Serbia may end visa-free travel for Russians to advance EU membership bid
Serbia discusses changing visa regime with Russia (Photo: apakom / Pixabay)
Serbia, one of the last European countries Russians can enter visa-free, is preparing to join the Schengen Area, a move that would automatically require visas for Russian citizens, The Moscow Times reported on Aug. 11.
Serbian European Integration Minister Nemanja Starović said Belgrade's goal is to be ready to join the Schengen Area by the end of 2027.
He said the government has already established a special working group led by the Interior Ministry and approved a plan for the necessary reforms. Serbia plans to join the Schengen Area without first becoming a full member of the European Union, which Starović said is unlikely before the end of the decade.
Dragan Stanojević, head of the Serbian parliament's Committee on the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, also confirmed that Serbia is discussing changes to its visa policy toward Russia.
He said the possible introduction of visas is being considered as part of efforts to meet EU requirements.
Russian citizens can currently enter Serbia without a visa and stay in the country for up to 30 days. Belgrade has been negotiating EU membership since 2014.
In April 2026, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said the country intended to meet by the end of the year the criteria needed to make further progress toward European integration, including in migration and visa policy.
In October 2025, Vučić described EU membership as a foreign policy priority for Serbia. At the time, however, he dismissed reports that Serbia could end visa-free travel for Russian citizens.
In June, the president said the issue had not even been considered in Serbia.
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