Published: 07.06.2026
The European Commission expressed concern about the growing number of Russian citizens acquiring Serbian citizenship because a Serbian passport provides visa-free access to the EU. The document also calls on Serbia to strengthen the screening of visa applications and align its visa policy more closely with that of the EU.
According to the sources, this is political pressure from the EU rather than an enacted ban on Russian citizens or an immediate cancellation of their visa-free entry to Serbia. In the longer term, it could affect Russian nationals and citizens of other countries with visa-free access to Serbia if Belgrade changes the list of visa-exempt countries or tightens screening. For citizenship applicants, the development signals increased scrutiny of naturalisation procedures, especially where Serbian citizenship is viewed as a route to travel in the EU. It is most relevant to Russian applicants and to people considering a Serbian passport as part of their relocation or travel plans.