Serbia Visa for UAE Residents (2026): Visa-Free with a Schengen, UK or US Visa, or Apply in Abu Dhabi

Serbia is one of the easiest European trips for UAE residents, but only if you hold the right document. Emirati citizens need no visa. Foreign residents of the UAE who hold a valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visa, or a residence permit from the Schengen area, the EU or the US, can also enter Serbia without a visa for up to 90 days. Your UAE residence visa alone does not exempt you.

Checked on 21 October 2026 against the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sources at the end.

Serbia at a glance

UAE passport	Visa-free, up to 90 days in 6 months
Valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visa	Visa-free, up to 90 days in 6 months, while the visa is valid
Schengen, EU or US residence permit	Visa-free, same limit
UAE residence visa only	Not enough. You need a Serbian visa
Where to apply	Embassy of Serbia, Abu Dhabi, or online at welcometoserbia.gov.rs
Short-stay visa	Visa C: up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Passport	Valid 90 days after you leave Serbia, 2 blank pages, issued within 10 years

Who needs a visa

Serbia’s rules depend on your passport and on any other visas you hold. Your UAE residence decides only where you apply.

Your situation	Visa for Serbia?
Emirati passport	No. A visa-exemption agreement has been in force since 12 May 2019
Indian passport	Yes, since 1 January 2023, unless you hold a valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visa or permit
Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi or Nigerian passport	Yes, unless you hold a valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visa or permit
Any passport + valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visa	No, up to 90 days in 6 months

Visa-free with another country’s visa

According to the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign nationals who hold a valid visa of the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, an EU member state or the United States can enter, transit and stay in Serbia without applying for a Serbian visa. The same applies to holders of a residence permit from the Schengen area, the EU or the US.

How long: up to 90 days in any six-month period, and never longer than your visa or permit is valid.
Single-entry visas count. The Ministry’s wording says “valid visa”. It does not require multiple entry or prior use, unlike Albania.
Two passports are fine. If your visa is in an old passport, carry both the old passport and your current one.
Residence card holders must also show a valid passport.

Example: you live in Dubai on a Pakistani passport and hold a UK visitor visa valid until next March. You can fly to Belgrade for a week without a Serbian visa. If your UK visa expires in two days, you can stay only until it expires.

Days in Serbia do not count toward your Schengen 90/180 limit, because Serbia is not in Schengen.

How to apply if you need a visa

If you have no Schengen, UK, EU or US document, apply for a Serbian short-stay visa (Visa C). There are two routes:

Online: since 23 April 2025, Serbia issues some visas electronically as a Digital Travel Authorization. You create an account on eid.gov.rs and apply at welcometoserbia.gov.rs. This is only available for passports the system has enabled. If yours is not, you will get a sticker visa instead.
At the Embassy: apply in person at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Abu Dhabi.

Step by step

Check whether you are visa-free (tables above).
Check your passport: valid 90 days after you leave Serbia, two blank pages next to each other, issued within the last 10 years.
Try the online application at welcometoserbia.gov.rs. If your passport is not eligible, contact the Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
Prepare your documents and pay the visa fee shown on the Embassy’s consular price list.
Wait for the decision before booking non-refundable travel.

Documents

Passport meeting the rules above.
UAE residence visa and Emirates ID.
Completed application form and a recent photo.
Return flight booking and hotel booking for every night.
Travel health insurance for the whole stay. See our insurance guide.
Proof of funds: recent bank statements and an employer letter or NOC. See our NOC templates.
If you visit someone: an invitation letter from your host in Serbia.

Visa-free stay in Balkan countries with a Schengen, UK or US visa

Mistakes to avoid

Relying on your UAE residence visa. It does not give visa-free entry to Serbia.
Travelling on a Schengen, UK or US visa that expires during your trip.
Leaving your old passport at home when your valid visa is in it.
Entering Kosovo first and then trying to enter Serbia. Serbia does not recognise Kosovo’s border posts, so entry into Serbia from Kosovo can be refused if you did not first enter Serbia from elsewhere.

Questions people ask

Can UAE residents visit Serbia without a visa?

Only if your passport is visa-free for Serbia, or you hold a valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visa, or a Schengen, EU or US residence permit. A UAE residence visa alone is not enough.

Can Indians in Dubai visit Serbia visa-free?

Not on the passport alone. Serbia ended visa-free entry for Indian passports on 1 January 2023. An Indian resident of the UAE who holds a valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visa can still enter visa-free.

Does my Schengen visa need to be multiple entry for Serbia?

No. Serbia asks for a valid visa. It does not say multiple entry. It must be valid for your whole stay in Serbia.

How long can I stay in Serbia?

Up to 90 days in six months, whether you are visa-free or hold a Serbian Visa C.

Related guides

Sources

Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Visa requirements: mfa.gov.rs
Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Visa regime, United Arab Emirates: mfa.gov.rs
Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the UAE: abudhabi.mfa.gov.rs
Online visa applications: welcometoserbia.gov.rs

Written by Asad Waleed M, Dubai. Asad has lived in the UAE for nine years and researches visa rules from government sources. He is not an immigration lawyer or consultant, and Sifqa does not process applications. Read the editorial policy.

Last checked 21 October 2026. Found an error? Email [email protected] — it gets fixed and logged.