European country ends visa free travel for Indians

LAHORE - The Government of Serbia has decided to end visa-free travel for Indians from January 1, next year.

The restriction would no more allow Indian passport holders to enter Serbia without a valid visa and the decision has been taken in view of the new requirements of the European Union visa policy and measures to curb illegal migrants.

A travel advisory has also been issued by the Indian Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, highlighting that all Indian travellers visiting Serbia would require a visa to enter the country from January 1, 2023. It also stated that the Indians having valid Schengen, UK visas, or visas of the United States of America or resident status in these countries can still enter Serbia for up to 90 days. 

India is not the only country affected by the decision as Serbia has also terminated the visa-free regime with Guinea-Bissau, Tunisia, and Burundi.

“The existing arrangement of visa-free entry into Serbia for all Indian passport holders for staying in Serbia up to 30 days has been withdrawn by the Government of Serbia," stated the government in a statement.

The visa-free entry was started by Serbia in September 2017;however, Indians traveling to Serbia could not travel to other countries, including Serbia’s neighboring countries and other European countries, by virtue of visa-free entry into Serbia.

With an area spanning some 77,474 sq km and a population close to 7 million, the country is a must visit for history buffs owing to the tensions that arose in the backdrop of Bosnian war.