A Serbia visa is not required of citizens of Azerbaijan and you can stay up to 90 days in a 180-day period. When neighbouring Montenegro started requiring a visa in January 2026, Belgrade became one of the few capitals left visa-free in the Balkans, and with the opening of direct flights from Baku to Belgrade the interest grew further still.
In this article we explain the terms of the visa-free regime, Serbia’s 24-hour registration rule, the border subtlety concerning Kosovo, the direct flights and the Balkan route out of Belgrade.
Do you need a Serbia visa?
No. There is a bilateral agreement between Azerbaijan and Serbia, and on an ordinary passport you can stay visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. In the list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Serbia is shown with 90 days. Tourism, visiting relatives and business meetings are included in this regime; to work and to study a separate permit is needed. The Serbian side’s rules are given on the visa page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia.
| Is a visa required? | No |
| How long can you stay? | 90 days within 180 |
| Passport | Valid for at least 90 days after the trip |
| Registration | Within 24 hours of arrival, the hotel does it itself |
| Does it count towards Schengen? | No, Serbia is not in Schengen |
| Direct flight | Baku–Belgrade, AZAL and Air Serbia, 2 flights a week |
| Currency | Serbian dinar |
The 24-hour rule: no Serbia visa, but there is registration
Under Serbian law a foreign citizen must register with the police at the address where they are staying within 24 hours of arrival. For those staying in a hotel or hostel the host does this and gives you the white slip called the «beli karton». Those staying in a rented flat or at a relative’s house go to the police station together with the owner. Keep this slip throughout the trip, as it may be asked for when leaving the country; staying unregistered means a fine.
The Kosovo subtlety
Serbia does not recognise Kosovo as a separate state. Entering Kosovo directly, for example through Pristina airport, and crossing from there into Serbia is considered illegal entry by the Serbian side, because there is no Serbian entry stamp in the passport. If you want to see both places, enter Serbia first, cross into Kosovo and then return to Serbia again. Kosovo requires a visa of citizens of Azerbaijan, but lets in those with a valid Schengen visa for 15 days visa-free.
Read next: A Montenegro visa is now required: why the visa-free regime was cancelled and what to do
How do you get from Baku to Belgrade?
Since May 2026 there have been direct flights between Baku and Belgrade: AZAL and Air Serbia fly twice a week under a codeshare agreement, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the flight takes around 4 hours. The alternative is Turkish Airlines and Pegasus via Istanbul. Baku–Belgrade ticket prices rise quickly because there are only two flights a week, so the dates should be booked in advance.
A Balkan route without a Serbia visa
Belgrade is the junction of the Balkans. Novi Sad is 1 hour, Sarajevo 5 hours and Skopje 6 hours away by bus, and Bosnia, North Macedonia and Albania admit citizens of Azerbaijan visa-free. Which is to say that on one trip you can see three or four countries without a visa.
There are two exceptions. Croatia requires a Schengen visa, while Montenegro has required its own visa since 2026, though those with a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa enter it for up to 30 days.
In Balkan tour programmes Belgrade is usually combined with Sarajevo and Tirana, and no visa document is required.
Things to know before the trip
- Money. The Serbian dinar. Change euros on the spot; cards work everywhere in Belgrade, and in the small towns you need cash.
- Language. Serbian; the young speak English and the older generation understands Russian.
- Season. May-June and September are the most comfortable time; in July the EXIT festival is held in Novi Sad and the hotels fill up.
- Insurance. Not required, but advised.
- Children. The child must have their own passport; when travelling with one parent, the other’s notarised consent may be required.
Frequently asked questions about the Serbia visa
Can you stay more than 90 days without a Serbia visa?
No. To stay longer, to work and to study you need a temporary residence permit, and that is arranged inside the country.
Do the days I spend in Serbia count towards the Schengen limit?
No. Serbia is not in Schengen, and the days spent there are not included in the 90/180 count.
Will the visa-free regime remain when Serbia joins the EU?
Serbia is conducting membership talks and, like Montenegro, may align its visa policy with the EU. For now the regime is in force, but it should be checked before the trip.
In closing
A Serbia visa is not required and you can stay 90 days; the two rules to remember are the 24-hour registration and not entering from the Kosovo side. The Viza.az team helps with booking tickets on the direct flights and with building a Balkan route through visa-free countries.
You can read more about Serbia as a destination or fill in the application form.
Note: the information here is as of the publication date. The visa-free regime and the flight schedules can change, so check the official sources once more before your trip.
