Serbian passport

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Serbian passport (Serbian: пасош/pasoš) is issued to Serbian citizens at any age, and it is the primary document of international travel issued by the Republic of Serbia.

The passport is issued by the Ministry of Interior or, if the citizen resides abroad, at the embassy. Besides serving as proof of identity and of citizenship, they facilitate the process of securing assistance from Serbian consular officials abroad, if needed. Citizens can not have multiple passports at the same time.

Citizens of Montenegro still use the same travel document, as both Serbia and Montenegro were part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and state union of Serbia and Montenegro until 2006.

Serbia and Montenegro ranked 64th in Henley Visa Restrictions Index which ranks countries according to travel freedom their citizens enjoy.

New biometric passports will be issued as of August 2008 and they are set to replace current ones by 31 December 2008. Currently, only 11.24 percent of Serbian citizens hold a valid passport.^[1]

Contents 1 Appearance 1.1 Design 1.2 Identity information page 1.3 Languages 1.4 Visa pages 2 Types 3 Documents required 4 Future 5 Visa free travel 5.1 Regular Passports 5.1.1 Africa 5.1.2 Asia 5.1.3 Europe 5.1.4 Latin America 5.1.5 Oceania 5.1.6 Visa free travel "on business" 5.1.6.1 Asia 5.1.6.2 Europe 5.1.7 Other visa free arrangements 5.2 Diplomatic and official passports 6 Entry refusal 7 Kosovo 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

[edit] Appearance

[edit] Design

Current passports are issued in order with the “Law on Travel Documents of Yugoslav Nationals” which came into force on 26 July 1996, although the country came into existence in 1992. They are navy blue in color and have two inscriptions in golden letters - Савезна Република Југославија (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) at the top and the word passport written in three languages: Serbian (Cyrillic script), English and French at the bottom divided by the coat of arms.

Even though Federal Republic of Yugoslavia changed its name to Serbia and Montenegro in 2003, passports with the new name have not been issued, probably due to expected breakup of the state union, which in fact occurred in 2006. Due to the fact, Serbian citizens face delays and additional checks at the border crossings of countries where they are not among frequent travelers, and consequently local authorities are not aware of those issues, usually due to three country codes which may be in usage for passport holders - YU, CS and RS (See also: Serbian country codes). Passport code, YU, usually does not match the code used for issuing tickets and visas. Further more troubles can be caused in countries that do not require visas for holders of Serbian passport. Usually the immigration officers are supplied with the list of countries and the name on the list (usually Serbia and Montenegro) might be inconsistent with the name of the country on the passport (FR Yugoslavia).

[edit] Identity information page

The Serbian passport includes the following data:

• Country code ('YU' for Yugoslavia)
• Nationality (Jugoslovensko (Yugoslav) )
• Type ('P' for passport)
• Passport serial number
• Name of bearer
• Place of birth
• Date of birth (DD.MM.YYYY.)
• National identity number (JMBG)
• Place of residence (street address)
• Date of issue (DD.MM.YYYY.)
• Date of expiry (DD.MM.YYYY.)
• Issuing office
• Signature and photo of bearer

[edit] Languages

The data page is printed in Serbian (Cyrillic script), English and French. Information page on consular assistance, on the back cover, is printed in Serbian only.

[edit] Visa pages

Passport contains 32 pages, out of which 29 are suitable for visas and border stamps. They are predominantly light and dark brown, and are perforated with the passport's serial number on the side.

[edit] Types

Passports that can be issued are:

• Ordinary passport is issued to all citizens.

• Valid for 10 years, or for 5 years if issued to a person under 18 years of age or to males under 27 years of age if they did not complete their army conscription service^†.
• Processing time is up to 15 days, but if not applied for during or just before major holiday season, processing times are significantly shorter. Fee is RSD 870.00. For applicants at Serbian embassies, the fee approximates 300 euros. Processing times vary between 30 minutes and three months.

• Ordinary passport on business is in fact an ordinary passport with processing time of 1-2 days.

• Applicants in urgent need of passport for business travel can provide the Ministry of Interior with a letter from their company, explaining the reasons for the urgency - the passport will usually be issued the following day, without an additional fee.

• Collective passport is issued to groups traveling together.

• Valid for a single trip abroad.
• Though it is not primary means of international travel for organized groups, it is often used to facilitate the issuance of visas, or to decrease administrative costs if a lot of group members do not have their individual passports. Main users of these passports are high schools and tourist agencies.
• Collective passport can be used for travel only to specific, usually nearby, countries. Some countries that do not accept collective passport as valid travel ID, do issue collective visas, but still stamp individual passports.
• All members of the group must cross the border at the same time and be part of the same organized trip.

• Diplomatic passport is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to diplomats, high-ranking officials, members of the parliament and persons traveling on official state business, and in some cases to immediate family members of the above.

• Validity is determined by the nature of the position held - diplomats and officials will usually receive the passport covering their mandate in office.
• Diplomatic passport holders require an exit visa in order to leave Serbia with their travel documents.

• Official passport is identical in all aspects to the diplomatic passport, but lacks the privileges of diplomatic immunity. It is issued to mid and low-ranking officials, as well as to non-diplomatic staff at the embassies and consulates.

In case of a loss of passport abroad, emergency travel document is issued by the embassy. A seaman's book is also considered a travel document if supplied with a valid visa.

^† Although the law states that the Serbian army can object to the regular validity of the passport for those who have not completed their conscription service, this privilege has been used in a manner that all males aged over 16 and under 27 had to provide the issuing authority with an army-designated approval of validity period. It has been, by rule, considerably shorter than 5 years, usually only 2 years. Cases of clear abuse of the privilege have been recorded, such as issuing the passport with virtually unusable validity period of 40 days. This process usually took two weeks, and was subject to heavy corruption and bribery. Army approval has been abolished in 2002 by the Federal Interior minister Zoran Živković, and since then the army can only object by filing a specific request to the Ministry of Interior, without the knowledge of whether the person did or will apply for passport.

[edit] Documents required

The following documents are required in order to obtain a Serbian passport^[2] :

• Request (Form P-11)
• Old passport (if applicable, regardless of expiry date)
• National ID card (adults only)
• Birth certificate or Certificate of citizenship, and Residence certificate (minors only)
• Certificate of citizenship (not older than 6 months)
• Two photographs (3.5 x 4.5 cm, light background)
• Proof of administrative taxes paid

[edit] Future

New biometric passports are planned to replace the current from August to December 2008.^[3] They will share the standardized layout and burgundy-red design with EU countries and will be biometric passports. Introduction of new passports is one of the main requests by EU to waive visas for Serbian citizens.

[edit] Visa free travel

[edit] Regular Passports

According to a study done by Henley & Partners, Serbia has a Henley Visa Restrictions Index of 32, which means that Serbian citizens enjoy visa-free access to 32 countries and territories for short-term tourism visits. Serbia is ranked 64th in the study in terms of international travel freedom.

Serbian passport holders can travel without a visa to following countries :

• † indicates countries that have an agreement with Serbia on visa free travel; rest of the countries generally do not require visas or have adopted a unilateral waiver

[edit] Africa

Countries	allowed stay
Botswana† [4][5]	90 days
Burundi [6]	on arrival
Cape Verde [7]	on arrival
Comoros [8]	on arrival
Djibouti [9]	10 days (on arrival)
Egypt† [4]	30 days (issued on arrival)
Kenya [10]	90 days (issued on arrival)
Madagascar [11]	90 days (on arrival)
Mozambique [12]	30 days (on arrival)
Niger† [4]	90 days
Seychelles† [4]	90 days
Tanzania [13]	3 months (on arrival)
Togo [14]	7 days
Tunisia† [4]	90 days
Uganda [15]	3 months (on arrival)
Zambia† [4]	90 days

[edit] Asia

Countries	allowed stay
Armenia [16]	through validity of passport if holding letter of invitation
Azerbaijan [4]	7 days
Cambodia [17]	30 days (on arrival)
Iran [18]	17 days (on arrival)
Jordan [9]	1 month (issued on arrival)
South Korea [19]	30 days
Laos [20]	30 days (on arrival)
Lebanon	3 months (tourist visa issued on arrival)
Macau [21]	30 days (on arrival)
Maldives [4]	30 days
Nepal [22]	150 days max. (on arrival)
Singapore [23]	30 days
Sri Lanka [4][24]	30 days
Timor-Leste [9]	30 days (on arrival)
Turkey [4]	30 days (issued on arrival)

[edit] Europe

Countries	allowed stay
Albania [25]	180 days
Belarus† [4][26]	30 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina [4]	90 days*
* Serbian ID card can be used as a travel document instead of passport.
Croatia [4][27]	90 days
Macedonia† [4][28]	60 days
Montenegro	no restriction*
* Serbian ID card can be used as a travel document instead of passport.
Russia†	30 days with voucher and return ticket*
* Serbian citizens do not need the Russian visa if they possess a valid hotel voucher for desired period of stay accompanied with the return ticket
Ukraine†	30 days with voucher*
* Serbian citizens do not need the Ukrainian visa if they possess a valid hotel voucher

[edit] Latin America

Countries	allowed stay
Argentina† [4][29]	90 days
Chile† [4]	90 days
Costa Rica	90 days
Cuba [4]	90 days
Dominica [30]	21 days
Haiti [31]	90 days
Jamaica [32]	on arrival
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	30 days
Peru [33]	90 days
Trinidad and Tobago [34][9]	1 month

[edit] Oceania

Countries	allowed stay
Cook Islands	31 days
Fiji [35]	4 months
Federated States of Micronesia [36]	30 days
Niue	30 days
Palau	30 days
Samoa	30 days
Tuvalu [37]	30 days (on arrival)

[edit] Visa free travel "on business"

Visa free travel is also possible to the following countries, provided that Serbian Ministry of Interior indicate in the passport that holder is travelling to the specific country "on business" - such note is granted without many formalities, usually a simple, informal invitation letter from foreign company or a public institution would suffice: This visa type is generally used by students as well due to the easy and cheap procedure.

[edit] Asia

Countries	allowed stay
Armenia [4][38]	90 days
Azerbaijan [4][38]	90 days
China [4]	90 days
North Korea [4]	90 days
Kyrgyzstan [4][38]	90 days
Mongolia [4]	90 days

[edit] Europe

Countries	allowed stay
Russia [4][38]	90 days
Ukraine [4][38]	90 days

[edit] Other visa free arrangements

Countries	note
European Union	member states, as well as other European countries, allow visa-free airside transit (type A visa), but do not allow visit in transit (type B visa) without appropriate travel document.
United Kingdom[39]	provides Direct Airside Transit (DAT) visa exemption (type B visa) if a person holds either Australian, Canadian, New Zealand or United States visa, and is in transit to or from these countries.
United Arab Emirates[40]	30 day eVisa if arriving through Dubai Airport

[edit] Diplomatic and official passports

Countries	allowed stay
Schengen countries [41]	90 days
Armenia [16]	90 days
Azerbaijan [4]	90 days
Bangladesh [42]	30 days
China [4]	90 days
Croatia [4]	90 days
El Salvador [43]	90 days
Ecuador [4]	90 days
Equatorial Guinea [44]	90 days
Georgia [4]	90 days
Ghana [45]	60 days
Guinea [4]	90 days
Guatemala [46]	90 days
Honduras [47]	90 days
Indonesia [9]	14 days
Iran [18]	90 days
Mali [48]	90 days
Mexico [9]	90 days
Moldova [49]	90 days
North Korea [4]	90 days
Kyrgyzstan [4]	90 days
Mongolia [4]	90 days
Nicaragua [50]	90 days
Pakistan [4]	30 days
Peru [4]	15 days
Russia [4]	90 days
Turkey [4]	90 days
Ukraine [4]	90 days
Vietnam [9]	90 days
Zimbabwe [51]	90 days

[edit] Entry refusal

Serbian citizens were previously not allowed to enter Malaysia without special permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs but as of, Serbian citizens can obtain visas at any Malaysian diplomatic post for a maximum of 30 days ^[52] Citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Israel though remain the only ones banned from participating in Malaysia My Second Home program. ^[53]

[edit] Kosovo

Inhabitants of Kosovo have the right to apply for a Serbian passport. Simultaneously, the UN administration of the province, UNMIK, is issuing its own travel document. This document is recognized by several countries, but is in general refused at borders. Having both the Serbian as well as the UN issued passport is possible. Serbia does not recognize the validity of the UN issued document.

[edit] See also

• List of passports
• Serbian citizenship
• Montenegrin passport

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs

v • d • e Passports By continent Africa Algeria · Cape Verde · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Egypt · Ethiopia · Ghana · Kenya · Libya · Mauritius · Morocco · Namibia · Nigeria · Seychelles · South Africa · Swaziland · Tunisia Asia Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · Brunei · People's Republic of China · Republic of China · Georgia · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · North Korea · South Korea · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Macau · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Pakistan · Philippines · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Syria · Thailand · Turkey · United Arab Emirates · Vietnam Oceania Australia · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea Europe Albania · Andorra · Austria · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kosovo · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Ukraine · United Kingdom · Vatican City North America Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · Grenadian · Guatemala · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · United States South America Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Ecuador · Guyana · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Uruguay · Venezuela International  organizations Andean Community of Nations · Caribbean Community · European Union · United Nations Laissez-Passer By type Biometric · Internal · Machine-readable Other Alien · Camouflage · Fake · Hajj · Laissez-passer · Pet · World Defunct East Germany · League of Nations refugee · Soviet Union