Serbia maintains visa-free travel for Russians

Serbian Minister Nenad Popović confirmed that Russians can still travel to Serbia without a visa. This clears up the doubt that started after June, when there were talks about possibly adding visa rules because of Serbia's EU membership path. The announcement doesn't make the visa rules any easier than they already are. However, it removes a worry that might have stopped some people from visiting or making long-term plans in Serbia.

According to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, 2024 was the peak year for Russian tourist arrivals, with 184,609 (second place among foreign markets). In 2025, the number of arrivals decreased to 173,867 (minus 5.8%). In the first quarter of 2026, official statistics recorded 41,695 Russian tourists (second place). In May, Russians entered the top three for overnight stays among foreign tourists.

Meanwhile, Nenad Popović stated at the end of April that 252,000 Russian citizens had stayed in Serbia from the beginning of the year through April 22—47% more than in the same period in 2025. This significant discrepancy between official tourist arrival statistics and the figures cited by the Serbian politician is explained by the different calculation methodology. Official statistics only account for registered stays, while Popović's data reflects the total number of arrivals and registrations, including independent tourists, multiple trips and longer stays. Thus, the overall growth in Russian mobility in Serbia is indeed ongoing, but it is driven more by independent tourism and long-term stays than by traditional organized tourism.

The most likely scenario for 2026 is that official tourist flow will remain at 2025 levels or will grow moderately. However, the most noticeable growth is likely to continue in the segment of independent travel and long-term stays.

Photo by Larisa Roschina