Serbia
Located in Southeastern Europe yet outside of the EU and Schengen Area, Serbia has fierce and far-reaching bonds with so-called political Europe. Cultural, trading and diplomatic exchanges are on such an advanced level between Serbia and EU that the Balkan Nations is actually formally a candidate to enjoy the Union since 2014.
ETIAS for Serbians: Key Facts
Citizens of Serbia entering any of the EU and Schengen Area Countries besides EIRE required to have a valid ETIAS from last trimester of 2026
ETIAS covers for business, leisure, transit and medical treatment trips through the 34 Countries of the ETIAS Area
Maximum combined permanence in the ETIAS Member Countries must by no means exceed 90 days out of every 6 months.
ETIAS application to be submitted electronically
ETIAS candidates must have a valid biometric pass issued by the Republic of Serbia. Visa exemption and consequent ETIAS eligibility is not valid for those with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (in Serbian: Koordinaciona uprava)
ETIAS and Europe
The 2016 protocol validated by the European Union to set the roadmap to ETIAS System’s institution, was confirmed to also benefit holders of passports from The Republic of Serbia.
Serbian Nationals with a valid biometric passport will, from last quarter of 2026, be effectively able to electronically apply for European Union’s newly inaugurated Visa Waiver ETIAS.
ETIAS eligibility for applicants from the Republic of Serbia is strictly connected to the possession of a valid biometric passport issued by Republic of Serbia itself.
Those who do not hold such kind of documents, like passports issued by “Koordinaciona uprava”, are and will still be required to apply for a Consular Schengen Visa to be authorized to travel.
Located in Southeastern Europe yet outside of the EU and Schengen Area, Serbia has fierce and far-reaching bonds with so-called political Europe. Cultural, trading and diplomatic exchanges are on such an advanced level between Serbia and EU that the Balkan Nations is actually formally a candidate to enjoy the Union since 2014.
Until the process will be completed though, Serbia officially remains a non-EU Nation with Visa Waiver Rights to EU/Schengen Area Countries.ETIAS objectives and extensions
Being an EU candidate Serbia is therefore twice as involved and interested in sharing burdens and values towards European Unions ’s borders protection. It is indeed the primary intent of ETIAS to secure such Borders on the one hand while also on the other hand facilitating the travel experience to the citizens of all the 60 Visa Waiver Nations now including Serbia.
Considering Serbia’s Geographical position and the deriving ties to all the neighboring EU and non-EU nations it is important to highlight that ETIAS will be required to citizen of Serbia only for journeys to the thirty-four Nations that are part of the Schengen Area or its future or De Facto Members. Albeit EU Member since 1973 the Republic of Ireland is not linked to Schengen Area and therefore will not apply the ETIAS obligation to Visa Waiver visitors.ETIAS limitations of use
ETIAS Visa Waiver is required for those journeys whose purpose and duration of stay fit in the limits stated above in the Key Facts, and that is it in such cases considered a necessary prerequisite for Serbian Citizens regardless of the place of departure of their trip and whether they plan to reach the EU/Schengen Area via land, air or sea.
Family visit travels are covered under the touristic purpose while this is not true for long term family reunification.
The same principle applies to study visits.
ETIAS is not fit for long term study programs, but the Visa Waiver can as a matter of fact be used by Citizens of Serbia for training programs if the stay in the ETIAS countries area will not pass the mentioned threshold of ninety days within six months.ETIAS for Serbians: application ad practical terms
When applying for ETIAS all citizens of Serbia, including minors, are asked to have a biometric passport whose validity can cover for the whole stay of their planned trip, plus three entire months since the return date, and to insert a series of personal information as follows:
- Full name and surname
- Surname at birth
- Birth date
- Birth place
- Birth country
- Passport number
- Passport’s place and authority of issue
- Passport’s issue and expiry date
- Contact details including a valid e-mail address
- Scheduled arrival date in ETIAS Area
- First country of intended stay in Europe
- Background check questions
Travelling with a passport expiring during the stay in the ETIAS Area, or in less than three months from the scheduled return trip date, can lead to rejection of entry at the EU/Schengen Area Borders.
To this extent, in order to assess the planned duration of the trip, it is always preferable for each Visa Waiver visitor to hold a confirmed return ticket upon arrival or a confirmed onwards ticket to a non-ETIAS Country where the visitor has a proven right to enter.
Unless the passport used for the application does have a closer date of expiry, ETIAS issued to Serbian short-term visitors has a standard validity of three years and allows for multiple journeys towards and across any of the Countries that participate in the ETIAS program as Members or De Facto Members.
