The Serbian government ended visa-free entry for Indian citizens from January 1, 2023 implementing stricter entry rules in line with EU recommendations. Accordingly, the Indian Embassy now advises Indian nationals planning to visit Serbia to secure a visa from the Serbian Embassy in New Delhi or their country of residence.
Prior to these changes, Indian travellers holding a passport or other travel documents were not required to apply for a visa in order to enter Serbia for up to 30 days within a period of one year.
You can still travel to Serbia visa free – here’s how?
You can still travel to Serbia without a visa for up to 90 days in case you have a valid Schengen, UK, or US visa.
Despite the stricter measures, the statement from Serbian government clearly stated, “Also, it may be noted that holders of Indian passports having a valid Schengen, UK visa, or visa of the United States of America, or residence permit of these countries may enter visa-free to the Republic of Serbia up to 90 days during a six-month period, and within the validity of said visas or residence permits.”
Why Serbia stopped visa free travel for Indians?
Serbia has experienced a surge in the number of refugees from different countries, especially Cubans, as the numbers went from 36 to 339. However, the surge noticed in Turk arrivals beats all other numbers – from 1,653 to 6,186, which alarmed both Serbia and the European Union.
Moreover, arrivals from India soared during this time, from 557 to 4,469, which indicated that the authorities had to take some action to prevent the country from becoming a migration gate.
Türkiye, India, Tunisia, Cuba and Burundi represented 2.5 per cent of illegal border crossings recorded throughout 2021 on the Western Balkan Route, which recorded a 20 per cent increase this year.
