How to get to Serbia by train. How to get to Belgrade: flights and other subtleties

In this article I will tell you how to get to Serbia, based on my personal experience and the information that I know for sure. Serbia can be reached in all sorts of ways: by plane, train, bus and car, and even by water. Although the country is crossed from north to east by one of the largest rivers in Europe - the Danube, I will omit the water method, since I know little about it, due to its unpopularity. Here I will describe the more obvious options: plane, train, bus and car. So let's go.

By plane

Serbia has two airports: in Belgrade and the third largest city, Nis. Of course, the majority of flights are accepted by the capital, the Nis airport serves mainly European low-cost airlines. But in order. Let's start with Belgrade.

Moscow - Belgrade

Flights in this direction are operated by only two airlines: Aeroflot and Air Serbia, both from Sheremetyevo. These companies cooperate, so you can also find Air Serbia flights on the Aeroflot website. You can fly from Moscow to Belgrade up to four times a day (the number of flights varies depending on the season - less in winter), the average cost of a one-way flight is 150-200 EUR. There are sales, but rarely, and the price drops slightly. On the Air Serbia website, the prices are identical. But before buying, it is better to compare them on both sites in order to choose the most profitable. You can also search for flights and their prices. Maybe something will be cheaper. Travel time from Sheremetyevo to Belgrade airport Nikola Tesla takes about three hours. You can get from the airport to the city center by regular bus number 72, express bus A1 or taxi. Read more.

By the way, ceteris paribus, when choosing between Aeroflot and Air Serbia, I advise Air Serbia. Service and food are top notch. Even iron cutlery is given out. What a rarity these days :)

Saint Petersburg - Belgrade

During the tourist season, that is, from spring to autumn, Air Serbia operates flights from St. Petersburg. The company says: if this direction is in stable demand, then there is a possibility of launching year-round plying. Tickets in this direction can also be searched on the airline's website. Prices and travel time do not differ from the Moscow direction - 150-200 EUR and 3 hours.

Charter and seasonal flights

Flights often appear in summer - Belgrade from airlines Ural Airlines and Yamal. They need to be tracked starting in the spring. But prices are not significantly lower than flights from Aeroflot and Air Serbia, although there may be good offers.

Flights with transfers

If you have an open Schengen multivisa, then the most budget option is a flight - operated by the Hungarian airline Wizz Air. Promotions and special offers are often announced on the airline's website, a ticket can be "caught" for less than 50 EUR. You can travel from Budapest to Serbia by bus or train, a one-way ticket for which costs only 15 EUR.

If there is no Schengen, then you can fly through. Flights with transfers in the capital of Turkey are offered by Pegasus. I especially advise you to pay attention to the inhabitants of the south of Russia, since there is, besides Moscow, as a point of departure. The cost of a one-way flight, including transfers, can be up to 60 EUR. Such a price, as usual, needs to be tracked. In addition, flights from Krasnodar are irregular. The schedule can be viewed on the airline's website.

Nis airport

At the moment, Nis Constantine the Great Airport receives only a few flights from European low-cost airlines. Of particular interest may be the direction Bratislava - which is offered by the airline Ryanair. You can get to Bratislava from Moscow by the Russian low-cost airline Pobeda. The cost of such a flight, including transfers, can be up to 30 EUR. You can also fly from Berlin to the Wizz Air mentioned above. The price is also attractive - 10-20 EUR one way. In addition to these destinations, there are flights from Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and several cities in Germany. Belgrade and other Serbian cities can be easily reached from Niš by bus or train.

By train

Not the best option to get to Serbia, both in terms of price and travel time - the cost of such a one-way trip will be 200 EUR. Shaking in a car, waiting for a long change of rails and cars, going through customs procedures at several state borders will take almost two days - however, this option can be a good alternative for people with aerophobia. The train "Moscow - Sofia" departs once a day from the Belorussky railway station and runs through Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia.

The Belgrade railway station is located directly in the city center, from which you can go to any point in Belgrade by public transport.

By bus

In Serbia, bus travel is very common both within the country and abroad. There is no bus service between Belgrade and Moscow, however, many cities in Serbia can be reached from nearby countries (Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria) and many others, for example, Germany, Czech Republic, France , Austria. When looking for bus directions, I advise you to use the Internet search engines balkanviator and redvoznje, as well as busticket4.me, which, although not all routes are indicated, but with prices, which the previous two do not have. Ticket prices vary depending on the destination and the carrier company. From experience I will say that, for example, the price of the direction "Budva - Belgrade" will be 10-15 EUR per person, you can get from Budapest to Belgrade for 15-20 EUR. Buses arrive at the bus station, located in the center of Belgrade, next to the railway station.

By car

The shortest way to Serbia on your own car runs through Belarus, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. In addition to a valid Schengen visa or a transit visa, you will need a technical inspection coupon and an insurance policy, the so-called "green card". It is better to buy it at home before the start of the trip in any insurance company. If this was not possible, then before the border, pay attention to the kiosks with an inscription on the sale of such a policy. The cost of a "green card" starts from 30 EUR, the price is the same in all places of purchase and depends only on the type of vehicle and the period for which you want to receive it.

There are several sections of toll roads along the way. This is also worth considering. The cost of gasoline in Europe is much higher than in Russia. In Serbia, for example, gasoline costs about 1 EUR per liter. There are no problems with gas stations - they are often found along the road and work 24 hours a day.

In addition to this method, you can specify a couple more: hitchhiking and blablacar. I did not use any of them when getting to Serbia, but, judging by the experience of my friends, these methods do not have any nuances regarding Serbia - everything is like everywhere else.

Summary

Summing up, you can see that there are not so many ways to get to Serbia. Air travel remains predominant. However, if you want to save money, you will have to regularly follow the news of airlines and "catch" cheap tickets, which appear mainly closer to the beginning of the tourist season, that is, in April - May.

Most often, they get from Russia to Serbia by plane.

Direct flights from Moscow

There are many direct flights to Serbia, Aeroflot and Air Serbia fly from Moscow. This is the fastest and most convenient way. Airplanes arrive at Nikola Tesla Airport, which is 12 km away. from Belgrade.

Flight time is approximately 3 hours. Tickets cost about 200-250 euros. Previously, it was quite inexpensive in rubles, about 9 thousand rubles round trip, but now a ticket costs about 18 thousand rubles.

There are also tickets with connections (via Vienna, Munich, Amsterdam, Zurich, etc.), but if there is any savings, then in the region of 20-50 euros, and the trip can take up to a day.

By plane from St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk

There are no direct flights from St. Petersburg. But still, even with a connection via Moscow, it is quite convenient to fly, in the morning you are still in gloomy St. Petersburg, and by lunchtime in sunny Serbia.

The total travel time through Moscow is about 7 hours, in terms of money - about 19 thousand rubles. Perhaps this is the fastest and most convenient way to get to Serbia.

But there is another one, the tickets are cheaper and more interesting. From St. Petersburg to Belgrade, you can fly via Istanbul, Turkish Airlines. The savings on the ticket is about 3 thousand rubles, but in Istanbul you will most likely have to spend the night, so it’s worth flying like that only if you want to see Istanbul.

Connections there can take about a day, that is, you will have time to go to the city and even spend the night there. In fact, this is a separate small trip that you get for free, when compared with the price of Aeroflot tickets.

The difference of 3 thousand on the ticket, especially if you are flying with a family or a company, with a reasonable approach, will pay off all expenses in Istanbul.

If desired, a stop in Istanbul can also be extended by issuing a stopover, and, for example, go somewhere to the beach. You can read more about stopover (and our stopover in Beijing)

Similarly, Turkish Airlines planes fly to Belgrade from Novosibirsk. So the road through Istanbul is a great alternative to the road through Moscow.

Just note that the Turks do not fly from St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk every day (from Novosibirsk on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays), so experiment with dates.

Well, how much can Novosibirsk-Belgrade tickets cost if you fly with Aeroflot:

Through Budapest

If you have a Schengen visa, then sometimes it is more economical to get to Serbia like this: fly Wizzair from Moscow to Budapest, and then get to Serbia by train or minibus.

Cheap tickets to Hungary should be sought from the Hungarian discount airline Wizzair.

An additional discount on Wizzair tickets can be obtained by purchasing their Wizz Discount Club card. It is annual and will pay for itself many times over. If you plan only one trip a year with this airline, then buying a card does not make much sense, although even with one trip the card will most likely pay off.

Here are the prices for the card and the benefits it gives:

If we compare the cost of direct flights to Serbia and the cost of Wizzair tickets to Budapest, then the price may differ by 3 times.

Here, for example, tickets without any promotion. Pay attention to the prices with the Vizzairov discount card - 29.99 euros from Moscow and 46.99 euros to Moscow, total round trip 77 euros:

True, you need to understand that a ticket for 30 euros from Moscow with an inconvenient departure and arrival (at night), which is not suitable for everyone.

In addition, Wizzair additionally needs to pay for any baggage, even hand luggage, with the exception of a very small bag.

Therefore, you need to add a train or bus ticket to Serbia to the costs (a train ticket to Belgrade costs 15 euros, to Novi Sad 12 euros; a minibus ticket to Belgrade costs 30 euros, more) and the costs of a Schengen visa, if you need to get it specially for such a trip.

Considering these additional expenses for the train from Budapest, do not forget that in the same Novi Sad you will also have to get from Belgrade International Airport. So there are pluses and minuses everywhere.

So flying through Budapest is profitable, especially with a family or a large company, because if several people fly, then in this way you can save 200-300 or more euros, and this is already noticeable with any budget.

Options to get to Budapest airport if you are already in Serbia

If you are already in Serbia and plan to travel from here, then as an option, you can get to Budapest airport by your car and leave it there in a paid parking lot if you are flying somewhere for a short time. The fee for a week of parking is approximately 15 euros.

But in addition, you need to take into account that roads in Europe are toll. And when calculating the savings, it is important not to miss the cost of the Hungarian vignette (10 euros for 10 days) and 3-5 euros, depending on where you are coming from, the Serbian road toll. Well, gasoline of course.

How to get to Serbia by land

Previously, a train ran from Moscow to Belgrade through Ukraine, but now it has been canceled due to the war.

You can also get to Serbia from Russia by car. This is how we got here the first time. I described all the technical points related to this trip of ours.

Where to find tickets to Serbia

Airfare prices fluctuate significantly throughout the year. Tickets from Moscow to Budapest can be found on the official website of Wizzair, but check all other options in this convenient form (lowest prices are shown here by months, click on the desired month to see prices for each day and book tickets).

Recently, Russian Railways has been using new compartment cars in international traffic - the brainchild of a joint project Tver Carriage Works And Siemens. According to online reviews, people went and were generally very satisfied and even delighted.
LJ user made a Eurotrip from Minsk to Sofia and tested the RZD supercar in action. What follows is a first-person story.
The material consists of three parts:

  • Serbian railways.
View from the open doors of the Serbian carriage to Sofia somewhere between Nis and Dimitrovgrad.


Waking up at 06:30 in the morning, I was surprised to find that we were not yet in Belgrade and not even in its suburbs, although according to the schedule we were supposed to drive up to the station. Moreover, at the Serbian border station Subotica, which was late at night, the train arrived on schedule. While not attaching much importance to this, I was glad that our car was the last one, and beautiful morning landscapes opened from the vestibule.


Soon we began to get involved in the urban development of the Serbian capital, which seemed to me the most extraordinary along the entire route. I mean the view from the car window, of course. I once visited Belgrade, in this multifaceted, colorful Balkan metropolis with its hedonistic inhabitants, and now I am transiting ...
Tram and trolleybus fleet with its colorful equipment.


Stopped for a moment at the station New Belgrade. This is the western part of the city, built up mainly with residential areas.


A giant dog on the roof of a mall with pet products.


Incredibly colorful mono-storey anthills. It would be interesting to look into one of these houses. How is it inside there?


Slowly, very slowly, we cross the Sava along the old railway bridge. Nearby is the so-called new railway bridge, but on it to the station Belgrade-Main do not get caught in the mind of the complex configuration of the transport hub. The Old Bridge is interesting in that it was built already in the 19th century, it was destroyed twice, and the last time it was reconstructed was 30 years ago, that is, quite a long time ago. Most likely used only for passenger trains.


Yes, being in the last car has its advantages.


We are approaching the station. A small surprise - I did not expect that the neck of the main station in Serbia is still equipped with manual turnouts.


Immediately another switchman appears and conjures over the next mechanism.


We arrived in Belgrade one hour late. Nice inner courtyard of the station.


Shot from the same point - here the view is dull and untidy. Dirty.


View of Nemanjina street, one of the main thoroughfares of the central part of the city.


Since the train was late, the departure was scheduled as soon as it was ready. That is, after the next re-trailing and changing the locomotive. Therefore, I did not dare to go far from the limits of visibility of the train. Nevertheless, the whole process dragged on for an hour, as the electric locomotive was waiting for a long time.

The next, third in a row, returbation of the train turned the train into two sections - Russian and Serbian, which is two seated cars to Sofia.


Had breakfast with tea and bananas taken in Budapest.


The Serbian province began. They like to paint different slogans on the walls in the Balkans. Grobari is FC Partizan, but Spartak... Not Moscow, is it? Some local?


The station with the melodious name Lapovo.


It must be said here that the next major station was Nis, which is 250 kilometers from Belgrade. According to the schedule, the train to Nis takes four hours. But I soon realized that we weren't catching up on a lagging schedule, but only making it worse by moving at an average speed of 40 kilometers per hour. We arrived in Nis with a three-hour delay. Obviously, the railway track in Serbia is in a terrible state, and train delays are a daily reality. The oncoming train from Sofia, which I noticed at one of the sidings, was also late. For two hours.

Salon of the international carriage Belgrade-Sofia. The only positive thing about it is the ability to look out the open window. And so ... stuffiness, dust and foul-smelling toilets. The Russian carriages are still fresh and cozy.


While driving, I decided to establish commercial cooperation with the guides and purchase soft souvenir toys. Conductor Vasya and conductor Basya. Let them be remembered. I took them for 15 euros and 100 rubles, and after a rather lengthy bargaining. Real conductors-cunning claimed that this is very small. But this is the most correct price, taking into account the exchange rate. 1180 rubles = 15 euros and 100 rubles left with me, I think I even overpaid a little ... Initially, they asked for almost 20 euros. But agreed in the end.

So in the second half of the day, Basya and Vasya were digging for me.


We're going to Nisha. Finally!


Near the station is a sump of rusty steam locomotives.


A terrible train that has seen better times. As long as it's running it's fine...


In Nis, the direction of traffic and the locomotive changed. We managed in 15 minutes (according to schedule 26), as the conductor warned. There was nothing to buy in the only kiosk at the station except for chocolate, chips, water and beer.


An old 50-year-old American diesel locomotive is attached to the train. These are called "Kennedy" here, since these fuming units are the same age as his presidency.


it was the beginning of a pitch-black abyss and a living hell. We drove 100 kilometers to the border station Dimitrovgrad for three and a half hours. I thought this race would be eternal and never end. The difficult terrain of the track, the poor condition of the canvas and the battered diesel locomotive were all factors that did not allow moving faster ...

Shortly after Nis, an open-air water park appeared outside the window. In an hour I will dream about him.


The comfort, splendor and freshness of the Russian carriage fell before the Serbian infrastructural disgrace. Electronics stopped working. The air conditioner turned off, the toilet blocked. The info board of the car, showing +38 outside and +36 inside, soon went out.

What happened? While the cars are under the electric locomotive, they take power from the high-voltage line. That is, there is a power supply unit in the car, and with its help, electricity is converted to the required level.

In the case of a diesel locomotive, the wagon is powered by a generator and a battery. That is, the car moves, the generator shaft rotates and the electricity necessary for the car is generated. It would seem that everything is fine, but ... this very generator starts working at a speed of 35 or 40 kilometers per hour, and our train was moving more slowly. Therefore, the generator in this case turned out to be useless, alas ...

Rechargeable battery - its task is to provide electric power to the consumers of the car at low speeds and in parking lots. In our case, this did not happen. Why? It seems to me that the train crew simply disconnected the battery in order to save its life, since the low speed mode was extremely long. Abnormally long, I would say.

So there was a terrible heat and stuffiness in our car, and moreover, we were traveling along with the conductors only six people. And in winter, under such traffic conditions, the heating does not work and it is cold in the car. There are severe frosts in the Balkans. I believe that the section from Nis to the Bulgarian border is extremely problematic, but it is not clear what to do about it. You can't just take and send Bulgarian cars along a different route, through Romania, for example. And word of mouth spreads very quickly. Chilled or parched from the heat for hours, an indignant pax will spread the word very quickly in his circle.

I will make an important point. The Serbian railway is obviously experiencing serious difficulties now and cannot provide a qualitative level of cooperation. Being late for almost 4 hours and the average speed of 30 kilometers per hour is not normal. So if I were Russian Railways, I would think about the advisability of moving cars to Sofia along this route. Spend this money advertising your beautiful wagons in Europe!

By the way, I barely made it to my bus. The train arrived in Sofia at 21:50 and the benefit of the bus station is nearby, so I was not late. Incredible. Late at 3:35! What about compensation? Who to contact?

An American tourist languishing in the heat and sitting on the floor of the carriage vestibule with the doors open...


The long-awaited border station Dimitrovgrad. Parking is short, 20 minutes - the Serbs in this case quickly managed.


The Bulgarian station Kalotina, in turn, struck me with its asceticism. A short iron platform, just for five wagons, an unsightly building and the amazing slowness and impressiveness of the Bulgarian border guards. The train was late, and they defended their 50 minutes, well, maybe a little less. Fortunately, all the devices in the car were already working, since even in Dimitrovgrad the unlucky diesel locomotive was replaced by an electric locomotive, albeit not the first freshness, but it provided power to the car.


The last picture from the trip is Dragoman station. It gets dark quickly. Soon Sofia, where my slightly exotic, slightly unusual and slightly ambiguous trip ends safely.



Material "From Moscow to the Balkans by train" consists of three parts:

To Kosovo

After the declaration of independence of Kosovo, the airport of Pristina, which was practically not used even during Yugoslavia, experienced a rebirth and was elevated to the rank of international airport. It is currently Kosovo's main air gateway and has regular flights to Istanbul, Zagreb, Berlin, Budapest, Geneva, Vienna and Athens. A number of low-cost airlines operate flights to Pristina from European cities: Germania (London, Verona), Jetairfly (Brussels), Edelweiss Air (Zurich), Easy Jet (Geneva, Basel), Darwin (Zurich), Belair (Berlin).

Serbia by train

A non-transfer car from Moscow to Belgrade runs for 50 hours through Hungary, the fare in a compartment costs $120. For transit, a Hungarian or any other Schengen visa is required.

Many more options exist for transiting through Hungary, Romania, Greece or Croatia. Daily trains run from Thessaloniki to Belgrade (10-14 hours, three trains a day), Bucharest to Belgrade (12 hours, one train a day), Zagreb (6 hours, five trains a day), Sofia (10 hours, two trains per day), Budapest (6-7 hours, two trains per day). Montenegro can be added to this list, four times a day trains depart from Belgrade to Bar (via Podgorica).

The daily train runs from Pristina (Kosovo) to Skopje at 7:30 am, arriving three hours later. In the opposite direction departs from Skopje at 16:35, arrives in Pristina at 19:37. Detailed timetables should be checked on the website of Macedonian Railways (http://www.mzi.mk/documents/vozenred.pdf) and Kosovo Railways (http://www.kosovorailway.com/transporti-i-udhetareve/orari-i -trenave/?lang=en). The fare is 5 euros.

Until March 2012, a daily train from Istanbul (Balkan Express) arrived in Belgrade via Bulgaria. After work has begun on expanding and modernizing the railway line (in connection with the opening of the Marmaray tunnel under the Bosphorus and plans to launch a direct connection from Azerbaijan and Georgia to Europe), passengers make part of the journey by bus. When traveling from Istanbul, they take their seats on the bus that leaves daily at 22:00 from Sirkeci Station and travels to Cerkezköy Station, which is 115 km west of Istanbul. There they change to a train going to Belgrade. As the work on the line is completed, the place of transfer from bus to train will change. According to the plan, full-fledged railway communication will be restored in the spring of 2015.

Serbia by bus

Regular bus service is available between Belgrade and many European capitals. Especially many buses depart daily to Zagreb (Croatia), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Skopje (Macedonia), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Budapest (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Istanbul (Turkey).

In addition, the border communication is well developed. Up to seven buses a day connect Hungarian Szeged and Serbian Subbotica, Nis and Sofia (Bulgaria), Zreyanin and Timisoara (Romania), Novi Sad and Osijek (Croatia).

Tickets for flights within the former Yugoslavia are usually inexpensive and correspond to $ 4-5 per 100 kilometers in interstate traffic.

To Serbia by car

Distance from Belgrade by road: Moscow - 2430 kilometers, Sofia - 395 kilometers, Bucharest - 630 kilometers, Budapest - 390 kilometers, Vienna - 635 kilometers, Zagreb - 330 kilometers.

From Hungary

From Hungary, you can enter through the Khorgos checkpoint (highway Uzhgorod - Bekescsaba - Subotica), Kelebia (highway Budapest - Dunaujvaros - Subotica) and Bački Breg (local road).

From Romania

From Romania - through the checkpoint Srpska-Crna (Arad - Novi Sad), Vatin (Timisoara - Belgrade), Kaludzherovo (local road) and Djerdap (Bucharest - Craiova - Belgrade).

From Bulgaria

From Bulgaria - through the checkpoint Mokrane (Vidin - Negotin), Vrshka-Chuka (Vidin - Zajecar), Gradina (Sofia - Nis - Belgrade), Ribarci (Sofia - Leskovac) and Strezimirovci (local road).

From Macedonia

From Macedonia - through the checkpoint Prokhor - Pchinski (local road) and Presevo (Skopje - Kumanovo - Nis).

From Bosnia and Herzegovina

From Bosnia and Herzegovina - through the Uvac checkpoint (local road), Kotroman (Sarajevo - Uzhice), Bajina - Bashta (local road), Lubovia (Tuzla - Uzhice), Mali Zvornik (Sarajevo - Belgrade), Trbushnica (Brchko - Valjevo ), Badovinci (local road) and Sremska Racha (Tuzla - Zagreb - Belgrade).

From Croatia

From Croatia - through the checkpoint Batrovci (Zagreb - Belgrade), Backa - Palanka (Osijek - Novi Sad) and Bogoevo (Osijek - Sombor).

From Montenegro

From Montenegro - through the checkpoint: Gostun / Brodarevo, Tutin / Vuca and more than 10 others, of local importance, connecting neighboring villages.

Attention! After Montenegro declared independence from Yugoslavia, full-fledged border formalities began to function between the two countries. At land crossings, customs and passport control is carried out. Tourists should carry with them all the usual and necessary travel documents. The rules of entry to Montenegro can be found in the "Montenegro" section.

From Kosovo

A paradoxical situation occurs in travel between Kosovo and Serbia. The country has not recognized the independence of the region and ignores any evidence of the independence of the Kosovars. For example, you may be denied entry to Serbia if you are found to have an entry stamp to Kosovo from outside Serbia. In other words, Serbia considers visiting Kosovo legal, but on the condition that you entered there directly from the territory of Serbia. A visit to the region from one of the neighboring countries is considered illegal based on the laws of Serbia.

In the past, the Kosovo authorities met tourists and did not put marks when crossing the border, but now they always put stamps, which makes the tourist a hostage to the confrontation between Serbia and Kosovo. Considering Kosovo an inseparable territory of Serbia, the latter do not consider the border with it to be their state border. However, transport links between Serbia and Kosovo are extremely limited. The train Belgrade - Pristina was canceled in 2010, as well as direct buses. Now the bus service remains only between the Serb-populated Kosovska Mitrovica and a number of cities in southern Serbia.

You can read more about the rules for crossing the border between Serbia and Kosovo in the section.

In addition, you may be denied entry to Serbia if you are traveling in a rental car with Kosovo ("KS") license plates. However, there are no restrictions on entering Kosovo in a Serbian (or any other) car, unless you are required to purchase special insurance for Kosovo, costing 30 euros for two weeks, or 50 euros for a month. If your car is rented in Albania, insurance for Kosovo is not required.

International road crossings to Kosovo from Macedonia are located in General Janković (Skopje - Pristina) and Globočica (Tetovo - Prizren), and from Albania - Vrbnica (Kukes - Prizren) and Chafa Prushit (Kukes - Gjakovitsa). Please note that when entering Serbia via Kosovo by car, you will need to purchase an insurance certificate for Kosovo at a cost of 50 euros, since the standard Green Card is not valid there. Read more in the "Roads and driving rules" section.

For those entering by car directly into Serbia from abroad, it is obligatory to have an international driver's civil liability insurance policy ("green card", uniform throughout the country). In the absence of such insurance is issued at the border crossing.

Relations between our states have a long history and are of a friendly nature. In addition, in addition to pleasant impressions from visiting such Serbian cities as Belgrade, Novi Sad or Nis, you will find a pleasant bonus in the form of the absence of a visa fee, since a visa to Belgrade is not required for Russians.

Conditions for visa-free entry to Belgrade for Russians

A visa to Serbia for Russians is not needed in the following cases:

  • The duration of the trip is no more than 30 days;
  • The trip is touristic;
  • The trip is carried out at the invitation of relatives or friends;
  • The purpose of entry is transit through Serbia;
  • The trip is a short business trip.

Documents required for visa-free entry

In order to enter Serbia without a visa, adult Russians will need the following list of documents:

  • Foreign passport (it must be valid for more than 90 days, counting from the end date of the trip);
  • Documents that confirm the reservation of a hotel room;
  • Travel air or railway tickets (both ways), or car documents if you travel by this mode of transport;
  • Medical insurance with insurance coverage of more than 20,000 euros for the duration of the trip;
  • A bank statement indicating that you have financial capacity, at the rate of 50 euros per day for each person.

Of all these documents, a foreign passport is officially mandatory. However, Russians are advised to have a list of the documents presented above with them, as they may be asked to present them upon entry. For all controversial issues, Russians can contact the Serbian consulate in Russia.

During the first 3 days after the Russians enter Serbia, they will have to visit the police station and register. If you live in a hotel, this is usually not necessary.

The visa-free regime involves staying in Belgrade for no more than 30 days, but does not limit the number of exits and entries, so to extend your trip to Belgrade, you just need to leave for one of the neighboring states and enter back into the country.

If you are going on vacation with your children and are worried about whether you need a visa for children, then the answer is no, you don’t need it. However, to enter Serbia, children must have their own foreign passports, or children must be entered in their parent's passports (and photos must be pasted) before traveling. Children also need to purchase health insurance.

Work or study in Serbia

A visa to Serbia for Russians is needed if the purpose of this trip is work or education, and also if the planned stay in this country is more than 30 days. Documents should be submitted at the Consular Section of the Serbian Embassy in Russia. This organization is located in Moscow.

To apply for a visa, adult Russians will need the following documents:

  • Passport (it must be valid for more than 90 days from the end of the trip);
  • Duplicate inside the Russian passport (pages with marks);
  • Duplicate of the international passport (pages with marks);
  • Completed visa application form;
  • Return travel tickets and their copies (for a plane, train or bus), in case of traveling by car, car documents - a duplicate of the driver's license, Green Card, vehicle registration certificate;
  • Documents proving financial possibilities for living in Serbia (minimum 50 euros per day) - bank statement, sponsorship letter, salary certificate from work;
  • Health insurance policy for the entire period of stay (coverage from 20,000 euros);
  • Two photos 3.5 by 4.5 cm;
  • Receipt confirming the payment of the consular fee;
  • For tourists planning a long stay in the country - documents proving the availability of housing (booking a hotel room or a contract of employment).

Do Russian minors need a visa to travel to Belgrade? Minor citizens for a visa to Belgrade submit the same set of documents as for visa-free entry, plus a duplicate of the birth certificate.

A visa to Serbia for Russians is issued for 1 year. According to it, it is allowed to stay in the country for no longer than 90 days within 6 months.

Tourists who have a valid Schengen do not need a visa to Serbia. They also have the right to stay in the country for up to 90 days within 6 months (180 days). If any message comes, the guest will have to clarify the possibility of further stay in Belgrade.


Visa to Kosovo

Many tourists wishing to visit Kosovo are wondering if a Kosovo visa is required. Yes, you need a visa to visit this region. Regardless of the purpose and duration of the trip, you must provide the following list of documents:

  • Foreign passport and its photocopy (validity must exceed 90 days from the date of expiry of the visa);
  • Completed visa application form;
  • Color photo (size 3.5x4.5cm);
  • Travel tickets (air, railway or bus, including in the opposite direction);
  • Medical insurance, with insurance coverage of at least 30,000 euros for the entire period of stay;
  • Documents confirming the reservation of a hotel room, or a letter of invitation from the host (it must be notarized);
  • Documents proving the possibility of financial support for the trip (bank statement, certificate of employment);
  • Receipt confirming the payment of the consular fee.

Having a Schengen visa allows you to enter Kosovo, but not more than 15 days.

If you cross the border by car, you will have to pay for insurance, as the Green Card is not valid here.