Serbian Visa FAQ

QUICK ANSWERS

If you’re still confused about visas and residence, take a look at our frequently asked questions below — or get in touch with your own question.

  • Do EU citizens need a visa to enter Serbia?
  • Do non-EU citizens need a visa to live in Serbia?
  • What kinds of visas and permits exist?
  • If I have a residence permit, can I work?
  • Can my embassy request my visa on my behalf?
  • Where do I apply?
  • What is a white card?

I’M AN EU CITIZEN, DO I NEED A VISA TO ENTER SERBIA?

No. EU citizens (and many others) can enter Serbia visa-free and stay for up to 90 days. If you want to stay longer, you apply for a temporary residence permit — ideally well before your 90 days run out.

I’M NOT AN EU CITIZEN, DO I NEED A VISA TO LIVE IN SERBIA?

It depends on your passport. Many non-EU nationalities (US, UK, Canada, Australia and others) also enter visa-free for 90 days; some need a short-stay (C) or long-stay (D) visa to enter at all — check the visa types guide and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list for your country. Either way, living in Serbia long-term means obtaining temporary residence, regardless of how you entered.

WHAT KINDS OF VISAS AND PERMITS EXIST?

Two different families, often mixed up:

  • Entry visas (types A–D): airport transit, transit, short-stay up to 90 days, and the long-stay type D that lets some nationalities enter in order to take up residence or work.
  • Residence statuses: temporary residence (renewable, now issued as a biometric card, up to three years at a time), permanent residence, and the unified permit that combines residence and work rights for employment cases.

Most people moving here end up on temporary residence or a unified permit first.

IF I HAVE A RESIDENCE PERMIT, CAN I WORK?

Since February 2024 there is no separate “get residence first, then a work permit” two-step for the standard case: employment now goes through a single unified permit (jedinstvena dozvola) covering both residence and work rights. If you hold temporary residence on another ground (family, study, property), check whether your basis allows work or whether you need to switch to a unified permit before taking a job.

CAN MY EMBASSY REQUEST THE VISA ON MY BEHALF?

No. You apply yourself (or your employer/lawyer drives the process). Serbian embassies abroad handle entry visas and can advise, but they don’t process residence applications for you.

Your own country’s embassy in Belgrade can, however, register you as an expatriate living in Serbia — worth doing so they can reach you in an emergency.

WHERE DO I APPLY?

Residence and unified-permit applications are now submitted online via the official Foreigners Portal, followed by a biometrics appointment at the competent police administration (MUP). The old walk-in queues at the Savska street immigration office described on older blogs are no longer how the standard process works — follow the portal’s current instructions for your municipality.

WHAT IS A WHITE CARD?

The white card (bela karta) is the address registration every foreigner must complete shortly after arriving in Serbia — hotels do it for you automatically; with a private stay, you (or your host) register at the local police station. You’ll need it for any residence application. Full details: white card registration.

In this section

Entry & Residence Visas All Serbian visa types explained — short-stay, transit, temporary and permanent residence — plus how to check whether your country needs one. Short-Stay Visa (C) How to get a Serbian short-stay visa (type C) — requirements, documents and costs for stays of up to 90 days. Temporary Stay Visa (D) Serbia's temporary residence permit (privremeni boravak) explained — grounds, documents, the online application via the Foreigners Portal, and renewals. Permanent Stay Visa (E) Permanent residence in Serbia (stalno nastanjenje) explained — the three-year rule, marriage and family routes, documents and how to apply. Transit Visa (B) Serbian transit visa (type B) explained — who needs one to pass through Serbia, validity rules and the documents required to apply.