Visa Run in Serbia: How to Legally Extend Your Stay
What is a Visa Run in Serbia?
A visa run in Serbia is a procedure that allows you to legally extend your stay in the country by briefly exiting to a neighboring state and immediately returning. This mechanism for systematically renewing the permitted period of stay is particularly popular among foreign citizens.
For citizens of the Russian Federation, for example, special conditions apply. They can stay in Serbia without a visa for 29 days. After this period expires, they must leave the country, after which they can immediately re-enter, and the countdown for a new 29-day period will begin again. It is important to note that the number of such re-entries for RF citizens is not limited.
Organizing a Visa Run: Services and Costs
For convenience, many use the services of specialized providers who organize trips to the border and back. The cost and travel time may vary depending on the city of departure.
It is recommended to book your spot on the trip in advance. The date, exact departure time, and meeting point should always be confirmed directly with the organizing company, as they can change. In cities other than Belgrade and Novi Sad, the trip conditions must also be clarified with local providers.
Required Documents and the "Beli Karton"
A minimal set of documents is required to successfully complete the visa run procedure. It is important to ensure that they are all in order before the trip.
- A valid international passport (one that has not expired).
- "Beli karton" (registration of residence).
Special attention should be paid to the "Beli karton". If you do not yet have a residence permit (VNZh), you must re-register your place of residence within 24 hours of each return to Serbia as part of a visa run. This is a mandatory requirement.
For convenience in calculating your days of stay, you can use online tools such as the "Serbian Days Calculator," which will help determine the date until which you can legally remain in the country.
How the Visa Run Procedure Works
There are several ways to conduct a visa run, but the most common is crossing the border on foot. In this case, the organizer takes you to the border crossing point by car, and you complete the crossing process yourself.
- Arrive at the border by car.
- Walk to the border checkpoint.
- Wait in the general queue with cars to pass through exit control from Serbia.
- After receiving the exit stamp, walk about 200 meters through the buffer (neutral) zone, wait there for about 5 minutes, and then head back.
- Wait in the general queue to enter Serbia to receive an entry stamp.
- Return to the car and travel home.
There is also an alternative method where the border is crossed by car or bus without needing to exit the vehicle. To plan your trip and assess congestion at border crossings, you can use online cameras that broadcast the situation at the Serbian border in real-time.
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