Health and Travel Alert – U.S. Embassy Belgrade, Serbia (December 4, 2020)
Location: Serbia
Event: As of December 3, the Serbian Ministry of Health announced 199,158 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Serbia and 1,765 deaths. 22,243 people have been tested in the past 24 hours, with 7,802 confirmed cases among them. In total, there are an estimated 7,726 hospitalized cases.
(Updated) country-wide measures from the Serbian Government, effective Friday, December 4:
- Resturants, cafes, bars, clubs, shopping malls, betting shops, stores and services such as hairdressers, beauty salons, fitness centers, spas, gyms, and swimming polls will close at 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and completely on weekends (starting from 5:00 p.m. on Friday until 5:00 a.m. on Monday).
- Supermarkets and grocery stores can remain open until 9:00 p.m. every day, including weekends.
- Pharmacies, gas stations, and food delivery services will operate without restrictions, seven days a week.
- Theaters and movie theaters will close at 5:00 p.m. every day, including weekends.
- Green markets will operate regular hours on workdays, and from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekends.
(Previous) country-wide measures from the Serbian Government that remain in effect:
- Mandatory use of face coverings indoors, as well as outdoors if contact with other people cannot be avoided.
- Prohibition of public gatherings with presence of more than five people indoors and outdoors. Excluded from this measure are work organizations, schools, stores, shopping malls and similar facilities, which are subject to the prescribed limit on the number of persons within the square footage of the facility (minimum 4 m2 per person).
- Enabling work from home for all employees, wherever possible.
- Requirement of face coverings on public transport, with the maximum number of passengers per vehicle limited to half of its declared capacity.
- Visits to patients in hospitals are banned.
- Visits to elder-care homes are limited to 15 minutes.
- The recommended distance between people outdoors is 1.5 meters.
Entry into Serbia for U.S. citizens (travelers, tourists, non-residents in Serbia):
The measures enacted on August 14 remain in place: all foreign travelers, U.S. citizens included, seeking to enter Serbia from Croatia, Bulgaria, or Romania, will need to provide a negative PCR test, taken within the previous 48 hours.
Please note that August 14 requirements are being reported as only applicable to foreigners arriving from these three countries, and do not apply to: (1) those with permanent residence in Serbia (*see September 18 measures); (2) crew members and passengers transiting Serbia for less than 12 hours (including cargo vehicle drivers); (3) children under age 12 accompanied by parents who have valid PCR test results; or (4) properly accredited diplomats and their families.
Entry into Serbia for U.S. citizens (permanent residents in Serbia):
The Serbian Government reported that beginning September 18 at 18:00, it will require all Serbian citizens, as well as foreigners resident in Serbia (U.S. citizens resident in Serbia included) to undergo the following COVID-19 health monitoring measures upon arrival to Serbia:
- Take a self-assessment test at e-zdravlje.gov.rs the day you return to Serbia.
- The result of this test will determine whether you then report to a COVID-19 clinic. If you cannot fill out the online questionnaire, you should contact your local Institute of Public Health by phone for instructions.
- Print or save the results of your self-assessment as proof that it was completed.
- On the 10th day after your arrival to Serbia, you should take the self-assessment test one more time.
Travelers should be prepared for restrictions to change with little or no advance notice. Visit the website of the Government of Serbia for additional information.
U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts, and check our Embassy COVID-19 webpage for updated information as it is released.
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory for Serbia is Level 3: Reconsider Travel.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Warning for COVID-19 advising travelers to avoid non-essential travel.
U.S. Department of State recommended actions:
- Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Check with your airlines or cruise lines regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Serbia.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restriction to the U.S.
- Seek medical care right away if you believe you may have COVID-19 (or similar symptoms) or were exposed to someone who may have COVID-19 in the last six weeks.
Assistance:
- Embassy Belgrade, Serbia
- +381 (11) 706-4000 (24 hours)
- BelgradeACS@state.gov
- Embassy website
- State Department – Consular Affairs Serbia Country Information
- 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
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