VisaRAN - Extension of Visa-Free Stay

What is a visa run

A visa run - leaving Serbia and quickly returning in order to "reset" the visa-free period. It is most often used by those who have not yet obtained a residence permit.

Visa-free rules (differences between countries)

• Citizens of Russia, Belarus, China, Kazakhstan receive 30 days for each entry with no rolling window. You can leave and return on the same day - the counter resets, and you again have a full 30 days available. The number of visa runs is unlimited.
• Most other visa-free countries (EU countries, the USA, Ukraine, etc.) fall under the 90/180 rule: within any rolling 180-day period you may not exceed a 90-day limit. A visa run does not "reset" the counter here.
• For some countries the limit is 30/365 (30 days within a year).

Count the days carefully: under the 90/180 rule both the day of entry and the day of exit are counted.

Required documents

• A valid foreign passport (valid for at least 3 months after the departure date, at least 2 free pages, issued no more than 10 years ago).
• White card (бели картон).

If a residence permit has not been obtained after the visa run, a new white card must be issued at the place of residence within 24 hours after crossing the border.

How a visa run usually works

A typical service looks like this: you are driven to the border (for example, from Belgrade to the border with Bosnia and back - about 3-4 hours travel), you pass through a buffer zone, spend a few minutes there and immediately return, crossing the border for entry. There are options where the border is crossed by car or bus without leaving the vehicle.

The price benchmark for the service is roughly 2000-2200 RSD; the spot is booked in advance. You can find organizers of visa runs in the Services - visa assistance section.

What happens if the visa-free period expires

If you stay longer than the allowed period, you will be detained on exit and taken to court the same day. The court may impose a fine (approximately 50 000-150 000 RSD), deportation, or a ban on entry. When calculating the period, both the day of entry and the day of exit are taken into account.

Remember that the rules can change, so check the current information before doing a visa run.