Just Landed in Serbia? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage and 4G are strong across cities and main roads, with 5G expanding in Belgrade and Novi Sad. Prepaid SIMs are cheap and easy to buy on a passport with no local address required, so most newcomers start prepaid and only move to a contract once they have residence and a bank account. Home internet from SBB or Yettel/mts is fast and affordable, but installation usually needs a lease and a few days' wait.

Typical cost: Prepaid starter packs run roughly 500-1,500 RSD; monthly bundles with 20-100 GB cost about 1,000-2,000 RSD. Fixed home broadband packages start around 2,000-3,500 RSD per month.

The dinar is the only legal tender, but rent, cars and property are routinely quoted and paid in euros. Cards work in supermarkets, malls and chain restaurants; markets, kiosks, bakeries and small cafes are frequently cash-only, so always carry some notes. Contactless is widespread in cities but patchy in smaller towns.

Opening an account: Foreigners can open an account with Banca Intesa, OTP, Raiffeisen or UniCredit, but most branches require a residence permit (boravak) or at least a registered address plus passport; a non-resident account is possible at some branches with a passport and proof of address, so it pays to ask two or three banks directly. Banca Intesa has the widest branch and ATM network for newcomers.

Cash: Carry cash. Farmers' markets (pijaca), kiosks, bakeries, taxis and many landlords run on cash, and euros in hand are often preferred for rent. Keep a supply of small dinar notes, as vendors frequently cannot break large ones.

Tipping: Tipping is customary but modest: round up or leave about 10 percent in restaurants and cafes if service was good. Taxi fares are usually rounded up rather than tipped, and it is normal to hand the tip directly to the server rather than leave it on the table.

All foreigners must register their address (prijava boravka, the beli karton or white card) with the local police within 24 hours of arrival, and re-register within 24 hours whenever they change address. Hotels and registered short-term rentals handle it automatically and give you the printed slip; if you rent privately or stay with friends, you and your host must register in person at the police station covering your address. The white card is proof of legal stay for the visa-free or visa period (commonly up to 90 days), and you should carry it and keep it safe, as banks and residence applications require it. Failing to register can lead to fines and complications with any later residence permit.

Deadline: Within 24 hours of arriving or moving to a new address

Where: Local police station (MUP) covering your address, or automatically via your hotel or registered short-term rental host

Belgrade has an integrated bus, tram and trolleybus network paid via the BusPlus card or a contactless bank card; there is no metro yet, though one is under construction. Public transport is cheap and covers the city well, if sometimes crowded and slow in traffic. Intercity buses and trains connect the main cities, with buses generally faster and more frequent than the modernising rail network, and the fast Soko train now links Belgrade and Novi Sad in under an hour.

From the airport: From Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG), around 18 km from the centre, public bus line 72 and the A1 minibus run into town for a few hundred dinars, while a CarGo or app-booked taxi to central Belgrade costs roughly 1,800-2,500 RSD depending on traffic. If you take a street taxi, use the fixed-price taxi voucher desk in arrivals rather than accepting a driver's quote, as unofficial drivers routinely overcharge new arrivals.

Most newcomers rent through agencies or listing sites such as Halo Oglasi, 4zida and Facebook groups; furnished flats in Belgrade and Novi Sad are plentiful and turn over quickly. Rents are usually quoted in euros and paid monthly, often in cash, and many landlords prefer longer stays and informal arrangements. Viewing in person before paying anything is essential, as phantom-listing scams are common.

Typical rent: A furnished one-bedroom flat runs about 400-700 EUR per month in central Belgrade, and roughly 300-500 EUR in Novi Sad and smaller cities, with prices rising sharply in the most sought-after central districts.

Deposit norm: Expect one month's rent as a deposit, sometimes plus the first month upfront; agency fees are typically half to a full month's rent. Get a written lease if you can, as it helps with residence applications and gives you some protection over the deposit.

Serbia has a public healthcare system (RFZO) alongside a large, affordable private sector. Public hospitals handle genuine emergencies for anyone, but foreigners without state insurance pay out of pocket or use private clinics for routine care. Standards in private clinics in Belgrade and Novi Sad are generally good and waits are short.

How to access it: For non-emergencies most expats use private clinics such as Bel Medic or MediGroup in Belgrade, where you book directly, often on the same day, and pay per visit. For state cover you need a residence permit and to be registered with RFZO, usually through employment, after which you get a health booklet and access to a chosen state GP (izabrani lekar).

Insurance: Get private health insurance or an international policy before or soon after arrival, as residence applications commonly require it. Consultations at private clinics are cheap by Western standards, roughly 3,000-6,000 RSD, but out-of-pocket costs add up quickly for tests, imaging or anything beyond a simple visit.

• Greet with a firm handshake and direct eye contact; close friends and family greet with three cheek kisses, alternating sides.
• Accept offered coffee (kafa) or rakija (fruit brandy) when visiting, as hospitality matters and refusing outright can seem cold; even a small sip is appreciated.
• Take your shoes off when entering someone's home, and bring a small gift such as coffee, sweets, wine or flowers if invited to dinner.
• Learn a few Serbian words like hvala (thank you), molim (please), dobar dan (good day) and izvinite (excuse me); locals warm to the effort even though many young people speak English.
• Toast by looking people in the eye as you clink glasses and say ziveli, and pace yourself with rakija, which is stronger than it tastes.
• Expect direct, warm and sometimes loud conversation; personal questions about family, work and life are a sign of friendliness rather than intrusion.
• Be patient and polite at official counters, greet staff with dobar dan and let them lead, as brisk or demanding behaviour rarely speeds anything up.

• Avoid casual jokes or strong opinions about the 1990s wars, Kosovo or NATO; these subjects are deeply sensitive and best left for locals to raise.
• Cyrillic appears on many official signs, forms and older neighbourhoods, so keep a translation app handy and do not assume everything will be in Latin script.
• Smoking indoors is still common in many bars and cafes despite restrictions, so ask for a non-smoking area or sit outside if smoke bothers you.
• Bureaucracy runs slowly and offices close early and at weekends, so plan official errands for weekday mornings and bring every document you might conceivably need.
• Do not rely on cards everywhere; carry cash for kiosks, markets, taxis and small businesses that quietly do not accept them.