The Republic of Serbia closed its borders to foreign citizens on March 20, 2020, due to the declaration of a state of emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic. After over 2 months, the restrictions have finally eased, and the state of emergency ended on May 6, 2020.
While Serbian citizens were allowed to enter the country if certain requirements were met, foreign citizens were not. However, following the advice from experts, the Government of the Republic of Serbia has allowed foreign citizens to enter the country starting from June 1, 2020. For this to happen, some requirements must also be met.
The requirements differ depending on whether the border is being crossed by a foreigner with a temporary residence permit or a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Serbia, a foreigner without a permit, or a Serbian citizen.
To enter the country, foreigners who do not have a temporary residence permit or a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Serbia must:
1. HAVE NEGATIVE PCR TEST RESULTS FOR THE PRESENCE OF CORONAVIRUS
This test must not be older than 72 hours and it must be done in the national reference laboratory of the country the person is arriving from.
2. OBTAIN A PERMIT
This permit will be issued by the Serbian embassy or consulate in the country from which the foreign national arrives. If good cause is claimed, the foreign citizen may enter the country without getting tested.
Children under the age of 12 are not required to submit test results if their parents or guardians have negative test results.
Serbian citizens and foreigners who have a temporary residence permit or a permanent stay do not need a permit to enter the country. They can either submit negative PCR test results for the presence of coronavirus or submit themselves to self-isolation for 14 days after entering the country. If they stayed in a foreign country no longer than 72 hours and have no symptoms of the disease, they may enter the Republic of Serbia without getting tested or having to self-isolate.
These rules do not apply to:
- domestic citizens and citizens of neighboring countries who perform agricultural work and have agricultural land on the territory of the neighboring country, ie on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, and who are obliged to have proof of ownership over the state border to perform agricultural work on the land or a statement by the owner of the agricultural land that the person is performing agricultural work on their land.
- domestic citizens employed in the territory of a neighboring country and have an employment document, as well as citizens of neighboring countries employed in the territory of the Republic of Serbia , to whom an employer from the Republic of Serbia has issued an employment document.
Having in mind that the virus is still active worldwide, we should put our best efforts into protecting ourselves, as well as others. The best way to do so is to comply with all legal measures, so we kindly advise you to find out which measures are still in force in the country, before entering the Republic of Serbia.
