Russia

VISA REGIME

For holders of national passports and other travel documents: Visa is not required for stays of up to 30 days

For holders of diplomatic and official passports: Visa is not required for stays of up to 90 days

Note: Visa is not required for holders of an emergency travel document in transit

ENTERING AND LEAVING THE COUNTRY
Citizens of the Republic of Serbia do not require a visa for a stay of up to 30 days in the Russian Federation (RF), including the days of entry and exit. Upon entry, the RF border police issue a migration card that includes the entry date and the required exit date, which must be carried during the stay in Russia. The migration card must be returned to the border official upon departure from the RF.

In accordance with the Russian Federation Government Decision of December 1, 2024, the first experimental phase requiring the submission of biometric data for all foreign nationals entering the RF has begun at five border crossings: Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports in Moscow, and the Mashtakovo road crossing on the Russian-Kazakhstan border. This requirement applies to all foreign nationals and stateless persons entering or residing in the RF. Exemptions include certain categories of individuals: citizens of Belarus; diplomats accredited in the RF and their family members; officials and representatives of international organizations accredited in the RF and their family members; representatives of international organizations visiting the RF on official business; holders of diplomatic, official, or civilian travel documents visiting the RF officially or as members of official delegations and their family members; foreign nationals with diplomatic or official visas in their civilian passports; and foreigners or stateless persons under the age of 6.

As part of the second phase of the experiment on the identification and authentication of foreigners, running from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2026, and in accordance with the Russian Federation Government Decision, all foreign nationals, including citizens of the Republic of Serbia, are recommended to register via the "ruID" mobile application at least 72 hours before their planned entry into the RF. Although registration is voluntary during this experimental phase, it facilitates faster and easier access to various services in the RF (e.g., purchasing Russian SIM cards, opening bank accounts, renting vehicles, etc.), and is particularly recommended for foreigners planning a longer stay or seeking to regulate their legal status in Russia. Upon completion of the experiment and analysis of the results, the feasibility and justification of implementing a Unified System for Identification and Authentication of Foreigners entering the RF will be determined. The purpose of introducing biometric-based identification is to create digital profiles of foreigners to prevent the return of foreign offenders to the RF, particularly those who previously succeeded by changing their names, and to identify foreigners wanted in their home countries.

Upon arrival in Russia, registration of stay is mandatory within 7 working days. For tourist travel, the passport must be valid for at least 6 months, and for regulating a stay in the RF, at least 1.5 years. Since March 5, 2023, per a Russian Government decision, Serbian citizens have been granted a facilitation for obtaining a regular tourist visa for up to 6 months: it is no longer necessary to pay for the entire travel arrangement through a travel agency or provide a travel voucher; a confirmation of hotel or other accommodation listed on the RF’s unified list of classified hotels, ski resorts, or beaches is sufficient. For stays longer than 30 days for purposes such as employment, education, professional training, or medical treatment, a visa must be obtained from the RF Embassy in Belgrade. Since February 16, 2015, visa applications are submitted through the website: http://visa.kdmid.ru.

Regardless of the basis for entering the RF, with or without a visa, foreigners must strictly adhere to the permitted duration of stay. Failure to comply may result in Russian authorities denying exit, initiating administrative violation proceedings, and imposing a fine (up to 5,000 rubles). Border and migration authorities may also add violators to a register, potentially banning their entry to the RF for up to 5 years. It is recommended to have health insurance and a certain amount of cash, as foreign bank cards cannot be used in Russian banks or ATMs. Amounts exceeding USD 10,000 and technical goods must be declared upon entry.

IMPORTANT: Entry/Exit of Serbian Citizens from Belarus to Poland, Russia, Lithuania, and Latvia Serbian citizens wishing to return to Serbia by road from Russia, including the Kaliningrad Region, or Belarus via Poland must contact the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Warsaw via email (embassy.warsaw@mfa.rs) to provide necessary vehicle and passenger details for pre-notification of their crossing. The only border crossing open for passenger traffic between Poland and Belarus is Terespol (Poland) – Brest (Belarus). Serbian citizens are advised to consider alternative routes through Lithuania for entry/exit to/from Belarus, using the border crossings Medininkai (Lithuania) – Kamenny Log (Belarus) or Šalčininkai (Lithuania) – Benyakoni (Belarus), which have shorter wait times and do not require pre-notification. After entering Lithuania, there are no further border controls until Hungary or the Serbian border.

Entry of Foreign Nationals to Russia from Belarus and Vice Versa Since January 11, 2025, the Agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation on the mutual recognition of visas and other matters related to the entry of foreign nationals and stateless persons into the territories of the states party to the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State has been in effect. This Agreement regulates matters concerning joint borders, including the land section of the common border, previously treated as an internal crossing open only to Russian and Belarusian citizens but not to foreign nationals.

Under the Agreement, entry into both countries is possible at international border crossings, as well as via designated routes for international rail, air, and road transport, including six specific road sections:

  • Yukhovichi – Dolostsy (A-117 Opochka – Novopolotsk)

  • Yezhetishche – Nevel (M-20 Kyiv – St. Petersburg)

  • Liozno – Kruglovka (A-141 Vitebsk – Smolensk)

  • Redki – Krasnaya Gorka (M-1 Minsk – Moscow)

  • Zvenchatka – Dubovichka (A-101 Bobruisk – Moscow)

  • Selishche – Novozybkov (M-13 Gomel – Bryansk).

Crossing the land section of the Belarus-Russia border in other areas is prohibited and considered a violation of the state border. The Agreement provides for mutual recognition of visas granting foreign nationals the right to enter and stay in Belarus and Russia, as well as border crossing stamps for the external border of the Union State. The period of stay for foreign nationals and stateless persons in Belarus and Russia is calculated from the date of entry into one of the states from a third country. The Agreement does not apply to foreign nationals or stateless persons banned from entering either state. Each party reserves the right to refuse entry, shorten the period of stay, or verify compliance with entry, exit, transit, or stay regulations for any foreign national or stateless person.

SOCIAL AGREEMENTS

The bilateral Agreement on Social Security was signed in 2019.

This agreement enables the calculation and/or merging of the pension seniority acquired in R. Serbia and/or in the Russian Federation, i.e. the right to the payment of benefits based on old-age, disability and family pensions, payment of compensation in cases of injury at work and/or occupational diseases and funeral expenses in the country where the citizens of the signatory countries reside.

USEFUL INFORMATION:

HEALTH SITUATION - No special vaccination is required upon entry. Consumption of bottled or filtered drinking water is mandatory.

SECURITY SITUATION - The security situation is stable, with a noticeably increased level of security control and increased measures and activities of the Russian security authorities. The presence of the police at metro stations, airports, railways and roads, as well as at tourist locations and shopping centers, has increased. In order to defend Moscow from frequent drone attacks, there are often interruptions in the operation of the Internet and communication and navigation devices, especially near military and other specially guarded locations.

TRANSPORT – The Russian Federation has a well-developed network of road, rail and air transport. Traffic centers are Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Sochi, Yekaterinburg.The most important airports are: in Moscow - Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, in St. Petersburg - Pulkovo, in Sochi - Adler. There are a large number of daily airlines both within the Russian Federation and with countries that have not imposed sanctions on the Russian Federation.

It is recommended to use the subway in view of heavy traffic jams, as well as installing mobile applications for navigating around the city and in public transport. In addition, it is useful to install taxi applications (UandexGo, Rutaxi, City) that provide insight into the fixed amount of transportation costs. During a tourist stay in the Russian Federation, driving a motor vehicle is possible with a driver's license R. of Serbia, with the condition of its translation into Russian by an authorized court interpreter or an international driver's license in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic dated November 8, 1968. year. In the case of regulated permanent residence ("Vid na žiteljstvo"), the driver's license of the Republic of Serbia becomes invalid after 60 days from the day of obtaining the residence permit, and its replacement is carried out in accordance with Russian legislation.

OTHER – The national currency is the ruble (RUB). Due to the current sanctions imposed on Russia and the absence of SWIFT, payments can only be made in cash in the national currency or all types of credit cards of the Russian Federation with the mandatory opening of an account with Russian banks. Currency exchange is limited and amounts to the exchange of foreign currencies for rubles. The purchase of foreign currency is limited and variable. Bearing in mind the objective difficulties in transferring money between the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation, it is recommended to use the services

"Post of Serbia" for remittances via international money orders, so-called POSTCASH, which enables money transfer with the Russian Federation. Users can find more information about this service at the following link of the Post of Serbia:

https://www.posta.rs/cir/stanovnistvo/usluga.aspx?usluga=finansijske-us.... In addition, money transfer from Serbia can also be done through "AIK banka" (formerly "SBERBANKA").

There is a great diversity in the quality of accommodation and the price of services. An overnight stay in an average hotel in Moscow starts at 150 euros. There are chains of domestic and foreign hotels and restaurants, the cultural offer is very rich and varied, but the prices of services are high. Shopping centers and stores are open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

CONTACTS:
During their stay in the Russian Federation, citizens can contact the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Moscow for consular assistance and protection at phone number: + 7495 988-66-45 and via email: konsularno.moskva@mfa.rs and ambasada.moskva@mfa.rs