• CUSTOMS FORMALITIES



    RIGHTS OF FOREIGN NATIONALS TO IMPORT GOODS

    Foreign visitors are entitled to import into Republic of Serbia , without payment of customs duty and other charges, articles for their personal use while on a trip (personal luggage) regardless of whether these items are carried with them or transported by a carrier.

    Articles considered to serve for the personal use of travelers coming from abroad are clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc., in quantities needed by the traveler concerned in view of his/her occupation, season, purpose of trip, duration and other circumstances of the trip and stay in Republic of Serbia.

    In accordance with the Convention on Customs Privileges in Tourism, the personal luggage being brought in by the traveler may include one liter of wine, 3/4 liter of a strong alcoholic drink and 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, 1/4 liter of eau de cologne or a smaller quantity of perfume as well as the usual quantity of medicine provided that the traveler declared that such a medicine is needed for his/her personal use. The usual quantity means as a rule one to three pack of medicine, or the quantity deemed to be adequate for personal use.
    Foreign visitors are obliged to declare these items to the customs authorities on their entry into Republic of Serbia . It is equally their obligation to take these items out of the country when leaving the territory of Republic of Serbia.

    In addition to the above listed items foreign visitors may temporarily import other items intended for their personal use while on a trip. They are obliged to declare at the customs these additional items in written form by including them into the list of items temporarily brought into the country.

    All items will be placed on the list one by one, including the type and quantity, with an indication of all characteristic features on the basis of which it is possible to identify them on returning them abroad (brand, type, factory number, etc.). The customs officer will compare the details in the list with the goods, and certify the correctly made up list affixing the official seal and his signature. A copy thereof will be retained by the customs office and the other copy will be handed to the foreign visitor.

    The customs officer will make a note in the visitor's passport which means "temporarily imported goods", abbreviated "PUR".

    On leaving Serbia and taking out of the country the items temporarily brought in as indicated in the list, the foreign visitor is obliged to submit the list to the exit customs office. Upon establishing the identity of the goods the customs officer will annul the note "PUR" previously inserted in the foreign visitor's passport.

    The goods temporarily imported into Republic of Serbia, unless returned abroad by the person who brought them into the country on his/her departure from Republic of Serbia, are subject to payment of import duties. The customs office concerned will ex officio institute proceedings for the committed offence of customs regulations.

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    THE RIGHT OF SERBIA NATIONALS TO IMPORTATION

    Republic of Serbia individuals, including Serbia migrant workers temporarily working and staying abroad, are entitled to import and export items for their personal use. When importing goods these persons are exempted from the payment of customs duties also for other items the value of which does not exceed US $ 100.00, in addition to items belonging to their personal luggage. The goods valued above this amount are subject to the payment of customs duties and other charges in full.

    Items considered to serve for the personal use of travelers coming from abroad are clothes, shoes, toiletries, food items, etc., in quantities needed by the traveler in view of his/her occupation, season, purpose of trip, duration and other circumstances of the visit to and stay in Republic of Serbia.

    Nationals of Republic of Serbia , when coming to Republic of Serbia for a temporary stay (vacations, visit, etc.), in addition to items belonging to their personal luggage and those that are subject to the payment of customs duties and other charges, are entitled to bring into the country temporarily items needed by them during their stay in Republic of Serbia. In that case a note "temporarily imported goods", abbreviated "PUR", will be inserted in the traveler's passport by the customs officer.

    The goods imported into Republic of Serbia with the designation "PUR" must be returned abroad on the occasion of the first trip. In case of failure to do so, customs duties will have to be paid and proceedings for violating customs regulations will be instituted.

    Domestic and foreign individuals are entitled to import a passenger car up to six years old, subject to the payment of customs duty and other charges.

    Domestic individuals registered for the purpose of pursuing specific activities in Republic of Serbia are entitled to import equipment and process materials needed for the activity they are engaged in, consistent with the prescribed forms of import, subject to the payment of customs duty and other charges.

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    CERTIFICATE FOR REGULATION OF IMPORT DUTY (CUSTOMS)

    Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, who were continuously employed abroad for at least two years, are relieved from paying import duties on the articles of their household which they are bringing with them from abroad; this is valid only for the duration of one year from the day of their return from employment abroad and up to the total dinar equivalent value of 5,000.00 EUR.

    In order to obtain the certificate for regulation of the import duties, the petitioner needs to submit the following:
     
    1. Valid passport of the Republic of Serbia [SRJ];
    2. Original statement from the Employer-Company (on their letterhead), with which it confirms that the petitioner was employed at that firm, along with the indication of the length of employment (dates), or Report from the Social Security about the petitioners period of employment.
    3. Written statement of the petitioner stating the date of return to Serbia, correct dates of arrival to Kenya as well as the period of employment in the Kenya;
    4. Consular tax fee.
    Annotation:
    This certificate does not apply for release from payment of import duties on import of a motor vehicle;

    Information about the customs duties can be obtained on the website of Customs Directory: www.carina.rs


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    RELIEF FROM IMPORT DUTIES FOR FOREIGNERS

    Article 191
    I The relief from import duties shall be granted for:
    1. heads of foreign states, their emissaries on special missions, as well as for the members of their escort - for articles designated for the official and personal use;
    2. the international organizations - for articles designated for the official use;
    3. the international and other foreign humanitarian organizations - for goods designated for humanitarian purposes;
    4. diplomatic and consular missions of foreign states - for articles designated for the official use;
    5. heads of foreign diplomatic missions and members of their immediate families - for articles intended for the personal use.

     II The relief from customs duty, in line with the international agreements, shall be granted for:
    * diplomatic staff of foreign diplomatic missions and members of their immediate families - for articles intended for the personal use;
    * staff of foreign diplomatic missions and members of their immediate families – for household articles.

    III The articles that were exempted from payment of customs duty, provided for in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, may not be transferred or given to some other person for use prior to declaring them to the customs authority and administering the customs procedure.
    IV Domestic citizens and foreign nationals permanently residing in Serbia shall not be entitled to relief referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article.

    RELIEF FROM IMPORT DUTIES GRANTED TO DOMESTIC TRAVELERS

    Article 192
    The relief from import duties shall be granted to:
    1. travelers arriving from abroad – for articles intended for their personal needs during the journey (personal luggage) regardless of whether carried by them personally or transported by carrier;
    2. domestic travelers, for goods other than personal luggage, of non-commercial nature which they bring in from abroad;
    3. foreign citizens that had been granted citizenship of Serbia or had been granted asylum in Serbia , or permission for permanent residence in Serbia - for household articles, except passenger motor cars;
    4. domestic and foreign citizens - for articles received in consignments from abroad;
    5. domestic and foreign citizens - for medications for personal use sent to them in parcels from foreign countries;
    6. domestic and foreign citizens permanently residing in Serbia - for articles inherited in a foreign country;
    7. domestic citizens, foreign nationals permanently residing in Serbia, companies, communities and other organizations - for awards, medals, sports trophies and other articles received abroad in competitions, exhibitions and manifestations of international importance;
    8. Scientists, writers and artists - for their own works brought in from abroad;
    9. domestic citizens living in the frontier zone - for agricultural, stock-farming, fish-farming, bee-keeping, horticultural and forestry products obtained from their properties located in the frontier zone of an adjacent country, as well as for offspring and other products obtained from livestock staying in those properties for the reason of field works, grazing or wintering;
    10. drivers of motor vehicles - for fuel and oil in the factory constructed tanks;
    11. disabled persons - for orthopedic and other aids used as substitutes for the missing or damaged organs, spare parts and disposable materials necessary for use of such aids, except passenger motor cars, that had been brought or received from abroad for personal use;
    12. disabled persons of the 1 st and 2 nd category and persons whose disability corresponds to the degree of disability prescribed for the 1 st and 2 nd category that had underwent professional rehabilitation necessary for the performing certain economic activity - for the equipment not produced in Serbia necessary for performing the economic activity;
    13. associations of persons with special needs (deaf and hearing impaired persons, blind and visually impaired persons, persons with muscular dystrophy, paraplegics and persons with neuromuscular conditions) and their members - for specific equipment, devices and instruments, their spare parts and disposable material necessary for the use of such equipment that are not produced in Serbia;
    14. individuals - for specific health related equipment, devices and instruments, their spare parts and disposable materials necessary for use of such equipment not produced in Serbia and intended for the personal use

    RELIEF FROM IMPORT DUTIES FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER ENTITIES

    Article 193 I The relief from import duties shall be granted to:
    1. Organizations of Red Cross - for goods not produced in Serbia that are imported from abroad to the purpose of their humanitarian work;
    2. fire fighting and rescue organizations and associations - for fire-fighting and rescue operation equipment which is not manufactured in Serbia , and parts of such equipment;
    3. museums and art galleries - for collections, their parts and individual objects designated for museums and art galleries and to archives – for archive materials;
    4. entities, other than natural persons, engaged in scientific, educational, cultural, sports, recreational, humanitarian, religious, technical history, artistic, environmental and cultural monuments protection activities and environmental quality control - for goods, except alcohol and alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and passenger motor cars, intended to be directly used in such activities that ? r ? not manufactured in Serbia.
    5. entities, other than natural persons - for goods received from abroad free of charge, except alcohol and alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and passenger motor cars, that shall be used for scientific, educational, cultural, sports, humanitarian, religious purposes, for health and social services and for environmental protection.
    6. entities, other than natural persons - for goods received free of charge from abroad or paid for by money received from abroad as an aid, if designated for lessening of consequences of natural catastrophes (earthquakes, floods, draught, ecological disasters etc.), wars and armed conflicts. Duty relief prescribed in this subparagraph shall apply only if the Government establishes that the consequences of a disaster are such, that an import of goods with relief from customs duty should be allowed for the purpose of lessening the consequence, and if the goods are imported within the time limit set by the Government;
    7. health service companies - for specific equipment, devices and instruments, their spare parts and disposable materials necessary for use of such equipment, as well as for medications used for treatments in hospitals, that are not manufactured in the country, if used to equip these companies and satisfy their needs in accordance with programs of health services development;
    8. companies for professional rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons - for equipment and spare parts not manufactured in the country that are used in professional rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons;
    9. entities, other than natural persons - for equipment not manufactured in country intended directly for environmental protection;
    10. entities, other than natural persons - for medals and awards received from abroad for the purpose of their presentation in the international competitions that take place in Serbia .

    II The provisions of paragraph 1, subparagraphs 3 to 10 of this Article shall apply to entrepreneurs as well.

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    GOODS ELIGIBLE FOR THE RELIEF FROM IMPORT DUTIES

    Article 194
    Import duties shall not be payable for:
    1. equipment imported on the basis of an investment by a foreign party, in accordance with the provision governing foreign investments;
    2. advertising material and samples received from abroad free of charge;
    3. objects brought in or received by foreign participants at the international fairs and commercial exhibitions in the country for the purposes of usual distribution and consumption during the fair or exhibition;
    4. trademarks, patents, designs and models and supporting documents, as well as applications and motions submitted to organizations for the protection of intellectual property rights.

    It is the obligation of each traveler to show on crossing the customs line, at the request of the customs officer, all articles that he/she is bringing into the country. If on the occasion of declaring or showing of goods to the customs officers the goods whose import is banned are found the import thereof will not be allowed; the person importing such goods will be ordered to return them abroad, and warned that the goods will be confiscated unless returned abroad within the fixed period of time.
    Failure to declare goods to the customs officer on crossing the customs line constitutes a breach of customs regulations. In addition to a fine, the protective measure of confiscation of goods may be pronounced by the Customs Offences Commission if the offender has not met the requirements for importing these goods or if they are imported for another person.

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    EXPORT OF GOODS

    Serbia citizens and foreign nationals are entitled to export from Republic of Serbia also items not intended for trade if the export of these items is not banned by the law or if no export license issued by the competent authorities is required for the export of such goods.

    Items of archaeological, historical or ethnographic value, works of art and other items having scientific or cultural significance (for example gold coins, paintings, antiquities, hunting trophies) may only be exported if an export license has been issued by the competent authorities. Relevant information may be obtained from the city or airport customs offices.

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    BRINGING MONEY INTO AND TAKING IT OUT OF THE COUNTRY

    Taking dinars in and out of the country A resident - an individual and non-resident - an individual, may take in or out of the country dinars in the maximum amount of 120,000 per person, in 1,000 bank notes or smaller denominations.

    Exceptionally, larger amounts of dinars may be brought in the country if they are purchased in a foreign bank. The bank receipt produced to the customs authorities must correspond to the amount brought in the country.

    Taking in and out of the country foreign currency, checks and securities

    A resident - individual, may take out foreign currency out of the country or traveler's checks in the amount not exceeding 5,000 euros, i.e. equivalent in any other foreign exchange.
    Resident - An individual may take out of the country securities he acquired in line with regulations in force.
    Non-resident - individual may take out of the country foreign exchange in the amount not exceeding 5,000 euros, foreign exchange in the amount reported on entering the country as well as foreign exchange withdrawn from his foreign exchange account, i.e. foreign exchange savings account.
    A non-resident may take out of the country securities he acquired in line with the regulations in force.
    On entering the country, a non-resident is obliged to report foreign exchange taken in the country, filling out a form provided and verified by a customs authority. On the basis of this receipt, a non-resident is entitled to take out of the country the unused amount of the reported foreign exchange. The receipt is valid until he leaves the country for the first time.
    Dinars, foreign exchange and checks exceeding the amount proscribed by the Decision of the National Bank of Yugoslavia, as well as securities taken in or out of the country, acquired contrary to Dinars, foreign exchange and checks exceeding the amount prescribed by the Decision of the National Bank of Yugoslavia, as well as securities taken in or out of the country, acquired contrary to the regulations of the Law, represent a violation of the foreign currency regulation with the temporary confiscation of the moneys until conclusion of the case litigation. Further proceeding is handled by the Inspectorate on foreign currency with the Republic’s Ministry of Finance and Economy.

    Residents - individuals include:
    * individuals residing in the country, excluding individuals who are residing abroad for more than one year;
    * individuals, foreign nationals, who are residing in the country for more than one year on the basis of a residence permit or a working visa;
    * state agencies and organizations; diplomatic missions abroad and persons working there, as well as their dependents.

    Non-residents - individuals include:
    * All persons not covered under the term of resident.

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    BRINGING DOGS AND CATS INTO THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

    Dogs and cats may be brought into the Republic of Serbia with the proper certificate issued by the veterinarian and sanitary inspection of the country of export or with the international medical card for animals, stating the place of birth and health status of the animal. Proof that the animal didn’t have rabies in last six months is obligatory. For dogs older than three months, proof of vaccination against rabies is needed and additional proof that at least 15 days passed from the last vaccination but not more than six months. If dogs or cats are being imported into the Republic of Serbia it is necessary to obtain from the Ministry of Agriculture–Veterinary Department a Decree of Quarantine as well as the Decree of Veterinary and Sanitary Conditions. Request for these decrees can be made only by citizens of the Republic of Serbia and companies registered in the Republic of Serbia. Customs veterinarian inspection is mandatory for all cats and dogs that are brought by tourists into the Republic of Serbia, regardless of the above certificates of health. There is a fee that has to be paid for the customs veterinarian inspection according to the ruling about the compensation for such a service. Cats and dogs that are brought by tourists into the Republic of Serbia are not required to stay in quarantine.

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