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Arriving & settling

Arriving in Serbia: address registration and your first weeks

What the rules say about registering where you stay, and a practical order for everything else in your first weeks.

Facts last checked: October 13, 2026

Bridge over the river at dusk

The first days after you arrive set the tone for everything that follows. One step is time-sensitive and easy to miss: registering where you are staying.

Address registration within 24 hours

According to the official portal for foreigners, legal entities and individuals who provide paid accommodation to foreigners, and persons being visited by foreigners, must register the foreigner within 24 hours of providing accommodation.[1]

Hotels, hostels and apartments register guests electronically through the eTourist application. Registration can also be done electronically through the eAdministration portal.[1]

The registration confirmation is often called the “white card” in everyday speech. Keep it with your passport: you are likely to need proof of your registered address for later steps.

A practical checklist for your first weeks

  1. Confirm your first accommodation and that it will register you on arrival.
  2. Keep your passport and registration confirmation together, with copies.
  3. Search for a longer-term home. Review the lease before you sign, and record an inventory and meter readings when you move in.
  4. Connect utilities and internet in your name or confirm what the landlord covers.
  5. Open a bank account. Each bank sets its own document requirements and decides on its own.
  6. Arrange health cover and find a family doctor, and a paediatrician if you have children.
  7. If you have children, shortlist schools or kindergartens early. Admission is decided by each school.
  8. If relevant, check whether your driver’s licence can be exchanged and what your pet needs.

If you are applying for temporary residence

Temporary residence applications are made through the official eForeigner portal or, where the law allows it, in person with the competent authority for your registered address. If your application is approved, you must attend the competent authority in person.[3][4]

Official sources

  1. Registration upon arrival — Welcome to Serbia (opens in a new tab)
  2. Detailed information on the visa D documentation — Welcome to Serbia (opens in a new tab)
  3. Temporary residence — Welcome to Serbia (official portal for foreigners) (opens in a new tab)
  4. eForeigner — official online applications for foreigners (opens in a new tab)

Facts last checked:

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Sunset over the river seen from an old fortress wall