Serbia

⇑Universities

In Serbia, academic programmes are offered mainly by universities, and applied (professional) programmes by academies and colleges of applied studies. Every institution must be accredited by the national agency for accreditation and quality assurance.

According to the Study in Serbia database, more than 245,000 people study in higher education:

• 174,836 at public universities,
• 30,444 at private universities,
• 32,533 at public academies and colleges of applied studies,
• 6,139 at private colleges.

The oldest and largest is the University of Belgrade (Univerzitet u Beogradu) – 31 faculties and around 90,000 students. There are also large public universities in Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac.

Universities in Serbia – profiles

⇑Study system

Serbia follows the Bologna system with ECTS credits. You can choose from:

• bachelor's studies (osnovne studije) – 180–240 ECTS, i.e. 3–4 years,
• master's studies (master) – 60–120 ECTS, 1–2 years,
• specialist studies – 60 ECTS, 1 year, to deepen your professional knowledge,
• integrated studies – 300–360 ECTS, 5–6 years, mainly medicine, dentistry and pharmacy,
• doctorate – 180 ECTS, at least 3 years.

Each level can have an academic profile (universities) or an applied profile (applied studies).

The academic year starts in September or October and lasts until June. Institutions usually hold six exam periods: in January and February, in June and early July, and in late July and August. If you pass everything by the July exam period, you have the summer off.

⇑Admission

There is no central system – you apply directly to the faculty or institution. Write to the international office first, because deadlines and requirements vary from faculty to faculty.

Deadlines: applications for bachelor's programmes open in June, for master's and doctoral programmes in September or October. If you need a visa for Serbia, start early: you can only apply for the long-stay visa once you have been accepted (see: Residence and formalities).

For a bachelor's programme you need a certificate of completion of a four-year secondary school and a pass in the entrance exam. You usually submit:

• an application form and a copy of your passport,
• your school leaving certificate and transcript with a certified translation,
• proof of payment of the application fee.

Your secondary school leaving certificate has to be recognised by the Serbian ENIC/NARIC centre at the Ministry of Education. This usually takes up to 60 days from the date you submit a complete set of documents, so start early.

For a master's programme you need a bachelor's degree: 240 ECTS for a one-year master's, 180 ECTS for a two-year one. A foreign degree is recognised by the institution itself. Once accepted, you enrol formally and pay the tuition fee.

⇑Entrance exams

For bachelor's programmes every applicant takes an entrance exam, international applicants included. Its format depends on the programme – ask your chosen faculty.

Exams take place in summer: the first round is in June or early July, the second in early September, but only if places are still available. Applicants for master's and doctoral programmes take exams in September or October, if the faculty requires them.

⇑Language

The main language of instruction is Serbian. If you want to study in Serbian, you must prove your language skills – the faculty will tell you what level and which document it accepts. Serbian is written in two alphabets – Cyrillic and Latin.

You can learn Serbian at, among others:

• the Serbian Language Centre at the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade,
• centres for Serbian as a foreign language in Novi Sad and Niš,
• the AZBUKUM centre in Belgrade.

Most of them also offer online courses.

There are more than 170 programmes taught in English, at all levels. Institutions may ask for a certificate such as IELTS or TOEFL. You will find the programmes in the Study in Serbia database.

⇑Residence and formalities

Serbia is not in the EU. EU citizens and nationals of many other, mainly European, countries enter without a visa for 90 days within 6 months, counted from the first entry; EU citizens can use a passport or an ID card.

If your nationality needs a visa for Serbia, you first need a place on a programme. Then you apply for a visa D (long-stay visa) at the nearest Serbian embassy or consulate. A decision is usually made within 15 days, in justified cases within 30 days at most. You must apply for temporary residence while your visa is still valid.

Registration within 24 hours: every foreigner must register at the nearest police station. In a hotel or student residence, reception does it for you. In a private flat, you go to the police together with your landlord.

To study, every foreign student – EU citizens included – needs a temporary residence permit. You apply at the Directorate for Foreigners of the Belgrade Police Directorate, at a regional police directorate or online on the welcometoserbia.gov.rs portal. You will need, among other things:

• a certificate of admission to an accredited institution stating the length of your studies,
• two colour photos (35×45 mm),
• a passport or ID card valid for at least 3 months longer than the permit,
• a tenancy agreement or a statement from your landlord,
• proof of funds for your stay – for example a statement from a bank registered in Serbia showing at least the amount of the minimum wage, or a written guarantee – and health insurance for your whole stay.

You renew the permit every year – apply no earlier than 3 months before it expires. Serbia is not in the EU, so your EHIC is only accepted if your country has a social security agreement with Serbia – otherwise buy private insurance for your whole stay.

⇑Tuition fees

Serbia is not in the EU, so all international students – EU citizens included – pay fees for foreign students. Each institution, or even each faculty, sets its own. According to Study in Serbia they are usually €750 to €20,000 a year, around €2,500 on average. Study in Europe notes that at public institutions programmes in Serbian may be state-funded – ask your faculty whether this applies to foreigners.

Example: School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade (ETF), 2025/26:

• bachelor's in electrical and computer engineering – €2,000 (a Serbian student pays RSD 144,000),
• bachelor's in software engineering – €3,000,
• master's – €2,500, in English €9,000,
• doctorate – €4,000, in English €10,000.

Books and study materials usually cost another €100–250 a year.

⇑Accommodation and living costs

Living in Serbia is cheaper than in most EU countries, but rents in Belgrade can be a surprise. According to Study in Serbia, you will spend each month:

• €750–1,450 in Novi Sad, Niš or Kragujevac,
• €850–2,000 in Belgrade.

Accommodation: a room in a shared flat in a smaller city costs from around €150, bills not included. In Belgrade, outside the centre, rents start at €300, and a studio in the centre can cost as much as €1,200. Bills are usually paid separately.

Student residences are run by student centres (studentski centar) in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac and Subotica, among others. Demand is high and places are allocated through an application round.

Food and transport: a meal in a student canteen costs €1–2.60, and around €100–200 a month is enough for food. A monthly student public transport pass costs around €10 or less.

The currency is the Serbian dinar (RSD).

⇑Scholarships

There are few scholarships for a full degree for international students. The easiest way to come to Serbia is on an exchange:

• Erasmus+ – a semester or year in Serbia under an agreement with your home university,
• CEEPUS – an exchange programme of 15 Central European countries, including Serbia; it is open to students from member countries. The host institution waives your tuition fee and you receive a monthly grant for living costs. Deadlines: 15 June for the winter semester, 31 October for the summer semester, 30 November for freemovers,
• bilateral agreements between institutions – ask your home university's international office for the list.

Study in Europe also mentions Serbian government scholarships and scholarships offered by the institutions themselves. Check the conditions with the international office of your chosen institution.

⇑Working while studying

To work legally in Serbia, you need two documents: a temporary (or permanent) residence permit and a work permit. The work permit is issued by the National Employment Service (Nacionalna služba za zapošljavanje). Serbia is not in the EU, so this applies to EU citizens too.

The work permit is issued for 3–12 months, and a decision takes two days on average. You renew it the same way as you applied for it the first time.

Without Serbian it is hard to find a casual job. Researchers and doctoral candidates will find information on EURAXESS Serbia.

How to find a job abroad?

⇑Useful links

• Study in Europe – Serbia – the official country profile on the European Commission's portal,
• Study in Serbia – portal for international students: admission, costs, visas, life in Serbia,
• Study in Serbia programme database – search engine for accredited programmes and institutions,
• Welcome to Serbia – the government portal for foreigners, with online applications for temporary residence,
• Ministry of the Interior – temporary residence – documents for temporary residence for study,
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia – visa regime – entry rules by country,
• CEEPUS – exchanges and scholarships in Central Europe,
• ENIC-NARIC – recognition of qualifications in Europe,
• Eurodesk – free information on studying, traineeships and volunteering in Europe.