Visa requirements for Serbian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Republic of Serbia.
As of 2024, Serbian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 140 countries and territories, ranking the Serbian passport 34th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.[1] Serbia is one of a handful of countries whose citizens may travel visa-free to the Schengen Area, China, Russia and Cuba.
History
Until the 1990s, the Yugoslav passport has been described as highly sought-after commodity. As part of its non-aligned policies, the Yugoslav government signed numerous mutual agreements on visa-free entry from the mid-1960s.
Eventually this applied to most states of the world, promoting the Yugoslav passport to "one of the most convenient in the world, as it was one of the few with which a person could travel freely through both the East and West" during the Cold War.[2]
With the subsequent dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the period of difficulties related to travel bureaucracy started for all successor states. From the 2000s onward, the situation has been significantly and constantly improving and Serbian passport was among the five passports with the most improved rating in the Henley Passport Index since 2006, adding 103 countries to its visa-free list.[3][4][5][6]
Recent
Serbia and Russia signed visa-free travel agreement in February 2009.[7] Serbia signed a visa-free agreement with Israel in September 2009.[8] The European UnionSchengen area countries lifted visas for Serbian citizens in December 2009.[9] Serbia and Turkey mutually abolished visa regime in July 2010.[10] Serbia signed an agreement on the abolishment of visas with Kazakhstan in August 2010.[11] Serbia and Ukraine mutually abolished visas in May 2011.[12]Japan abolished visas for Serbian citizens in May 2011.[13] Serbia and Albania mutually abolished visas in July 2011.[14] In August 2013 agreement on visa-free travel with Brazil came into force.[15] In July 2014 agreement on visa-free travel with Mongolia came into force.[16] In August 2015 agreement on visa-free travel with Moldova came into force.[17] In April 2016 Indonesia abolished visas for Serbian citizens for a maximum stay of 30 days.[18] In January 2017, agreement on mutual visa free travel between China and Serbia entered into force.[19] In November 2017 Iran abolished visas for Serbian citizens but reversed its decision in October 2018.[20][21]Colombia abolished visas for Serbian citizens in February 2018.[22] Serbia and Kyrgyzstan mutually abolished visas on 8 November 2018.[23] Uzbekistan abolished visas for Serbian citizens on 21 January 2019. United Arab Emirates abolished visas for Serbian citizens on 6 May 2019.[24]Barbados abolished visas for Serbian citizens in May 2019. Suriname abolished visas for holders of Serbian passport in September 2019. Armenia lifted visa requirements for Serbian citizens on 30 January 2020.[25]
Since 2009, Serbia has been working towards expanding visa-free travel for its citizens. Serbia proposed inclusion in the United StatesVisa Waiver Program in 2009, but as of 2024, the adjusted visa refusal rate remains above the required 3% threshold.[27] The United Kingdom initially discussed visa abolition in 2011, but in 2013, the UK Home Office stated it had no plans to remove visa requirements for Serbian citizens.[28] Talks with Australia on facilitating visa issuance were held in 2012,[29] while New Zealand introduced a facilitated visa regime for Serbian citizens in 2014.[30] Discussions on visa liberalization with Canada began in 2016.[31]
Cruise ship passengers travelling to and returning from the Bahamas do not require to obtain visa for entry. Both entry and departure must be by a cruise ship.[52]
300 Botswana Pula for single entry for a period up to 3 months,500 Botswana Pula for multiple entry for a period up to 3 months,1500 Pula for multiple entry for a period over 3 months up to 2 years for dependants of residents.
Passengers with a special entry authorization can obtain a visa on arrival. The entry authorization must be signed by the Minister of Interior and Decentralization and by the Director General of Territorial Surveillance. Also passengers with V.I.P. invitation letter are exempt from visa.
Passengers with a letter (Visa Volant) issued by the Ministry of Interior and Security can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 7 days. They can apply to extend their stay.
e-Visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport. *Passengers with an entry authorization issued by immigration before departure can obtain a visa on arrival.
e-Visa holders must arrive via 26 designated airports[Note 1] or 3 designated seaports.[Note 2][139]
An Indian e-Tourist Visa may only be obtained twice within 1 calendar year.[citation needed]
Foreigners of Pakistani origin or who hold a Pakistani Passport are not eligible for an e-Visa. Foreigners who are not Pakistani nationals, but whose parents or grandparents (either paternal or maternal) were born in, or were permanent residents in Pakistan, are also not eligible for an e-Visa.[140]
Visa can be obtained upon arrival, it will cost a total of 40 JOD, obtainable at most international ports of entry and land border crossings. (except King Hussein/Allenby Bridge)
Granted free of charge at Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry if there is no Israeli visa or seal, holding a telephone number, an address in Lebanon, and a non refundable return or circle trip ticket.
Visa not required for holders of valid visa issued by the US, Canada, Japan, the UK, or any of the countries comprising the Schengen Area, or for holders of valid permanent resident card from Canada, Chile, Colombia, Japan, Peru, the US, the UK or any of the countries comprising the Schengen Area.[188]
Visa is also issued free of charge for Serbian citizens.
Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay (pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining an Electronic Travel Authority prior to departure.[206]
Serbian citizens who hold a valid entry visa for Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States, and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom, as part of a journey to or from one of those countries and/or are permanent residents of the European Union, Australia, Canada and New Zealand do not require a Direct Airside Transit visa.[289]
Special permit required (4 days: 25 euro for Orthodox visitors, 35 euro for non-Orthodox visitors, 18 euro for students). There is a visitors' quota: maximum 100 Orthodox and 10 non-Orthodox per day and women are not allowed.[303][304]
Permit issued by the local police required for staying for less than 24 hours[312] and permit issued by the Norwegian police for staying for more than 24 hours.[313]
With the exception of the capital Malé, tourists are generally prohibited from visiting non-resort islands without the express permission of the Government of Maldives.[341]
Serbian identity card as optional passport replacement
Serbian identity card
Serbian identity cards can be used instead of a passport for travel to some Balkan countries and territories that have signed bilateral agreements with Serbia.
Many countries have entry restrictions on foreigners that go beyond the common requirement of having either a valid visa or a visa exemption. Such restrictions may be health related or impose additional documentation requirements on certain classes of people for diplomatic or political purposes.
Blank passport pages
Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages.[436] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.
Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area or has visited one recently or has transited for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.[439][440]
Passport validity length
Very few countries, such as Paraguay, just require a valid passport on arrival.
However many countries and groupings now require only an identity card – especially from their neighbours. Other countries may have special bilateral arrangements that depart from the generality of their passport validity length policies to shorten the period of passport validity required for each other's citizens[441][442] or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled).[443]
Some countries, such as Japan,[444] Ireland and the United Kingdom,[445] require a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.
In the absence of specific bilateral agreements, countries requiring passports to be valid for at least 6 more months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain,[446] Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,[447] Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru,[448] Philippines,[449] Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.[450]
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.
Countries requiring passports with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date of intended departure include Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Montenegro, Nauru, Moldova and New Zealand.
Similarly, the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, all European Union countries (except Ireland) together with Switzerland also require 3 months validity beyond the date of the bearer's intended departure unless the bearer is an EEA or Swiss national.
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include Albania, North Macedonia, Panama, and Senegal.
Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.
Countries that require a passport validity of at least one month beyond the date of intended departure include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, the Maldives[451] and South Africa.
Criminal record
Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States,[452] routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record, while others impose restrictions depending on the type of conviction and the length of the sentence.
Persona non grata
The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning them from entering the country or expelling them if they have already entered. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity.[453]
Israeli stamps
Israeli border control Entry Permit (issued as a stand-alone document rather than a stamp affixed in a passport)
Kuwait,[454] Lebanon,[455] Libya,[456] Syria,[457] and Yemen[458] do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel (unless the entry is for some work-related purposes). Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport. Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017[update]) stamped at Erez when passing into and out of Gaza.[citation needed]
Iran refuses admission to holders of passports containing an Israeli visa or stamp that is less than 12 months old.
Several countries mandate that all travellers, or all foreign travellers, be fingerprinted on arrival and will refuse admission to or even arrest travellers who refuse to comply. In some countries, such as the United States, this may apply even to transit passengers who merely wish to change planes rather than go landside.[459]
Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan,[460][461] Argentina,[462] Brunei, Cambodia,[463] China,[464] Ethiopia,[465] Ghana, Guinea,[466] India, Japan,[467][468] Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken),[469] Malaysia upon entry and departure,[470] Mongolia, Saudi Arabia,[471] Singapore, South Korea,[472] Taiwan, Thailand,[473] Uganda,[474] the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Many countries also require a photo be taken of people entering the country. The United States, which does not fully implement exit control formalities at its land frontiers (although long mandated by its own legislation),[475][476][477] intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa.[478]
Together with fingerprint and face recognition, iris scanning is one of three biometric identification technologies internationally standardised since 2006 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for use in e-passports[479] and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa.[480][481]
^"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Information about: Australian Resident Visa". immigration.govt.nz. Immigration New Zealand. Retrieved 21 May 2020. Australian citizens and permanent residents can visit, work and live in New Zealand. You do not need a visa before you travel to New Zealand.
^Baker, Vicky (20 June 2013). "Passport expiry dates and blank pages: what are the rules?". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 January 2024. The number of remaining blank pages a passport should have is also an issue. Some travellers have reported arriving with one or less than one full page left and waiting for hours at immigration, until an official reluctantly grants them entry. The FCO lists no hard and fast rules because, in many cases, there aren't any.
^"Yellow Fever". Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). African Union. Retrieved 23 August 2021. African countries that requires (sic) Yellow Fever vaccination certificate: Countries that require vaccination for all travellers older that 9 months or 1 year: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameron, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d'lvoire, DRC, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Niger, Togo.
^"Fièvre jaune" (in French). 2 September 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
^"Yellow Fever". Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). African Union. Retrieved 23 August 2021. African countries that requires Yellow Fever vaccination certificate: Countries that requires (sic) vaccination for travellers from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission or transit for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
^"Visitor Visa". travel.state.gov. US Department of State. Retrieved 13 January 2024. Passport valid for travel to the United States – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). Each individual who needs a visa must submit a separate application, including any family members listed in your passport.
^"Countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Turkey with their expired passports". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of Turkey. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2018. Countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Turkey with their expired passports: 1. Germany – Passports expired within the last year / ID's expired within the last year, 2. Belgium - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 3. France - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 4. Spain - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 5. Switzerland - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 6. Luxemburg - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 7. Portugal - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 8. Bulgaria – Valid ordinary passport
^"Frequently Asked Questions". Embassy of Japan in Malaysia. Retrieved 13 January 2024. Q: Do I need at least 6 months passport validity in order to enter Japan? A: Japan does not have any regulations relating to passport validity, so long as your passport will be valid until after you leave Japan.
^"Entering the UK". Gov.UK. Retrieved 17 March 2021. You're not from an EEA country: you must have a valid passport to enter the UK. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.
^Calder, Simon (24 April 2017). "Airline lobbying for a relaxation of draconian rules for London-Auckland travellers". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2018. Travellers heading west from the UK to New Zealand may soon be able to avoid the onerous requirement to clear US border control during the refuelling stop at Los Angeles airport (LAX). Unlike almost every other country in the world, the US insists on a full immigration check even for passengers who simply intend to re-board their plane to continue onwards to a foreign destination. Air New Zealand, which flies daily from Heathrow via Los Angeles to Auckland, says there are currently "strict requirements for travellers" in transit at LAX. Through passengers to Auckland on flight NZ1 or Heathrow on NZ2 must apply in advance for an ESTA (online visa) even though they have no intention of staying in the US. They also have to undergo screening by the Transportation Security Administration.
^"China to Start Fingerprinting Foreign Visitors". Air Canada. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2018. Effective April 27, 2018, border control authorities at all of China's ports of entry, including its airports, will start collecting the fingerprints of all foreign visitors aged between 14 and 70. Diplomatic passport holders and beneficiaries of reciprocal agreements are exempted..
^"Immigration & Visas FAQs". Kenya Airports Authority. Retrieved 6 May 2019. Will visitors still have their digital photo and fingerprints taken at the immigration desk on arrival? Yes, the need to have photos and fingerprints taken upon arrival is to authenticate that the person who applied for the Visa is the same person at the port of entry
^"Malaysia". CountryReports. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
^Brown, Theresa Cardinal (9 May 2016). "Biometric Entry-Exit Update: CBP Developing Land Border Process". Bipartisan Policy Center. Retrieved 25 April 2019. While a requirement for a biometric entry-exit system has been in law for over a decade, it is not yet a reality. Many reasons for the long gestating development have been documented in BPC's 2014 report Entry-Exit System: Progress, Challenges, and Outlook, including the technological, operational, and cost challenges of creating exit systems and infrastructure where none exist today. However, many critics, especially in Congress, simply accused the Department of Homeland security of dragging its feet... the major operational, logistical, and technical challenge in implementing exit capability at our ports has been the land borders. Unlike airports and seaports, the land border environment is not physically controlled, there is no means to get advance information on who is arriving, and the sheer volume of travel—both vehicular and pedestrian—creates challenges in any system to not further exacerbate delays. While biometric exit for land vehicular traffic is still in the "what if" stage, CBP is moving ahead and piloting systems and technology to use with the large population of pedestrian crossers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
^Lipton, Eric (21 May 2013). "U.S. Quietly Monitors Foreigners' Departures at the Canadian Border". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 April 2019. Long demanded by lawmakers in Congress, it is considered a critical step to developing a coherent program to curb illegal immigration, as historically about 30 percent to 40 percent of illegal immigrants in the United States arrived on tourist visas or other legal means and then never left, according to estimates by Homeland Security officials.
^Lipton, Eric (15 December 2006). "Administration to Drop Effort to Track if Visitors Leave". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 April 2019. Efforts to determine whether visitors actually leave have faltered. Departure monitoring would help officials hunt for foreigners who have not left, if necessary. Domestic security officials say, however, it would be too expensive to conduct fingerprint or facial recognition scans for land departures.
^"Iris Scanner Could Replace Emirates ID In UAE". SimplyDXB. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2018. The breach of privacy is probably the biggest threat to the biometric technique of iris recognition. Secondly, a device error can false reject or false accept the identity which can also have some heinous consequences. Lastly, the method isn't the most cost-effective one. It is complex and therefore expensive. Furthermore, the maintenance of devices and data can also be relatively burdensome. However, thanks to the oil money and spending ability of Dubai, they are economically equipped to effectively embrace this system.
1British Overseas Territories.
2 These countries span the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia.
3 Partially recognized.
4Unincorporated territory of the United States.
5 Part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
6Egypt spans the boundary between Africa and Asia.
