Entry into the Republic of Serbia and temporary stay
You can look up at the general conditions for entering foreigners in the Republic of Serbia by following this link. Entry into the Republic of Serbia is possible on the basis of a visa, for countries whose citizens need a visa to enter the Republic of Serbia, but also without a visa, for the countries whose citizens have been granted "free" entry into the Republic of Serbia. Before you apply for the realization of student mobility in the Republic of Serbia, please check whether you need a visa to enter and stay in the Republic of Serbia and what are the conditions for obtaining it. Details of the visa policy of the Republic of Serbia and the conditions for obtaining a visa are determined by the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Serbia. Follow this link to check if you need a visa for traveling to the Republic of Serbia.
Overview of the general conditions for obtaining a visa for the Republic of Serbia can be found by following this link. For further information on visas, please contact the Embassy or Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in your country. Contact information about embassies or other diplomatic missions of the Republic of Serbia worldwide can be found on this link. If you are a citizen of a member state of the European Union, for a short stay in the Republic of Serbia (a stay of less than 90 days for any period of 180 days counting from the date of your first entry into the Republic of Serbia) you will not need a visa or residence permit. Although citizens of a state that is a member of the European Union only need a personal ID card to enter the Republic of Serbia, we recommend that in addition you also have and use a passport. If you are a citizen of the state for which visa is required to enter the Republic of Serbia, then you must apply for a visa in the country where you reside. If you are accepted for a student mobility program, you need to immediately start the procedure for obtaining a visa, because this process may take more than a month. VISER will send you a letter of invitation in order to obtain a visa.
Before starting the mobility program, please make sure you have a valid passport. Your passport should have a validity period covering the entire planned mobility period, as well as at least six months after the expiration of the mobility period, or after the planned return from the Republic of Serbia.
As a foreign citizen, upon arrival in Belgrade, you are obliged to make an application to register the address where you will reside during your stay in the Republic of Serbia. A foreign citizen or persons providing accommodation services for a fee (hostel, landlord), is obliged to make a registration in the Republic of Serbia within 24 hours from the moment of entering the Republic of Serbia where the foreign citizen will reside in the Republic of Serbia. VISER will help you to apply for a stay. The registration of a foreigner's residence is submitted in the police station on whose territory the address of the facility where the foreign citizen is located or in the regional police administration, an organizational unit that performs activities related to the movement and stay of foreigners. Please note that as a foreign citizen, you should immediately notify the competent police authority about any change related to your residence. You will need a passport or other identification document to apply for residence.
For a stay in the Republic of Serbia that lasts less than 90 days in any period of 180 days, counting from the date of your first entry into the Republic of Serbia, you will not need a temporary residence permit. However, if you are planning to stay in the Republic of Serbia for more than 90 days, as a foreign citizen, you are obliged to obtain a temporary residence permit. Temporary residence of a foreign citizen in the Republic of Serbia may be granted on several grounds, including the learning of the Serbian language, studying, participating in international student exchange programs or students, or specialized specialization, training and practice. As a foreign citizen applying for a temporary stay in the Republic of Serbia based on studies, you will need the following documents:
- Valid passport;
- Proof of means to support yourself during a planned stay in the Republic of Serbia;
- Registered address in the Republic of Serbia;
- Proof of medical insurance valid during your stay;
- Proof of paid administrative fee;
- Two photographs (35x45mm, in color, enface);
- Filled-in forms (two copies).
In addition to the above mentioned documents, depending on the basis on which you request the authorization of a temporary stay (learning the Serbian language, studying, participating in international student/s exchange or professional specialization, training and practice), you will need some additional documentation (confirmation that you are participating in student exchange). VISER will help you to provide this confirmation. The request for granting temporary residence is submitted to the police directorate, the Foreigners' Administration located in Savska Street No. 35. For the first application for temporary residence, the request is processed for about 4 weeks, while the extension of the same period is significantly shorter. After the foreign citizen submits a request with proper supporting documentation, an interview with the police inspector will be scheduled. Based on his studies, a foreign citizen is granted a temporary stay for a maximum of one year or a shorter period if the study program for a foreigner is short-term. After the expiration of the temporary stay, the stay can be extended for another year. Please note that the extension of the temporary stay may be refused if it is established that the foreign citizen does not continuously achieve satisfactory progress in his/her studies. Finally, a foreign citizen is obliged to use the temporary stay for the purpose stated in the request itself, so that the temporary stay will be terminated if it is established that a foreign citizen resides in the Republic of Serbia contrary to the purpose for which the temporary stay was authorized. More information on authorization for temporary residence in the Republic of Serbia can be found on this link.