Do I Need a Visa for Serbia for EXPO 2027? Entry Rules Explained

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport, and sometimes on other visas or permits you hold. An Expo ticket does not change your visa status. The Serbian government and the official Expo organiser have not announced any Expo visa.

You will fall into one of three groups:

1. Your nationality is visa-free for short stays in Serbia.
2. You need a Serbian visa in principle, but you hold a valid Schengen, EU, UK or US visa, or a residence permit in the Schengen area, the EU or the US, and can use it to enter.
3. You need to apply for a Serbian visa before you travel.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains a visa regime page with an alphabetical list of countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Choose your country and the page shows whether you need a visa and what applies to your passport type.

We have deliberately not copied the list here. Figures like "92 visa-free nationalities" come from secondary sources and quickly go out of date. Check your own nationality, and check again close to your travel date.

• Check the passport you will travel on, not your country of residence.
• With two passports, check both.

The MFA visa requirements page says that holders of a valid Schengen visa, an EU member state visa, a UK visa or a US visa can enter Serbia without a Serbian visa. The same applies to people with a residence permit in the Schengen area, an EU member state or the US.

The Ministry states that you may enter, transit and stay in Serbia for up to 90 days during a six-month period, and within the validity of that visa or residence permit. Put simply:

• The visa or permit must be valid when you enter Serbia.
• Your stay in Serbia cannot run past its expiry date, even if you have used fewer than 90 days.
• The 90-day limit still applies if your visa is valid for longer.

If your Schengen or UK visa expires in mid-June 2027, you must leave Serbia before that date. If you are not sure whether your visa type counts, ask a Serbian embassy or consulate before you travel.

If you need a visa, apply at a Serbian embassy or consulate general abroad, or online through welcometoserbia.gov.rs. For the online route, you first register on the government identity portal eid.gov.rs, as the MFA explains.

Which visa type

• Visa C (short stay): for entry, transit or a stay of up to 90 days. This is the one for Expo visitors.
• Visa D (long stay): for stays between 90 and 180 days on grounds such as employment, education or family reunification. It is not a tourist visa.

The MFA page also mentions a Digital Travel Authorisation issued through the same portal since 23 April 2025. Check welcometoserbia.gov.rs to see if it applies to your situation.

Documents the border police may ask for

Whether or not you need a visa, the MFA general entry requirements list what can be checked at the border:

• A valid travel document (or an identity card, where a bilateral agreement allows it).
• Sufficient funds, set at 50 euros per day of stay, shown in cash or with a bank statement.
• On request: a return ticket, proof of a paid hotel booking, a certified invitation letter or a travel voucher.
• Health insurance is recommended, with cover of at least 20,000 euros for medical costs.

Passport validity

For visa applicants, the MFA says your passport must be valid for at least 90 days after your planned departure from Serbia, have at least two consecutive blank pages, and have been issued within the past 10 years. If you do not need a visa, allowing the same margin is a sensible precaution.

Short stays in Serbia are counted as up to 90 days within a six-month period, often written as "90 days in 180 days".

One detail matters for Expo visitors. The Expo itself lasts 93 days. A short-stay allowance does not cover the full run from opening day to closing day. If you want to be in Belgrade for the entire Expo, you will need a different legal basis to stay. Longer stays require a residence permit; our guide to the Serbian residence permit and white card explains how that works.

Serbia is not in the Schengen area, so its 90-day count is separate from the Schengen one. Plan each on its own terms if your trip includes EU countries.

The MFA registration page says that anyone providing paid accommodation to a foreign national, and anyone hosting a foreign visitor, must register them within 24 hours of arrival. The foreign national is also responsible for registering their stay, and any change of address, within 24 hours.

• Hotels, hostels and licensed apartments: the accommodation provider registers you. Ask for proof of registration and keep it with your passport.
• Staying with friends or family: your host must register you. In Belgrade this is done with the police, at the Department for Foreigners listed on the MFA page.
• Private rentals: ask the host before you book whether they register guests. If they do not, the obligation still falls on you.
• Moving between places: each new address needs a new registration.

Our guide to navigating Serbian bureaucracy covers police offices and paperwork. For the rest of your arrival, see your first 48 hours in Belgrade and our SIM card guide.

No. As of 22 September 2026, neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the official Expo site mentions a special visa, an Expo e-visa or visa-free entry linked to an Expo ticket.

Be wary of websites selling an "Expo visa" or a paid entry "guarantee". Official applications go through welcometoserbia.gov.rs or a Serbian embassy or consulate. Buy tickets only through the official site, as explained in our Expo 2027 tickets guide.

Planning to volunteer? The Expo Playmakers programme asks for at least 15 days during the Expo. No visa arrangement for international volunteers has been announced. See our volunteer programme guide and check your own visa route early.