website of the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Resumption of international air traffic between Russia and Serbia

In November 2021, the resumption of international air traffic between Russia and Serbia began. International flights operate on the route Moscow – Belgrade and back.

Do Russians need a visa to Serbia?

To relax and get to know the country, visit relatives or friends, or conduct business negotiations, Russians do not need a visa to enter Serbia. If the trip has other purposes, obtaining a permit is necessary.

The only thing the Serbian authorities require from visitors is to report to law enforcement agencies within 24 hours and register. If a tourist is staying at a hotel, then registration issues are handled by its administration. Those who have come to visit relatives or friends must present themselves with them to the local police station. The registration procedure will not take much time. First you need to buy “white cardboard” at a newsstand and enter your personal information there. The police will put a stamp that confirms your legal presence in the country.

Registration is rarely checked by authorized bodies, but it is better not to neglect it. If upon inspection it turns out that there is no white cardboard, violators will be issued a fine of 5 euros for each day of stay.

Serbia is open for visits

Located on the border of the Balkan Peninsula of Central Europe, Serbia remains an open country in the literal sense of the word, although since 2012 it has been an official candidate for membership of the European Union.

A visa to Serbia is required only for certain categories of citizens or for certain purposes of the visit; in general, this country is ready to accept foreign citizens all year round; she has something to offer them.

You will have the chance to get acquainted with unique nature, pure virgin landscape, kind ordinary people, South Slavic culture and natural products. This country is rich in famous historical figures: Peter I Karadjordjevic, Milan IV Obrenovic (kings of Serbia), Nikola Tesla (physicist-inventor), Emir Kusturica (director) and others.

Did you know that Serbia is a country with a special spirit. It is very closely connected historically with the Russian Federation. Residents of Serbia, immigrants from the former Yugoslavia, understand Russian speech and writing well. In general, life in Serbia is quite similar to Russia. If you have not yet visited this beautiful country, have not seen Belgrade, the Sava River and the famous Prince Michael Street leading to Kalemegdan, then find out if you need a visa to Serbia, and go!

Visa-free Serbia – what documents are needed?

The official website of the Serbian Embassy in Russia says that Russian citizens can come to the country without a visa and stay on its territory for 30 days. In addition, a bilateral agreement has been concluded between Russia and Serbia, which contains only one restriction for Russians: the duration of a continuous visa-free stay in Serbia should not exceed 30 days from the date of entry.

In other words, as long as the agreement is in force (it was signed in 2009), a citizen of the Russian Federation has the right to live in Serbia at least all the time, provided that every 30 days he travels outside the country: by plane, by train or by car - it doesn’t matter. In practice, few people use this opportunity, but the agreement really works. I tested it on myself and will share my experience below.

If you don’t need a visa to Serbia, what might you need on your trip? I'm telling you!

Money. Officially, Serbia requires funds (cash or card) in the amount of 50 euros for each day of stay in the country. In practice, they do not ask about the amount of money. For example, I crossed the border with Serbia 10 times and was never asked about money. My mother flew to Serbia, friends from Hungary came - no one was asked about the availability of money.

Insurance. The Serbian authorities recommend purchasing medical insurance for tourists in an amount of at least 20,000 euros. The key word here is recommend. They don’t ask for it at the border either. Here it’s up to you to decide whether to take out travel insurance or not. Article about insurance.

Children. If a minor child comes to Serbia with one of the parents, then you must have a power of attorney from the second one. If he is traveling with third parties, then a power of attorney from both parents is required.

Animals. The dog/cat must be microchipped and have a veterinary passport with a rabies vaccine stamp. To Europe by car with a dog - my experience.

To Serbia by car. Everything is simple here too. A green card is required; an international driver's license is not required.

Registration of foreigners in Serbia and white cardboard

According to the laws of Serbia, citizens of foreign countries arriving in the country are required to register within 24 hours of crossing the border. This procedure usually takes place at the police station. The registration is called "white card" because the document is a small rectangular white card. She looks like this.

Travelers who have booked a hotel room have it easiest. The hotel administration deals with these issues itself.

Those who rented an apartment or came to visit friends/relatives must register independently. Most often, the tourist and the owner of the apartment go to the police together, but this option is also possible when you simply give your passport to the host, and he returns it along with the enclosed white cardboard.

Moreover, the law states that registration must be done when moving from one Serbian city to another. That is, after you have lived in Belgrade for three days, you are moving to Novi Sad, where you must register again. In fact, most tourists limit themselves to registering in the first city. The advantage of the document is that only the date of registration is indicated. In fact, it is valid for 30 days, that is, the entire period of the tourist’s legal stay in Serbia.

What happens if there is no white cardboard?

If there are any fines for not registering in Serbia, I have not heard of them. But this does not mean that white cardboard does not need to be decorated. As practice has shown, they don’t always ask, and even if they do and there is no white cardboard, they will most likely let you go in peace. In my case, the worst thing is that out of all the numerous trips to Serbia, when leaving it, I was asked about white cardboard twice and both times I didn’t have it on hand. I will tell you about my experience in chronological order. In all cases, I crossed the border by car.

September 2021 – border of Serbia and Montenegro, there was no white cardboard, they didn’t ask for it.
February 2021 – border of Serbia and Romania, there was no white cardboard, the customs officer asked about it. I rolled my eyes and said that the owner of the apartment didn’t tell me anything like that, and I don’t know. They released him in peace.
March 2021 – border of Serbia and Bosnia, there was white cardboard, they didn’t ask.
May 2021 – border of Serbia and Hungary, there was white cardboard, they didn’t ask.
August 2021 – border of Serbia and Macedonia, there was white cardboard, they didn’t ask.
October 2021 – border of Serbia and Hungary, there was white cardboard, they didn’t ask.
February 2021 – border between Serbia and Bulgaria, there was white cardboard, they didn’t ask.
March 2021 – border between Serbia and Romania (different checkpoint, not the one in February 2017), there was no white cardboard, they asked. They released him in peace.
May 2021 – border of Serbia and Hungary, there was no white cardboard, they didn’t ask.

Another example from personal experience. In April 2021, I needed to fly to Russia on business. At that moment I was in Belgrade, there was no one to leave the dog with. He “discharged” his mother from the Russian Federation. Usually, air tickets from Moscow to Belgrade are oh so expensive, but with the help of the Momondo search engine we managed to find inexpensive tickets, and even from Aeroflot (view air tickets to Belgrade). She arrived for 10 days and was not registered with the police. When flying out of Belgrade, they didn’t ask her about any white cardboard.

Decide for yourself whether to register in Serbia upon arrival or not. As for me, the procedure, although idiotic, is completely unburdensome and free. So it’s better to pay taxes, register on white cardboard and sleep peacefully.

Visa-free entry to Serbia

Every potential tourist is faced with the question of the need to obtain a visa to the destination country. During vacations, holidays or seasonal events, tourists prefer countries that do not require a visa in advance. This is obvious, you buy hot tickets and fly. Why all this paperwork and additional costs?

In case of a short-term tourist trip for Russians, citizens of some CIS countries and allied countries of the Republic, the Serbian Foreign Ministry approved a visa-free regime for a period of 30 to 90 days, depending on citizenship.

For example, citizens of Russia and Ukraine are allowed to stay only 30 days, and citizens of Cuba - 90 days. The period may be increased if you have diplomatic or official status; The same applies to family members of diplomats.

If the purpose of your trip is not tourism, but a private visit, transit or business trip, then you can also do this with only a foreign passport. In practice, what happens is this: the border guard will ask you about the purpose of the visit, and may ask for a return ticket. But you don't have to prove anything to anyone.

If you violate the terms of your stay, the issue will be resolved upon departure. It is enough to indicate to the border guard that you know the law about 30 days and are fully prepared to comply with it.

It is very important to understand that the mutual visa-free regime with the Russian Federation applies regardless of the number of entries and exits during the year, that is, every 30 days you must cross the border of Serbia, for example, going to neighboring Montenegro or Macedonia, and then you can return back.

Not all countries allow this, since they impose a limit on days in a six-month period, most often only 90 days of stay in every 180 days. If you want to obtain a permanent residence permit in Serbia, you will need to fulfill a number of requirements so that you can stay in the country as long as you want.

As already written above, Serbia is an official candidate for accession to the European Union. This does not mean that it will automatically be given the status of a Schengen state. Therefore, you won’t have to apply for Schengen specifically for a long time.

However, on October 30, 2014, the Government of the Republic of Serbia approved a visa-free regime for foreign citizens whose foreign passports contain a valid Schengen visa, UK or US visa; Citizens of these states also have the right to visa-free visits to the country for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.

The resolution came into force on November 8, 2014. Consequently, for Russian citizens, visa-free stay in Serbia can be increased from 30 days to 90, if they have a valid visa from countries that are members of the Schengen Alliance.

In 2021, changes will not affect the general visa regime between our countries. Taking into account recent economic events, the Republic has placed even more hope in our country, and residents of the two countries have begun to establish economic ties more often. And yet tourism is not the last line of treasury income; local politicians also rely on it.

Validity period of a foreign passport for Russians

The validity of a foreign passport for Russians must be at least 90 days at the time of return to their homeland.

Required documents

In case of a stay for a longer period of time - for study, work, etc. - a visa to Serbia is needed and you must take care in advance to obtain it from the Serbian Embassy, which is located in Moscow on Mosfilmovskaya Street, building 46.

To obtain a Serbian visa, the following documents are required:

A foreign passport valid for more than 90 days as of the date of return;
A copy of the foreign passport and all completed pages of the Russian passport;
Photos measuring 3.5x4.5 cm, 2 pieces;
An application form that can be filled out either manually or printed on a computer;
A copy of return tickets (plane, train, bus), or in case of crossing the border by car - documents for the vehicle (registration certificate, Green Card insurance, driver's license);
A bank statement that there are enough funds in your personal account to stay in Serbia, namely at least 50 euros per day per person; If you do not work, then you need to issue a sponsorship letter, which will contain a certificate of the sponsor’s income. For students and pensioners, official documents are sufficient to confirm their status (student ID and pension certificate);
Medical insurance for an amount exceeding 20,000 euros (valid for the entire stay);
For children under 18 years of age, among other things, a copy of the birth certificate and parental permission are required if they are not accompanying the child;
Receipt of payment of the visa fee. A visa to Serbia in 2021 will cost 110 euros (work or business) or 40 euros (all others).

Also, depending on the type of visa, you will need to present:

A document confirming your hotel reservation or rental of residential premises, or an invitation letter confirming your accommodation in the case of a tourist visa ;
Invitation letter from an organization in Serbia for a business visa ;
An invitation (from friends, relatives), which will be certified by the Immigration Department of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, for a private visit .

Getting a visa in Moscow takes no more than a week. You can submit documents yourself or by asking third parties, having previously issued a power of attorney for them certified by a notary.

The visa is valid for 1 year, but please note that you can stay on it for no more than 90 days per six months.

Visa regime: general information

In what cases will you still need a visa to Serbia? For certain purposes of the visit, this necessarily does not mean that they want to create difficulties for you. The main thing is to do everything correctly and in advance.

The building of the Serbian Embassy in Moscow

Occasions such as studying or working in Serbia automatically oblige you to apply for a visa. Tourism, guest visit, long-term business trip will also lead you to the Consular Section of the Serbian Embassy.

Today, for business trips, study, employment or doing business, foreign residents are issued a single visa, which allows a long stay in the territory of this country.

Types of visas to Serbia

In accordance with the existing dip. agreement between states, Russians have the right to visa-free entry. This is possible if the traveler plans to stay in Serbia for no more than 30 days.

If a Russian citizen plans to visit Serbia for the purpose of study or work, he will need to obtain a long-term visa. It is issued at the consular office of the Serbian embassy in the Russian Federation.

Today, the Serbian mission issues a single pass covering all types of long stays.

Long-term visa to Serbia

Document requirements

As we noted above, a short tourist trip to Serbia does not require an entry visa. However, this does not mean that you will not have to stock up on some documents and comply with the necessary formalities.

During your trip, you need to have with you a full range of documents confirming the tourist purpose of your trip : a hotel reservation, a round-trip air ticket, a document confirming your financial solvency (a certificate or bank statement about the status of your account. The amount in the account should not be less than fifty US dollars for one day of your trip). Sometimes these documents are not asked for, and it turns out that it is enough to present only your passport and ticket. However, in some cases, border guards require you to show a complete list of these official documents, so we advise you to keep them ready when going through control at the airport.

Documents for a single visa for long stay

If the main reason for your visit is work, you need to apply for a visa at the Consular Section of the Embassy before traveling. Today, the consulate issues a single visa to all applicants, regardless of whether you are going to study or work.

To obtain a visa, you will have to provide the following list of documents to the Consular Section:

International passport. The duration of its validity must be at least ninety days from the date of the expected end of your trip.
A photocopy of the page of the international passport on which your personal information is indicated.
Two standard photos measuring 3 by 4 centimeters.
A questionnaire filled out in one of the languages - Serbian, Russian or English. You can sample the questionnaire.
Copies of all pages with information of your general passport.
Certificate of employment indicating the position held and monthly salary. For housewives and other non-working citizens, a special sponsorship letter should be issued. Such a document can be made for you, for example, by your husband or one of your parents (or any other close relative). A certificate from the sponsor's place of work is required. Students will only need an official certificate from the dean’s office confirming the fact of studying at the university, and pensioners will need a copy of their pension certificate.

The Moscow Embassy usually issues a visa to Serbia quite quickly - in just five to six days . In this case, the personal presence of the applicant is not at all necessary. If you do not have the opportunity to personally come to the Consulate to submit documents, you can do this through third parties by obtaining the appropriate permission (notarized) for them. In addition, you have the opportunity to obtain a visa through any travel agency. However, if you choose this path, be very vigilant and careful. Trust only proven and reliable organizations. If you have the opportunity to come to the consulate, it is better to apply for a visa yourself.

Consular Service of the Serbian Embassy

Adult citizens of the Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan can apply for a visa at the Consular Section of the Serbian Embassy in Russia; only these countries are subject to consular jurisdiction.

For Ukrainians, Azerbaijanis, Belarusians, and Kazakhs this opportunity is not available. They will have to contact the Serbian Embassies in their countries, respectively, in Kyiv, Baku, Minsk and Astana. Please note that citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan are required to obtain a visa, regardless of the timing and purpose of the visit.

Here

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia is located in Moscow at the address: Mosfilmovskaya street, building 46. It is located on the same line as a number of other Embassies of the world (Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, etc.).

Before going to the Consulate, call the local telephone number or write a request by email: [email protected] ; find out which documents must be in originals and copies, in what quantity, how many days it will take to issue a visa, and also clarify other details that are important to you. Information is also available on the website https://www.moskva.mfa.gov.rs/.

Serbian Embassy in Moscow on the map

Remember that if your trip takes place in the days after national holidays in Russia or Serbia, it is better to apply for a visa in advance, since the Consulate is closed on holidays in both countries. If a holiday falls on a weekend, then the Monday following it is not a working day.

List of holidays when the Serbian Consulate is closed:

January 1 and 2 (New Year);
January 7 (Christmas Day);
February 15 and 16 (Serbian Statehood Day);
Moving Friday (in 2021, Orthodox Good Friday falls on April 26);
Moving Monday (in 2021, Orthodox Easter will take place on Monday, April 29);
May 1 and 2 (Spring and Labor Festival);
November 12 (Armistice Day).

Opening hours of the consular service to receive citizens: weekdays from 9-00 to 13-00.

Cost and terms of long-term visas

The cost of a long-term Serbian visa is 40 euros. The standard production time for a pass is 5–8 days. In complex cases, the period increases to 15–30 days.

If there is a need to speed up the manufacturing process, you will need to pay 110 euros for this.

Contact details

Representative office of Serbia in Russia

If you need to obtain an entry visa for a long visit to Serbia, you can apply at the Consular Section of the Serbian Embassy in Moscow. The diplomatic mission of this state is located on Mosfilmovskaya Street, 46.

You can contact the embassy staff with any questions you are interested in by using one of the telephone numbers: 8-495-147-90-08, 8-945-147-41-04, 8-495-937-96-15, 8-495-888 -66-45.
All necessary information can also be found on the official website of the embassy: www.moscow.mfa.rs.
You can also contact representatives of the Embassy by email
Visitors are accepted only during the designated hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 9.30-11.30.
Friday: 9.30-13.00.

When planning a visit to the Embassy, remember that visitors are not accepted on all public holidays. It is easy to get to the Serbian representative office from the Kyiv or Universitet metro stations. Trolleybuses number 17 and 34, as well as bus 119, depart from there. You should get to the stop called “Mosfilmovskaya, 113”. When you get off the trolleybus or bus, you will see a long street lined with several dozen foreign embassies. Among them you can easily find the Serbian Embassy you are interested in.

Embassy of the Russian Federation in Serbia

If you encounter urgent problems or any unforeseen circumstances while traveling in Serbia, you can contact the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Serbia with all questions. Both the Embassy and the Consular Section are located at the same address: Belgrade, Deligradskaya Street, 32.

You can contact the staff of our Embassy in Belgrade by phone: +381(0)11 361 1090, +381(0)11 361 1323, as well as by fax: +381(0)11 361 1900.
Embassy email, official website: www.ambasadarusije.rs.
In order to avoid various problems and troubles while traveling around Serbia, we recommend that you keep the phone numbers and address of the Embassy with you at all times.

General requirements for Russians to travel to the territory of Serbia

Availability of a valid travel document (for example, a foreign passport);
Availability of a valid entry visa (if necessary);
Proof of sufficient financial means to live in the country (based on the rule of 50 euros for each day of stay);
In some cases, a medical certificate confirming vaccination or exclusion of contact with sick people is required (if there is an epidemic in the country of departure);
To travel for a minor child, you must have a notarized document confirming the consent of one (if only one parent is traveling) or two parents/guardians (in the case of a third party) for this trip;
It is recommended to have health insurance with coverage of 20,000 euros per person.
Approximate cost of insurance to Serbia

Serbia is an excellent European country for holidays and business trips. The whole family can and should relax. There are times when the trip is delayed, then the closeness of family and children will brighten up work or school days. To travel with the whole family, you need to collect a number of documents for yourself and your loved ones.

Obtaining a visa for adult Russians

Obtaining a visa to Serbia means that you are either traveling for more than 30 days, or are going to work or study in the country, regardless of the amount of time. Processing times take from 1 to 5 days.

As a rule, a single visa is issued very quickly. Often, applicants receive entry permission within 3 days after submitting the papers. A single visa is issued for a period of 90 days to a year, depending on the purpose of the trip. The cost of a single visa is 110 euros.

Beautiful landscape in Serbia

An adult Russian citizen submits:

A valid foreign passport (the passport must expire no earlier than 90 days from the date of visa issuance);
Invitation from the Serbian side (invitation form can be downloaded here):
business trip - invitation letter from a Serbian company;
tourism - confirmation of payment for a tour/hotel reservation by an agency (voucher or invoice) or another person paying for the trip (for example, your personal account statement).
Completed visa application form (the form can be downloaded here);
Photograph (3.5×4.5 cm);
Return ticket or itinerary receipt (copy of driver's license and insurance - for auto tourists);
Financial guarantees for the duration of your stay (account statement, cards, sponsorship letter (), certificate from work about the amount of income (samples can be downloaded in Russian and English);
Medical insurance;
Paid visa fee (approx. 30 euros).

In case of transit through Serbia, you must first obtain a visa for the country of destination, or document the right to stay in the country of destination without a visa (residence permit, temporary residence permit, etc.).

Example of a sponsorship letter

In case of doubt about the purpose of the visit or the duration, the Consulate may request additional documents or call for an interview with a service officer. Nothing wrong with that; perhaps they need to look at you or find out about the composition of your family.

Any visa can be extended for up to 90 days if the need is confirmed. This is an exceptional measure, so the reason must be compelling.

Transit through Serbia

If Serbia is not the final destination, the traveler may need a transit pass. It is issued upon arrival. To register, you must provide air tickets and a travel voucher.

Having a transit pass in hand, a Russian has the right to walk around the airport terminal and go beyond it. There is no need to present documents.

International airport in Belgrade

Entry with children

According to Serbian law, a visa is not required for persons under 18 years of age. When crossing the border, a child who has crossed the 14-year-old threshold is required to provide a personal passport.

If the child is under 14 years old, he/she fits into the adult traveler’s passport.

If a child travels to Serbia accompanied by a person who is not related to him, then a permit from the parents must be presented. It must be certified by a notary.

Traveling with an animal

Traveling with your favorite pet (cat, dog or ferrets) for a long time is possible, you just need to take care of its health and document this status by receiving a vaccination certificate for the animal. It is issued by a veterinarian. If you have another animal (birds, invertebrates, amphibians or fish, reptiles or rodents), then you must have a certificate of veterinary and sanitary control.

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In what cases is it necessary to apply for a visa?

In some cases, you will not be able to get by without a visa. This applies to all long trips lasting more than 30 days. It doesn’t matter what the purpose of coming to the country is – study or work, a long tour around the country or meeting with relatives. In any case, you will need to obtain a visa for a long stay in the country. Whatever the purpose of the trip, the permit document is issued in a uniform format.

Obtaining a visa is required if the purpose of travel to Serbia is to work, study or do business.

The visa is issued for a year. During this period, you are allowed to stay in the country for no more than 90 days.

Where to contact

To obtain a visa, you must submit an application and documents for consideration to the consular office of the Serbian embassy. It is located in Moscow at st. Mosfilmovskaya, 46. Visa documents are accepted on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. It takes 4-6 business days to process your application.

Documentation

Before coming to the Embassy to submit an application, you must prepare documents. To obtain a visa you will need:

A questionnaire of a certain sample. Information must be recorded in Serbian or English. It is allowed to fill out the form in Russian.
2 color photographs. The size of the photographs is standard - 3.5x4.5 cm. The photograph must be taken from the front, against a light, preferably white, background. There should be no foreign objects or persons in the photo. The face must be open. Hats and glasses are permitted only for religious or medical reasons. The photograph must be clear and contrasting, printed on high-quality photographic paper.
A foreign passport that expires no earlier than 3 months after the end of the trip.
A copy of the completed pages of the internal passport.
Medical insurance with a minimum coverage amount of 20 thousand euros.
Round trip tickets or their reservation.
Documents confirming the financial solvency of the applicant. The tourist must have at least 50 euros for accommodation per day.
Social guarantees: for workers - a certificate from the employer confirming the retention of the job during the travel period; for students - a certificate from the university; for pensioners - pension certificate.

Depending on the purpose of the trip, you will need to provide other documents. If you are planning a long tour around the country or just a vacation at one of the resorts, you must provide a travel voucher, rental agreement or hotel reservation for the entire duration of your stay. Those who are going to visit relatives or friends will need to receive an invitation from the host party. For a business trip, you must provide the visa officer with an official invitation from a Serbian company. For those who want to study at local universities, they will need to take an invitation to study or provide an agreement on the provision of educational services.

Sometimes a medical certificate confirming the absence of dangerous diseases and vaccination may be required.

Cost and production time

To obtain a visa, you will need to pay a consular fee, which will amount to 40 euros for those visiting the country for tourism purposes or going on a visit; 110 euros – for those who come to Serbia to work, study or do business.

After submitting documents to the Embassy, it takes on average 5-7 working days to review them. There are times when visa issuance is delayed. The reason may be that the visa officer has questions or the need to clarify certain information. The wait may last for a month. Therefore, it is better to apply for a visa in advance.

Underwater rocks

In order to prevent the risk of getting into a difficult situation, you must follow the instructions:

Competently plan your route. When traveling with transfers, you must have a transit pass for the country in which the transfer took place. To avoid trouble, this issue should be discussed with your operator.
Check the validity of your passport in advance.
You should not try to bring with you an item that is on the prohibited list. This is fraught with serious sanctions.

Almost all controversial issues are quickly resolved with customs and border control officers.

Stages of obtaining a work visa

To start looking for work, you need to obtain a work visa in Serbia.

Sample visa to Serbia

The process algorithm and requirements are as follows:

Knowledge of the Serbian language, both written and spoken, knowledge of English and Russian is preferred.
Confirmation of educational documents. For Russians, since 2013, this procedure has been optional, since an agreement on mutual recognition of diplomas has been concluded.
You need to find an employer, conclude an agreement with him, apply for a residence permit and obtain a work permit.

For citizens of the Russian Federation there is no need to apply for a visa if the person intends to stay in Serbia for no more than 30 days. If more, one of these types of visas is issued: work, study, tourist for more than 30 days.

Read the article about the rules of entry into Serbia for Russians.

Obtaining a work permit

Before obtaining a temporary residence permit, a permit is issued, which comes in two types:

personal, which gives the right to freely change any job, and even if you lose it, receive benefits from the government;
a permit giving the right to engage in specific work specified in the contract with the employer, and in the event of a change in the type of activity, a new permit must be issued.

To work for local companies

It is possible to obtain a work permit in a Serbian company only when there is an agreement that confirms that the company needs a specialist from another country.

Sample work permit in Serbia

But the following conditions are met:

the contract is concluded for no more than a year (after which it must be extended), the specific specialization of the foreigner and what he will do is indicated;
It is not allowed for a person to be hired for a vacancy from which a local resident has been fired;
Before issuing a foreigner with a work permit, the company must search for a month among local citizens or a specialist with a personal permit. If the required candidate could not be found, you can invite a foreigner with a work permit.

To work in branches of foreign companies

This is an option when a non-Serbian citizen comes to the country as a specialist to work in a branch of a company, or he is hired by a Serbian company, which is confirmed by an agreement that specifies the deadlines for the work and their location.

In this option, you will need not only a residence permit, but also additional documents:

An act from a foreign company stating that a specialist is sent to perform work, indicating a specific time and place of completion of the work.
Certificate that the specialist has been working for a foreign company for 1 year.
An agreement with a Serbian company, which specifies the timing and location of the work.

Find out a lot of useful information in the article: immigration and moving to permanent residence in Serbia.

For entrepreneurs

Having issued a residence permit, the easiest way is to obtain a permit, which gives the right to conduct business activities for 1 year.

After this period, it can be extended for a year, but confirmation is required that the individual entrepreneur is operating successfully.

After receiving the permit, the entrepreneur must begin work within 90 days.

Visa application

When a Russian comes to Serbia for no more than 30 days, there is no need for a visa. But when longer residence is required for the purpose of employment, a special work visa will be required.

Sequence of actions when applying for a work visa

In all necessary cases of obtaining a visa (including a work visa), you must have a foreign passport with you, the validity of which must be at least 3 months.

Required documents

In addition to your passport, you will need the following documents:

invitation from the employer;
conclusion of the medical commission on the state of health;
medical insurance for at least 20,000 euros;
2 color photos, standard size 3.5x4.5 cm;
receipt of payment of the duty;
certificate of good conduct;
ticket for travel to the country;

These documents are presented and a form is filled out. Then comes the next stage.

Where to contact

The documents, which all must be translated into English, are submitted to the appropriate department of the Serbian Embassy in Russia, or you can entrust the issuance of a work visa to a company that makes money on this and will professionally help you get everything done quickly.

Timing and cost

The cost of a work visa is 110 euros (7800 rubles). The review period is from 5 to 7 days. If it is more, you need to ask the consulate or embassy what the reason is.

To enter Kosovo, you must obtain a visa in Istanbul from the Kosovo Embassy. They give you a special insert, which you can then throw away, so that there are no problems when visiting Serbia.

Customs regulations

The inspection criteria at customs when entering Serbia are quite democratic. The rules look like this:

Foreign currency can be imported and exported in unlimited quantities. There is no need to declare your finances.
The import of goods included in the declaration is also carried out freely.
The permitted quantity of tobacco products is up to two hundred pieces.
The maximum quantity of alcohol-containing products is up to 1000 ml.
The maximum volume of perfume is up to 100 ml.
The maximum volume of eau de toilette is up to 250 ml.
Engine fuel may only be transported in a tank. This point is relevant only for road travelers.
Transport of hazardous chemicals with explosive properties is strictly prohibited.
All substances potentially hazardous to humans are prohibited for transportation
It is not allowed to transport psychotropic drugs and narcotics into the country or in transit through it.
The transportation of ammunition, firearms and bladed weapons is strictly prohibited.
You cannot transport gold in any form.

You can export valuable products from Serbia, including art. You must have a permit in hand obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations.

Trip to Kosovo

From July 1, 2013, you will need to obtain a separate visa to enter Kosovo. To do this, you need to contact their Consulate, which is currently only located in Istanbul (Turkey).

A Kosovo visa can also be obtained online, at least 10 days in advance. Since Russia does not recognize the independence of Kosovo, the visa will be issued on an insert in the international passport.

You can also enter Kosovo for up to 15 days if you have a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa.

The processing fee for a short-stay entry visa is €40.

Since Serbia does not recognize the independence of Kosovo, it does not consider the border between them to be state. Therefore, you may be denied entry into Serbia if you have stamps confirming your visit to Kosovo, or if you enter in a car with their license plates.

To enter Kosovo by car, you need to buy separate insurance at the border for 50 euros for 14 days, since the Green Card is not valid there.