Russian citizens with an ordinary passport may stay in Serbia without a visa for up to 30 days. One way to stay longer without applying for a residence permit is to leave the country and enter again. These trips are called visa runs. People often use them in the first months after moving: while they are choosing a ground for residence and gathering documents, for example.
How a visa run works
Before the current visa-free period ends, you leave Serbia for a neighbouring country, pass through border control, and then cross the Serbian border again on the way back in. A new visa-free period starts from that moment.A visa run is a trip across the border and back, to start a new visa-free period
There is no minimum interval between leaving and re-entering — you can cross straight back. A visa run usually takes a few hours: you can drive to the nearest border, cross it and be back the same day.
What you need to do
To make a visa run you need to leave before the visa-free period expires and, once back, register your place of stay in Serbia again. Bring your passport.
Work out the date of the trip
Plan the visa run with a little room to spare. It is better not to leave it to the last day, so that you do not overstay: there can be delays on the road and queues at the border. In our experience people usually travel on the twenty-eighth day rather than the thirtieth.
Choose a route and a way to travel
You can go on your own or use a carrier. These carriers run trips to the border and back: you book a seat in advance, the driver takes you to the crossing, waits while you pass through control and drives you back. From Belgrade people are usually taken to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Register your address when you return
Within 24 hours of the new entry you have to register your place of stay again — the beli karton.Beli karton — a foreigner's registration of their place of stay in Serbia
What it costs
There is no state fee for the visa run itself. You pay only for the journey to the border and back. With a carrier the price depends on the kind of trip and the pick-up point. It is worth checking the current price before you book.
In our experience, in the summer of 2026 a visa run from Belgrade to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina cost 1,500–2,000 dinars per person. On the cheaper options passengers gather at one point, a railway station for example, and are brought back to the same place. On a more expensive tariff the carrier may pick you up at home and bring you back.
Points to bear in mind
Visa-free entry rules can change. As of September 2026 Russian citizens with an ordinary passport may still stay in Serbia without a visa for up to 30 days per entry. At the same time, Serbia is gradually bringing its visa policy into line with that of the EU. So before each visa run it is worth checking the current entry conditions on the website of the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Check the visa regime for Russian citizens
If you are planning to live in Serbia permanently, temporary residence is the more dependable option. It is better to choose your ground for residence in advance: some documents have to be prepared before you move.