Serbia Introduces Visas for Several Countries in 2023

Starting from January 1st, 2023, Indian and Guinea Bissau citizens will not be allowed to enter Serbia without obtaining travel visas.

The visa-free travel arrangement with these countries has ended. It was in place until December 31, which allowed holders of Indian and Guinea-Bissau passports to enter Serbia without visas and stay for up to 30 consecutive days.

Serbian authorities did not make these two visa-free agreements. Visas to Serbia for passport holders from Burundi and Tunisia were previously introduced. Travellers from these countries cannot enter Serbia visa-free as of 2022. Instead, they will need to apply at the Serbian Embassy in their country.

In an effort to align its visa policy and that of the EU in the coming weeks and months, Serbia may introduce visas for additional non-European Union nations. This could include Russian citizens, Belarussians, and Turkish citizens.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Serbia has been under constant pressure to conform its policies to those of the EU.

Many citizens of Serbia, which had a visa-free arrangement until recently, used Serbia to travel to the EU and illegally remain there.

According to data, arrivals from Turkiye have increased by 1,653 to 6,186. The number of Indians and Cubans increased from 339 to 36, respectively, and from 557 and 4,469 to 4,469 to respectively.

These increases were reflected in the fact that 2.5 percent of all illegal border crossings found along the Western Balkan route involved citizens from Turkiye (Tunisia), India, Cuba and Burundi.

EU officials and Member States repeatedly urged Serbia to align its policies with the EU's throughout the year.

After data from the EU border agency revealed that 19160 illegally traveled to the EU via the Western Balkan, Nancy Faeser, the Minister of Interior, Germany, stated in October that Serbia had to adapt its visa practices to the EU.

Ylva Johansson (EU Commissioner for Home Affairs) didn't rule out the possibility that the EU authorities might suspend the visa-free arrangement with Serbia if it doesn't scrap the visa free arrangements it has with third countries.

"I hope that Serbia and the other Western Balkan countries will cooperate with us to align their visa policies with the EU. She said that she would not exclude this, but it was clear in October 2022.

Serbia's current visa-free entry list includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain, China, Bolivia, China. Many of these people consider visa-free entry into Serbia a "gift" from the Serbian authorities, who have not recognized Kosovo's independence.

 

Source: schengenvisainfo.com