Serbia
Serbia visa and residence permit guide
- 16 visa types
- checked 24 October 2026
How visas for Serbia work
Serbia is neither in the European Union nor in the Schengen area, so it runs its own visa regime. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues two kinds of visa: the short-stay visa C, for tourism, business and other trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and the long-stay visa D, which allows a stay of 90 to 180 days for employment, education, family reunification and similar purposes. Applications go either in person to a Serbian embassy or consulate, or online on the government portal for foreigners, Welcome to Serbia, which requires an account on eid.gov.rs. Since 23 April 2025 some nationalities receive their visa as a digital travel authorisation instead of a sticker.
Many travellers do not need a visa at all. The visa regime table of the Serbian foreign ministry lists, country by country, who is exempt and for how long; holders of Turkish ordinary passports, for example, may stay up to 90 days within six months from their first entry. A 2014 government decision also lets nationals of visa-required countries enter visa-free for up to 90 days in six months if they hold a valid Schengen, UK, EU member state or US visa, or a residence permit of a Schengen or EU state or the United States. At the border, every visitor may be asked to show EUR 50 per day of stay and health insurance covering at least EUR 20,000.
Anyone staying longer than the visa or the visa-free period needs temporary residence, granted by the Ministry of the Interior for up to three years. Work is mostly done on a single permit, which combines residence and work and is requested only online. People from visa-required countries first obtain a D visa on the same ground; people from visa-free countries can apply for temporary residence or a single permit directly once in Serbia. After three years of continuous temporary residence, permanent residence becomes possible.
Within 24 hours of arrival, the stay of every foreigner must be registered with the police: hotels and other paid accommodation do it through the eTourist system, private hosts do it for their guests, and a foreigner staying elsewhere registers the address personally, also possible online through eUprava.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday, family visit, meetings or a fair of up to 90 days: visa-exempt nationals simply travel; others apply for a visa C (EUR 90), possibly as a digital travel authorisation.
Job with a Serbian employer: single permit for temporary residence and work, preceded by a D visa for employment (EUR 50) if your nationality needs a visa. Seasonal farm work: D visa for seasonal jobs, up to 120 working days a year.
Transfer within your group, own company, sole proprietorship or freelance contract: intra-company transfer, self-employment or independent professional single permit. Innovative company backed by a science and technology park: start-up residence. Capital invested plus at least EUR 50,000 in a Serbian bank account: investor residence.
Studies, school or a Serbian language course: D visa or temporary residence for education. Joining a spouse, partner or parent: family reunification. Long-term life in Serbia after three years: permanent residence. Protection from persecution: asylum procedure with the Asylum Office of the Ministry of the Interior.
Visa types for Serbia
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Visa-free entry and short-stay visa C for tourism
Nationals of visa-exempt countries can visit Serbia without a visa for the period set for them, as can holders of valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visas or residence permits.
Maximum stay: Visa-free: the period set for your nationality in the visa regime table, for example 90 days within 6 months from first entry. Visa C: up to 90 days in any 180-day period. - Medical treatment visa Visa D for medical treatment or care
Short treatments of up to 90 days fall under the normal short-stay rules: visa-exempt nationals travel visa-free, others use a visa C.
Maximum stay: Visa D: 90 to 180 days; temporary residence for medical treatment or care up to 3 years.
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Visa-free business trip and visa C for business
Business visitors use the same short-stay rules as tourists: visa-exempt nationals travel without a visa for up to 90 days, while others apply for a visa C (EUR 90) with an invitation letter from a Serbian company.
Maximum stay: Visa-free: the period set for your nationality in the visa regime table; visa C: 90 days in any 180 days. - Self-employed and freelancer visa Single permit for self-employment and for independent professionals
Serbia treats running your own business as self-employment, an employment ground for the single permit: you must be registered with the Business Registers Agency as a company member or sole proprietor.
Maximum stay: Single permit up to 3 years, renewable; visa D up to 180 days. - Entrepreneur and start-up visa Temporary residence on the start-up ground
Serbia lists start-up as its own ground for temporary residence.
Maximum stay: Temporary residence up to 3 years, renewable. - Investor visa Visa D and temporary residence on the investor ground
Investing is a recognised purpose of stay in Serbia, both for the D visa and for temporary residence.
Maximum stay: Visa D 90 to 180 days; temporary residence up to 3 years, renewable.
Study and training
- Student visa Visa D and temporary residence for education (studies, schooling, Serbian language)
Education is a ground for both the D visa and temporary residence in Serbia.
Maximum stay: Visa D 90 to 180 days; temporary residence up to 3 years per decision.
Work
- Work visa Visa D for employment and single permit for temporary residence and work
Employment in Serbia rests on the single permit, a combined temporary residence and work permit of up to three years that is requested only online and decided within 15 days of a complete request.
Maximum stay: Visa D: up to 180 days. Single permit: up to 3 years, renewable. - Seasonal work visa Visa D for seasonal jobs in agriculture, forestry and fishing
Serbia allows simplified hiring of foreign seasonal workers only for seasonal jobs in agriculture, forestry and fishing, such as planting, harvesting, fruit picking and pruning.
Maximum stay: Visa D: 90 to 180 days; work capped at 120 working days per calendar year. - Intra-company transfer visa Single permit for movement within the company (intra-company transfer)
Movement within the company is one of the employment grounds for a Serbian single permit.
Maximum stay: Single permit for the transfer period, up to 3 years; visa D up to 180 days.
Family
- Family reunification visa Visa D and temporary residence for family reunification with a foreign resident
A spouse, extramarital partner or family member of a foreigner who has temporary or permanent residence or asylum in Serbia can obtain a D visa and temporary residence for family reunification, for up to three years at a time.
Maximum stay: Visa D 90 to 180 days; temporary residence up to 3 years per decision. - Spouse and partner visa Temporary residence for marriage, extramarital union or kinship with a Serbian citizen
A foreigner married to, in an extramarital union with, or related to a Serbian citizen can obtain a D visa and temporary residence for family reunification.
Maximum stay: Visa D 90 to 180 days; temporary residence up to 3 years per decision.
Residence
- Residence permit Temporary residence on other grounds: property owner, Serbian origin, independent stay, religious service, talent
Besides work, study and family, Serbian law lists further grounds for temporary residence: property owner, Serbian origin, independent stay, religious service, medical treatment, talent, investor and start-up.
Maximum stay: Up to 3 years per decision, renewable. - Permanent residence Permanent residence (stalno nastanjenje)
A foreigner who has lived in Serbia lawfully on temporary residence or a single permit for at least three continuous years can apply for permanent residence, in person at the police, between 60 days before and the expiry of the current permit.
Maximum stay: Unlimited; the foreigner ID card is valid 5 years (2 years for minors) and renewable.
Online travel permits
- e-Visa Electronic visa application and digital travel authorisation
Serbia accepts visa applications online on the Welcome to Serbia portal (evisa.welcometoserbia.gov.rs), after registration on the eID portal.
Maximum stay: As for the visa applied for: visa C up to 90 days in 180; visa D 90 to 180 days.
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection Asylum (refuge and subsidiary protection) and temporary protection
The Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection governs protection in Serbia.
Processing time: Decision within 3 months of the application in the regular procedure, extendable by 3 months and, if needed, by a further 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for Serbia?
It depends on your nationality. The Serbian foreign ministry's visa regime table shows who is exempt and for how long; holders of a valid Schengen, UK, EU member state or US visa or residence permit are also exempt for up to 90 days in six months. Everyone else applies for a visa C at a Serbian mission or online on Welcome to Serbia.
How much do Serbian visas cost?
According to the Welcome to Serbia portal, the visa C fee is EUR 90 and the visa D fee EUR 50, both paid in dinars at the middle rate of the National Bank of Serbia. Online applications are paid in the last step on the portal. Holders of passports of China, Armenia, Mali and Syria (and, per the portal instructions, Pakistan) are exempt under bilateral agreements.
Do I have to register my address in Serbia?
Yes. Hotels, hostels and other paid accommodation register you within 24 hours, and a private host registers a visiting foreigner within 24 hours of arrival. If you stay neither in paid accommodation nor with a host, you must register your own address at the police within 24 hours of entry or of a change of address; registration is also possible on eUprava.
Can I work in Serbia on a visa-free stay?
Only in limited cases listed by law, for up to 90 days in 180: for example owners or founders of a Serbian company who are not employed by it, business meetings without income in Serbia, lecturers at organised events, or installers and trainers sent under a contract for machinery. Regular employment needs a D visa for employment or a single permit.
How long can temporary residence last?
Temporary residence and the single permit are granted for up to three years at a time, depending on the ground and the documents. Extensions are requested no earlier than three months before and no later than the expiry of the current permit; a timely request lets you stay until the decision.
Where do I apply for Serbian visas or permits?
Visas C and D are requested at a Serbian embassy or consulate or online on the Welcome to Serbia portal. Visa-exempt nationals can file temporary residence and single permit requests from Serbia on the same portal or in person at the police foreigners' office.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.