Serbia

Legal status and visa requirements for those who were forced to leave Ukraine

A citizen of Ukraine can enter Serbia with a valid passport through any border crossing including airports and is allowed a 90-day stay in Serbia without a visa.

The same applies, both, to Ukrainian citizens with or without a passport or other travel documents.

According to the Decision, people forced to leave Ukraine, can enter Serbia without a passport or other travel documents. In such situations, people coming from Ukraine will be issued a document at the border crossing on a special form by the Border Police indicating their address of stay, reasons for stay and length of stay in Serbia.

Citizens of Ukraine do not need a COVID-19 certificate to enter Serbia.

Refugee status/ asylum seeker status/ temporary protection status

Serbian Government passed the Decision on Providing Temporary Protection for Displaced persons coming from Ukraine, which entered into force on March 18, 2022. Based on the Decision, Ukrainians can stay for up to 1 year in Serbia.

All displaced Ukrainians, who are granted temporary protection in Serbia, according to the Decision will have the rights guaranteed by law: to stay during the period of 1 year of temporary protection; to receive a document confirming their status; to receive health care; to access labour market; to receive free primary and secondary education; to receive legal aid under the conditions prescribed for asylum seekers; to access collective accommodation in facilities designated for those purposes; to access appropriate accommodation for particularly vulnerable persons.

To be granted temporary protection in Serbia every Ukrainian displaced person must apply in its place of temporary residence for Serbian ID and a temporary protection certificate to receive a document confirming their status. Several working days are needed upon the submission of the application for temporary residence based on the Decision on Providing Temporary Protection for Displaced persons coming from Ukraine.

Regional police directorates of the Ministry of Interior – Regulation of Foreign National Affairs Departments are in charge of the reception of applications and registrations of temporary residence

Application for temporary residence can be submitted through the eGovernment portal.

Learn more about staying in Serbia:

Asylum protection centre
Asylum Support Centre Serbia
Adress: Mišarska 16, 11000 Beograd, Srbija
E-mail: sediste@apc-cza.org
Phone: +381 11 323 30 70; +381 11 407 94 65
Fax: +381 11 323 30 70
apc-cza.org
Information: Radoš Đurović;
rados.djurovic@apc-cza.org
Asylum Support Centre 2nd Office, Central Serbia
Gavrila Principa 13
Srbija, 11000 Beograd
E-mail: sediste@apc-cza.org
Telefon: +381 11 323 30 70; +381 11 407 94 65
Fax: +381 11 323 30 70
apc-cza.org
azilsrbija.rs

Asylum Support Centre 3rd Office, Northern Serbia
Braće Radića 3
Srbija, 24 000 Subotica
E-mail: sediste@apc-cza.org
Telefon: +381 11 323 30 70; +381 11 407 94 65
Fax: +381 11 323 30 70
apc-cza.org
azilsrbija.rs

Asylum Support Centre 4th Office, Southern Serbia
Vase Smajevića 11
Srbija, 17523 Preševo
E-mail: sediste@apc-cza.org
Telefon: +381 11 323 30 70; +381 11 407 94 65
Fax: +381 11 323 30 70
apc-cza.org
azilsrbija.rs

Migration counselling websites:

The Commissariat for Refugees and Migrations Republic of Serbia
Telephone: +381 64 828 3171
kirsteam.ukraine@kirs.gov.rs
Address: Narodnih heroja 4
11070 Belgrade, Serbia
Phone: +381 (0)11 311 72 72
Fax: +381 (0)11 312 95 85

UNHCR Serbia
Bulevar Zorana Djindjica 64
11070 Belgrade Serbia
Telephone: (+381) 11 41 55 424
E-mail: srbbe@unhcr.org

Access to the healthcare services

Ukrainians are entitled to emergency health care services as soon as they enter Serbia.

Once they are issued the Serbian IDs and a temporary protection certificate, they will be eligible to access the health care (primary and secondary) under the same conditions as Serbian citizens.

On the course of legal stay in Serbia, without seeking asylum, in private accommodation or in the state reception camps, a person will be granted healthcare (primary and secondary), elementary and high school education, humanitarian and other help, all according to the Commissariat for Refugees and Migrations Republic of Serbia capacities.

Ministry of Health

Nemanjina 22-26

11000 Beograd

Kabinet ministra

Tel: 011/361-6251; 011/361-6596

E-mail: kabinet@zdravlje.gov.rs

If a Ukrainian person is not registered, he/she can only get emergency health care services free of charge, but for all other health care services they will have to pay.

If a Ukrainian citizen is granted temporary protection in Serbia (possesses a Serbian ID and a temporary protection certificate), she/he will be eligible to access the health care (primary and secondary) under the same conditions as Serbian citizens. This means that co-payment is compulsory for some of those health care services and medicines (depending on a service or a medicine).

Serbian language is in official use, while some medical staff speak English, Russian, German or other languages.

The third-country nationals who are also fleeing Ukraine can access health care services as well, namely asylum seekers, stateless persons and foreign nationals who have been granted asylum or equivalent national protection in Ukraine and members of their families who have been granted residence in Ukraine. It is also applicable to foreign nationals who have been granted valid permanent or temporary residence in Ukraine and who cannot return to their country of origin under permanent or long-term circumstances.

Where can the Ukrainians who were forced to leave Ukraine go for the following healthcare services?

Acute treatment

Health Centre (Dom zdravlja) – primary health care facilities

Contact details of health care facilities in Serbia can be found in the link zdravlje.gov.rs

Chronic/long-term treatment

Hospitals – secondary health care facilities.

University Clinical Centres – tertiary health care facilities.

Other services e.g. screening, testing, vaccination

AT either of the aforementioned health care facilities depending on the needed service.
zdravlje.gov.rs

Visiting family doctors

No need to register with a family doctor.

Services for People Living with HIV

HIV-testing

Testing is available free of charge at:

Institute of Public Health of Serbia in Belgrade (Dr Milan Jovanović Batut)
24 institutions, including institutes of public health throughout Serbia (regional, city, etc.)
Institute for Student Healthcare in Belgrade
Some NGOs, such as Potent – National Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health, which has testing facilities in Belgrade, Niš and Kragujevac.

Minors under the age of 16 can only be tested if accompanied by a parent / guardian.

In case of a positive test result, the person is referred to the HIV departments at the Infectious Diseases Clinics, either in Belgrade, Niš, Novi Sad or Kragujevac

Antiretroviral treatment (ART)

People on ART can bring their own medication into the country. It is advisable to have a prescription.

In order to receive free ART, the person needs to have registered residency in the Republic of Serbia. In addition to this, the person needs to have a work permit or any other legal document that confirms the right to health insurance in the Republic of Serbia (enables access to health services).

The following institutions can be contacted:

Institute of Public Health of Serbia in Belgrade (Dr Milan Jovanović Batut)
24 institutions, including institutes of public health throughout Serbia (regional, city, etc.)
Institute for Student Healthcare in Belgrade
Some NGOs, such as Potent – National Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health, which has testing facilities in Belgrade, Niš and Kragujevac.

Preconditions for receiving ART for Ukrainians who were forced to leave Ukraine are a document confirming HIV infection (a positive test result), and the right to basic health insurance in the Republic of Serbia.

How can minors get treatment?

Minors can get tested and get ART. However, minors under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent / guardian.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

PrEP is not on the positive list of drugs but can be bought in pharmacies with a doctor’s prescription. The price is around 5500 RSD (50 EUR).

Eligibility: All persons who meet the conditions prescribed by the European Aids Clinical Society (EACS) Guidelines for Serbia.

It is best to contact the Potent – National Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health for further referrals as some clinics do not prescribe PrEP.

Potent – National Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Aleksandar Nikolić, national coordinator, +381 63 557890, aleksandar.potent@gmail.com

There is no minimum age for receiving HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. A physician decides after consultations with the patient.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

PEP is recommended for anyone who was at risk of contracting HIV, and is started no later than 48-72 hours after It should be taken for 28 days. It is not free of charge. There is no minimum age for receiving HIV post-exposure prophylaxis.

Where to go; to an infectious disease clinic where the doctor will prescribe PEP, which can be bought at the pharmacy for around 42,683 RSD (360 EUR).

Potent – National Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health has a budget with which it can provide support (co-payment) and participate in the purchase of PEP.