Serbia

Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM)

European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN)  is a non-profit association, which supports and promotes the European film industry and culture.

Serbia Film Commission

Visas & Work Permits

Serbia is not a Schengen area member state.

Crews travelling on Western passports can enter Serbia visa-free for stays of up to 90 days.

Work permits aren’t required to film in Serbia.

Please contact a local embassy, consulate or representative for more information. Alternatively, there are specialist companies that provide visa and immigration support to the media industry who may be able to assist.

Film Location Permits

Depending on the size and scope of the film location, permits may be required from one or multiple government departments.

Customs

For productions looking to bring in film equipment, Serbia is an ATA carnet country.

When to Film

Serbia has hot, humid summers (June to September) in the north and hot, dry summers in the south. Winters (December to March) are very cold, with snow in the mountainous regions.

Serbia is a predominately Serbian Orthodox Christian country, so those holidays are observed.

Public Holidays

Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Serbia.

Serbia is a cost competitive place to shoot. Serbia trades in the Dinar which offers a favourable exchange rate for visiting Western productions.

Belgrade is the main production centre and all must travel from there adding to those costs.

The standard VAT rate in Serbia at the time of writing is set at 20%.

Funding

Cine-Regio is a network of regional film funds in Europe. 

Creative Europe is the European Commission's programme for providing support to the culture and audiovisual sectors.

Eurimages

Film Center Serbia (FCS) 

This interactive tool outlines the main EU-related support opportunities for audiovisual and news media sectors. It also covers funding streams beyond the sectoral Creative Europe Programme.

Incentives

Entertainment Partners' Production Incentives Map: Information for Serbia.

At the time of writing, the UK does have a trade agreement with this country. Up to date information about UK trade agreements can be found here.