Trip checklist: Serbia

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

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Visa requirement

South Africans need to apply online for an e-visa before travel to Serbia.

Permitted stay

You can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Before you go

• Purpose of visit

  Tourism, business, private visits (type C). Long-stay type D for 90-180 days.

• Passport validity

  Passport valid at least 90 days beyond intended departure, at least 2 blank pages, issued within the last 10 years (visa applicants).

• How to apply

  Online at welcometoserbia.gov.rs (official Government of Serbia portal), which requires registering on the Serbian e-ID portal (eid.gov.rs); or in person at the Embassy of Serbia in Pretoria. Since 23 April 2025 visas can be issued as an electronic Digital Travel Authorisation. Fee and processing time not published on the MFA pages opened; ask the embassy.

• Where South Africans apply

  Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, 163 Marais Street, Brooklyn, Pretoria 0181; tel +27 12 460 5626, +27 12 460 6103; info@srbembassy.org.za. Or online via welcometoserbia.gov.rs.

• Travel insurance

  For visa applicants: valid travel medical insurance required. For all visitors, MFA recommends cover of at least EUR 20,000.

• Return or onward ticket

  Border officers may ask for flight tickets, hotel bookings or invitation letters.

• Proof of funds

  EUR 50 per day of stay (cash, bank statement, etc.).

• Accommodation or invitation

  Visa applications need an invitation letter (private, business or tourist agency voucher) depending on purpose; at the border, hotel booking or invitation may be requested.

• Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

  None routinely required; MFA notes a vaccination certificate may be required if arriving from a pandemic-affected area per Ministry of Health. Not a yellow fever risk country.

• Arrival forms

  No arrival card, but foreigners must register their stay with the police within 24 hours of arrival (hotels and paid accommodation register guests; if staying privately, the host and the visitor must register).

• Transit

  Holders of a valid Schengen/UK/EU/US visa or residence permit may transit visa-free. Transit visa applicants must hold the entry visa for the next country. Airport transit rule for South Africans not stated.

• Travelling with children

  Foreign minors do not need parental consent to enter Serbia (consent rules apply to Serbian minors). South Africa's own exit rules for minors apply.

• Confirm with the embassy

  Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/citizens/travel-serbia/visa-requirements
• Government of the Republic of Serbia https://welcometoserbia.gov.rs/
• Embassy of Serbia in Pretoria https://pretoria.mfa.gov.rs/ambasada/kontakt

Research sources

1. 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia (Official, mfa.gov.rs) https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/citizens/travel-serbia/visa-regime/juzna-afrika
2. 2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia (Official, mfa.gov.rs) https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/citizens/travel-serbia/visa-requirements
3. 3. Government of the Republic of Serbia (Official, welcometoserbia.gov.rs) https://welcometoserbia.gov.rs/
4. 4. Embassy of Serbia in Pretoria (Official, pretoria.mfa.gov.rs) https://pretoria.mfa.gov.rs/ambasada/kontakt
5. 5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia (Official, mfa.gov.rs) https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/citizens/travel-serbia/general-entry-requirements
6. 6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia (Official, mfa.gov.rs) https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/citizens/travel-serbia/registration-stay

From doineedavisa.co.za/serbia. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.