We use "cookies" to improve the usability of the site. If you continue to use the website, you accept the terms of use. More information
Personal baggage is exempt from customs duties. It consists of all the items a passenger carries in order to serve him/her during particular journey (e.g. clothing, footwear, various technical equipment, sports equipment, personal hygiene items, common medical therapy and other personal items).
The amount of these items depends on the purpose of the trip, gender, occupation of the traveler, season and other circumstances regarding the particular trip.
Part of your personal baggage when entering Serbia may also be:
Besides personal luggage, Serbian passengers are also exempt from paying import duty on items for personal use they are bringing in from abroad up to a value of EUR 100.
Foreign currency may be freely brought into Serbia. That means that you may bring into Serbia as much money as you wish, but if it is more than EUR 10.000 (in dinars or other foreign currency), your duty is to declare it to Customs.
Ask customs officer to give you the Cash Declaration Form available to each passenger (at the entrance or exit of the country).
It is very important that you do this, because if later on you wish to exit the country with the rest of the money that you did not spend (over EUR 10.000) and you do not possess the certified Form, you risk seizure of the sum larger than EUR 10.000.
Certified Cash Declaration Form for the sums over EUR 10.000 is issued to foreigners residing abroad, as well as Serbians residing abroad for longer than one year on the basis of residence and work permit.
Sum that you may take out of the country is limited. That means that all passengers are permitted to take a sum of up to EUR 10.000 out of Serbia.
Residents may take sums larger than EUR 10.000 in effective foreign currency out of the Republic of Serbia only based on the evidence of immigration, which means an immigrant visa embedded in the passport and the certificate of cancelation of residence in Serbia issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Non-residents* may take out of the country sums larger than EUR 10.000 only if accompanied by a:
Customs officers will annul these receipts at the moment when passenger is leaving the Republic of Serbia for the first time. Be aware of the fact that the mentioned receipt will not be valid as soon as you leave the territory of the Republic of Serbia for the first time, even if it is for the short visit to relatives or vacation in one of the neighbouring countries. If after that you still intend to travel through Serbia on the way to your final destination, you will have to undergo the same procedure all over again and obtain new certified Cash Declaration Form.
Sums larger than 10,000 EUR in dinars may only be brought in if purchased from a foreign bank and accompanied by a receipt from that bank.
Payment cards may be freely brought in and out of Serbia.
* non-resident: a foreign national residing abroad (including diplomatic and consular representatives of foreign countries and their family members), as well as the Serbian nationals residing abroad for a period longer than one year on the basis of residence and work permits).
Only non-residents are entitled to value added tax refund when they take out of the country purchased, unused goods that equals or exceeds the value of 6.000 RSD (VAT included), provided such goods are exported within three months of the day of purchase.
The condition is that you submit to the customs service VAT Refund Form ZPPPDV (completed by the seller at your personal request) as well as the original bills for the purchased goods. You should keep the original bills and stamped VAT Refund Form ZPPPDV and customs officers will keep a copy of the same Form.
The customs officers only certify the submitted VAT Refund Form ZPPPDV, but they do not perform VAT refund.
Note: VAT refund may be obtained even if passenger travels with ID or another travel document that is considered to be an identification document for crossing the border according to the law in the Republic of Serbia.
Persons temporarily entering the Republic of Serbia customs territory where they do not reside regularly (foreign nationals and Serbian nationals living abroad for more than one year) may import temporarily the goods they need for personal use during their travel and goods for sports purposes.
It includes all articles, whether new or used, that passenger needs during the travel, taking into consideration all the circumstances of that specific travel. Take care that this rule does not apply to commercial goods!
Above mentioned goods may be declared verbally at the time of entry into the country or if it is of considerable value passenger should fill in the Form for Temporary Import/Export available here.
This rule is especially important for transit passengers.
Food may only be brought into/taken out of country in reasonable quantities that is obviously intended for personal use or the consumption of family members in the original manufacturer’s wrapping.
If you are traveling by plane and you wish to take with you some of the amazing Serbian food specialties, take care that they are packed in your checked luggage.
If you are importing food of animal origin, its quantity is limited to a maximum of one kilogram.
Medicines may be brought into/taken out of the country, for personal passenger’s use and for animals accompanying the passenger, in quantity needed for regular therapy not longer than 15 days. In that case medical opinion is not needed.
However, if you need larger amount of medicines for the usual treatment, you are obliged to show to the customs officers the approval of the competent body for import or export of medications for personal use (issued on the basis of the opinion of your chosen doctor).
Also, if medicines that you use contain controlled psychoactive substances, and/or if their quantity exceeds one package of up to 30 dosage units, passenger is obliged to show medical prescription certifying the need for medical therapy (medical opinion) to the customs officer when requested to do so.
Passengers are allowed to take up with them pets that are not intended for sale or another form of transfer to other persons.
Pets must be accompanied by the respective documentation confirming the fulfillment of veterinary and sanitary conditions (vaccination, chipping, etc.). They can be accompanied by the owner or another person that has the owner’s authorization.
If your pet is a specimen of endangered or protected animal species, you may bring it into/take it out of the country only when accompanied by PERMIT FOR CROSS-BORDER MOVEMENT OF PERSONALLY OWNED ANIMALS, issued at the owner’s request by the Ministry of Environmental Protection – Group for the implementation of CITES Convention (email: office@cites.gov.rs).
Permits are required for each animal and are only valid if the animal is accompanied by the owner of permit. When transiting with protected or endangered species pets through the Republic of Serbia you need to present to the customs officers a CITES export permit issued by exporting country that contains final destination.
Passengers are allowed to bring along a small amount of plant products or a few plants without a phytosanitary certificate if they:
These quantities will be considered as small:
Objects of artistic, cultural or historic value, of noncommercial nature and intended for personal needs may be exported only after obtaining the relevant permit of the state Ministry competent for cultural issues:
Personal jewelry is considered to be the one that you wear, however if you put a lot of jewelry on yourself or in your luggage - you are obliged to declare it.
It is very important that you do this, because the customs officers will treat larger amount of jewelry as undeclared valuables, and you may easily find yourself in violation.
That is way it is safer to declare all valuables that you carry with you and save yourself from embarrassment and risk of jewelry being temporarily or permanently seized.
Passengers are not allowed to carry weapons across the border unless they possess the permit issued by a competent authority – the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications.
Passengers may temporarily bring in or out hunting weapons and ammunition (in appropriate quantities) only when participating in organized hunting tours organized by Hunting Association, other authorized organization or for the purpose of participating in shooting sport events.
Weapons and ammunition must be verbally declared at the time of entry into or exit out of the country and accompanied by a proof of temporary import. If the purpose of travel is shooting sports event or hunting, an invitation is required (an invitation letter sent by a hunting organizer), or in case of a sporting event (proof that the event is taking place).
To facilitate identification of goods on departure, passenger is required to enter the details on weapons and ammunition into the Document to support a verbal customs declaration when entering the country. Customs officer checks if the data entered in the supporting document are accurate, signs it, verifies it and returns it to the passenger.