Visas no longer needed for Schengen area

Serbian citizens with biometric passports are able to travel to countries of the EU Schengen area without visas as of Saturday, December 19. After two decades, Serbian citizens will not need visas to enter most countries of the European Union. Visas no longer needed for Schengen area Serbian police (MUP) Director Milorad Veljovic said that the border police were prepared for such a traffic regime. Serbians will be on the white Schengen list and will be able to cross into Hungary and travel all the way up to Great Britain without visas. “The border will be able to be crosses exactly at midnight. At the border crossings, police are completely prepared, all border police have instructions how this regime works and is controlled,” Veljovic said. Visas are still needed to enter Great Britain and Ireland, which have not joined the Schengen zone yet. However, visas have been abolished for non-EU member-states Switzerland, Norway and Iceland as well. EU officials in Brussels explained that the decision sends a clear message to Serbia that its place is within the EU, and is recognition of Belgrade showing excellent administrative capacities and achieving all obligations for visa liberalization in a short period of time. Belgrade officials see the liberalization as the abolishment of the final set of sanctions against its citizens from the 1990s. Among the first people to travel without visas to the EU from Serbia were participant in the “Europe for Everyone” project—50 selected citizens who took off with Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic at one minute after midnight on a plane from Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport en route to Brussels. Djelic ahead of the flight tonight (Tanjug)

Visas no longer needed for Schengen area

Serbian police (MUP) Director Milorad Veljović said that the border police were prepared for such a traffic regime.

Serbians will be on the white Schengen list and will be able to cross into Hungary and travel all the way up to Great Britain without visas.

“The border will be able to be crosses exactly at midnight. At the border crossings, police are completely prepared, all border police have instructions how this regime works and is controlled,” Veljović said.

Visas are still needed to enter Great Britain and Ireland, which have not joined the Schengen zone yet.

However, visas have been abolished for non-EU member-states Switzerland, Norway and Iceland as well.

EU officials in Brussels explained that the decision sends a clear message to Serbia that its place is within the EU, and is recognition of Belgrade showing excellent administrative capacities and achieving all obligations for visa liberalization in a short period of time.

Belgrade officials see the liberalization as the abolishment of the final set of sanctions against its citizens from the 1990s.

Among the first people to travel without visas to the EU from Serbia were participant in the “Europe for Everyone” project—50 selected citizens who took off with Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić at one minute after midnight on a plane from Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport en route to Brussels.