RRoad Clarity
A straight road running between maize fields and orchards across rolling Serbian farmland, with a village and a domed church on the ridge ahead.

Serbia

Drives on the right · RSD · Emergency 112
LAST VERIFIED 2026-09-13

Driving in Serbia

Serbia is a straightforward drive on a good motorway spine, and the things to get right are mostly paperwork rather than road rules. Insurance comes first. Serbia is outside the EU, and a foreign-registered vehicle needs cover that is actually recognised there — in practice a Green Card is commonly required. Confirm your policy extends to Serbia before you set off rather than discovering the gap at the border. Tolls work on a ticket system: take a magnetic card entering the motorway, hand it over at the exit, and pay by cash or card according to distance and vehicle category. An ENP tag exists for the non-stop lanes if you are making several long runs. The alcohol limit is 0.3‰ rather than the 0.5 common further west, and zero for novice drivers. Headlights follow an unusual seasonal rule: required day and night from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March, and otherwise only in poor visibility. Winter tyres are generally required from 1 November to 1 April. The currency is the dinar, and alongside 112 the legacy emergency numbers 192, 193 and 194 still reach police, fire and ambulance directly.

Speed limits

Urban
50 km/h
Rural / outside built-up areas
90 km/h
Motorway
130 km/h

Alcohol limits

General limit
0.3‰
Novice drivers
0.0‰

Mandatory equipment

  • •Warning triangle
  • •Hi-vis vest
  • •First aid kit
  • •Spare bulb kit

Winter tires & snow chains

From 1 November to 1 April, winter tires or all-season tires with adequate tread (or summer tires plus chains carried on board) are generally required; enforcement and exact conditions can vary — check current guidance if traveling in winter.

Tolls

System
Toll booths

Motorways charge distance-based tolls at booths — take a ticket on entry and pay on exit (cash/card); tariffs vary by vehicle category (axles, height, mass).

Full motorway tolls guide →

More things to know before you drive

Seatbelts
Mandatory front and rear for all occupants.
Mobile phone use
Hands-free only; holding a phone while driving is prohibited.
Child seats
Children under 12 or shorter than 150 cm require an appropriate child restraint suited to their size.
Headlights
Dipped headlights are required at all times, day and night, from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March, and at other times in poor visibility.
Low-emission & restricted zones
No nationwide low-emission zone network; Belgrade has limited local traffic restrictions in parts of the city center.
Right of way & roundabouts
Priority to the right at unmarked intersections; roundabouts give way to traffic already circulating.
Parking
Paid parking zones are common in cities, typically via ticket machine, SMS, or app, with zones color-coded by price and time limit.
Speed cameras
Fixed and mobile cameras are used, particularly on motorways and near towns.

Good to know

Serbia is not in the EU. Foreign-registered vehicles need valid proof of insurance recognized in Serbia (a Green Card is commonly required) — confirm your policy covers this before you travel. Emergency services are also reachable via the legacy numbers 192 (police), 193 (fire), and 194 (ambulance). Currency is the Serbian dinar (RSD), not the euro.