Please read our Frequently Asked Questions for the latest information about COVID-19 related travel restrictions and visa services in Serbia.
Updated January 28, 2021
The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade is providing the following limited immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services:
- Immigrant visas in the IR1/CR1 and IR2/CR2 categories;
- K1 fiancé visas; and
- Nonimmigrant visas in the F (student), M, J (alien physician, government visitor, international visitor, professor, research scholar, short-term scholar, specialist, secondary school student or college/university student categories that qualify for an exception to the COVID-19 Presidential Proclamations), E, I, O, P, and C1/D categories.
Notice to visa applicants who do not reside in Serbia: If you have an urgent need for a visa appointment but do not reside in Serbia, you should request an expedited appointment with a U.S. embassy or consulate in the country in which you reside. Please also note, Belgrade is not accepting requests to process immigrant visas for applicants that do not reside in our consular district.
The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade aims to process cases as soon as practicable. However, appointment availability is extremely limited and there will likely to be increased wait times for such services due to substantial backlogs. We are unable to provide a specific date for when we return to processing at pre-COVID workload levels. Please monitor this website for the latest information regarding the status of our operations.
Nonimmigrant visa applicants for H1B, H2B, H4, L and certain J categories covered by Presidential Proclamation 10052 should request an appointment only if you have reason to believe you may qualify for one of the exceptions listed in the Proclamation. For more information about H1B, H2B, H4, L, and certain J nonimmigrant visa categories covered by Presidential Proclamation 10052, please see the State Department’s travel information page.
If you are resident in Serbia and you have an emergency and need to travel immediately, please follow the guidance provided at our Appointment Service Website to request an expedited appointment. Appointment availability is extremely limited, and we cannot guarantee that an expedited appointment will be approved. Being excepted from the travel restrictions does not guarantee an expedited appointment. Expedite requests are generally approved only when there is a humanitarian need for travel, such as for critical medical treatment. Requests for expedited appointments will only be considered if they are submitted through the Appointment Service Website.
The validity of nonimmigrant MRV payments has been extended until September 30, 2022, to allow all applicants who were unable to schedule a visa appointment as a result of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/or attend a visa appointment with the already paid fee. Visa fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. If you wish to apply for a visa at another Embassy or Consulate, you will be required to pay a new MRV fee and complete a new Form DS-160.
Please be aware that COVID-19 related travel restrictions are still in force. If a Presidential Proclamation applies to you and you do not qualify for an exception listed in the proclamation, you can only travel to the United States if you obtain a national interest exception before you travel. This applies if you already have a valid visa (other than F and M student visas issued before March 20, 2020), as well as if you need to apply for a new visa.
Please review our Frequently Asked Questions for the latest information about COVID-19 related travel restrictions and visa services in Serbia. You may also visit the State Department’s website to find detailed information about the current status of visa services worldwide and the full list of Presidential Proclamations on Novel Coronavirus.
The purpose of your intended travel and other facts will determine what type of visa is required under U.S. immigration law. As a visa applicant, you will need to establish that you meet all requirements to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.
See our Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to determine which visa category might be appropriate for your purpose of travel to the United States.
Nonimmigrant Visas
Travel to the United States on a temporary basis, including tourism, temporary employment, study and exchange.
Immigrant Visas
For foreign citizens who want to live permanently in the United States.
What is a Visa?
A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.
Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa if they meet the requirements for visa-free travel. The Visa section of this website is all about U.S. visas for foreign citizens to travel to the United States.
(Note: U.S. citizens don’t need a U.S. visa for travel, but when planning travel abroad may need a visa issued by the embassy of the country they wish to visit.).
Contact Us
Consular services are available by appointment only.
For all information about U.S. visas please visit the Official U.S. Department of State Visa Appointment Service (https://ais.usvisa-info.com) for nonimmigrant (https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-rs/niv) and immigrant (https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-rs/iv) visas.
For specific questions about nonimmigrant visa cases after the visa interview email us at consbelgrade@state.gov.
For questions about immigrant visa applications, immigrant visa petitions, diversity visa program (DV Lottery), fiancé(e) visas, returning resident visas, transportation letters, boarding foils for lawful permanent residents and immigrant visa waivers, please contact the immigrant visa unit by email belgradeiv@state.gov .
Customer Service Statement
The Department of State manages the visa process strictly but fairly in order to best protect the United States. We are committed to the essential openness for which the United States has always been known. Travel to the United States is welcomed and encouraged.
We promise to you, the visa applicant, that:
- We will treat you with dignity and respect, even if we are unable to grant you a visa.
- We will treat you as an individual and your case as unique.
- We will remember that, to you, a visa interview may be a new or intimidating experience and that you may be nervous.
- We will use the limited time available for the interview to get as full a picture as possible of your travel plans and intentions.
- We will use our available resources to fairly assist all applicants to get appointments to allow travel in time for business, study, and other important obligations.
- We will post detailed and accurate information on visa requirements and application procedures on every Embassy and Consulate website.
- We will provide information on non-immigrant appointment waiting times at every Embassy and Consulate posted on http://travel.state.gov.
- We will explain the reason for any visa denial to you.
Furthermore, if you are a:
- Student, we will make every effort to ensure that you get an appointment and, if qualified, a visa in time to start classes.
- Medical and humanitarian emergency traveler, we will expedite processing for those dealing with life threatening emergencies.
- Business traveler, we will establish appropriate mechanisms to facilitate business travel and expedite cases of particular concern to American business.
At the same time, we expect you, the visa applicant, to:
- Plan your travel and visa application as far in advance as possible.
- Complete your application fully and accurately.
- Be forthcoming about your purpose and plans.
- Prepare for your interview by being able to clearly and concisely describe your intentions.
