Serbia
Free Belgrade transit, app-booked taxis, dinar payments and rail realities
Serbia uses Serbian dinars, RSD, not euros.
The essentials
What to know before you go to Serbia
Cards work well in cities, but carry dinars for small businesses, markets, rural stops, some buses and any failed terminal; always choose RSD when a terminal or ATM offers conversion. Belgrade's regular city buses, trams, trolleybuses and BG:Voz have been free for everyone since January 1, 2025, with no ticket or card required. The A1 airport minibus and E-numbered express minibuses are exceptions and remain paid; regular airport routes 72, 600 and 607 are free. Uber and Bolt do not operate.
Use Yandex Go, CAR:GO or a reputable licensed taxi company, and at Belgrade Airport take a fixed-price voucher from an arrivals e-kiosk before joining the official taxi rank. Serbia's rail and bus information is fragmented, and engineering work or station closures can change the correct stop. In August 2026, searches for Novi Sad rail journeys may require Petrovaradin rather than Novi Sad. Verify the live Srbijavoz notice and exact station before departure.
Accommodation providers or private hosts must register a foreign guest's address within 24 hours; if nobody is hosting you, the law requires you to register it yourself. Keep proof of registration. Serbian uses both Cyrillic and Latin scripts. Emergency numbers are 192 for police, 193 for fire and 194 for ambulance.
Ride Hailing
Yandex GoEssential
The most practical taxi-booking default in Belgrade, connecting users with licensed partner fleets and showing an estimated fare before pickup.
CAR:GO
Belgrade-based app transport that can provide a lower upfront quote than a conventional taxi, with cash and card options shown in the app.
Food Delivery
Messaging
Viber
A widely used Serbian messaging channel that can help when a host, local business, taxi dispatcher or guide specifically asks for it.
Navigation
Google MapsEssential
The most practical general map for Serbian addresses, walking and driving, with Belgrade transit routing and offline road areas.
Transit
Beograd Plus
Belgrade's official live public-transport app for vehicle positions, stops, service notices and route changes after ordinary fares became free.
Travel & Booking
BlaBlaCar
Optional intercity carpooling for routes or times poorly served by Serbian trains and buses, with driver profiles and passenger reviews.
Language
Google Translate
Offline and camera translation for Serbian in both everyday Latin text and the Cyrillic script commonly seen on signs and notices.
Intercity Transport
SrbijavozEssential
The official Serbian passenger-rail app for English timetable searches and card purchase of domestic and supported international tickets.
Polazak
Broad Serbian bus and rail timetable database with growing online bus-ticket coverage across domestic and international routes.
Utilities
Parking Servis
Official payment app for Belgrade street zones, garages and car parks, with supported foreign-card payment instead of local-only parking SMS.
Also covered
Internet in Serbia
Mobile internet eSIM Best option when traveling
Guac
RecommendedReliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
Airalo
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Holafly
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
Buying a local SIM card ID registration required
- Registration has been mandatory for all new and existing SIMs since February 2025, a recent change that many older guides miss. Bring your passport: the seller scans it at activation and the SIM is live within minutes. The rule applies at airport kiosks too.
- Serbian tourist packs are cheap with huge but short-lived allowances: mts sells a Tourist SIM with around 75 GB for roughly $6.50 valid 5 days, A1 has offered about 100 GB for 3 days at around 500 RSD (roughly $4.50), and Yettel around 15 GB for 15 days at about 700 RSD (roughly 6 EUR).
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport has kiosks from mts, Yettel and A1 in the terminal, while operator stores in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis and Subotica are the easier route if anything needs troubleshooting. Kiosks, newsstands, post offices and grocery stores also sell starter packs.
- Airport counters charge more than city stores, though by how much is unclear. They can also close late at night, worth knowing if you land on an evening flight.
- Registration attaches to the line itself, so a local Serbian eSIM would still involve the passport step. A foreign travel eSIM avoids it entirely, and the airport's free WiFi is enough to buy and install one on arrival.
Serbia is not in the EU, so EU roam-like-at-home does not apply, but a Serbian SIM does roam at domestic rates across the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia). The headline data packs have very short validity, 100 GB for 3 days or 75 GB for 5, so match the pack to your trip length rather than the gigabytes. A SIM kept from a previous trip may have been deregistered under the 2025 rule.
Local carriers
mts (Telekom Srbija)
The market leader with the largest network, strongest nationwide 4G and expanding 5G.
Yettel Serbia
A solid balance of coverage and simplicity, and a frequent traveler recommendation.
A1 Serbia
The fastest speeds and the biggest tourist data allowances, including a visitor-focused Welcome SIM. All three networks are close enough that the plan matters more than the carrier.
Frequently asked questions
What are the must-have apps for traveling in Serbia?
The essential apps for Serbia are Yandex Go, Wolt, Glovo, Google Maps, Srbijavoz.
How many travel apps does Serbia have?
We've curated 13 apps across 10 categories for traveling in Serbia, including 5 essential apps.
What is the best ride hailing app in Serbia?
Yandex Go. The most practical taxi-booking default in Belgrade, connecting users with licensed partner fleets and showing an estimated fare before pickup.
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