Exchanging a driving licence in Serbia: a guide for foreigners
12 months on a foreign licence after you get a residence permit, then an exchange at the police in your area with no test. You need a court interpreter's translation and a medical certificate; fees are about $25.
| In short | |
|---|---|
| Driving on a foreign licence | 12 months after a residence permit |
| Test on exchange | not needed |
| Translation | by a court interpreter into Serbian |
| Medical certificate | no older than 6 months |
| Fees | ~$25 |
| Where | the police department where you live |
The short answer: a foreigner with a residence permit can drive in Serbia on their own licence for 12 months from the day temporary residence longer than six months or permanent residence was approved. After that the licence is exchanged for a Serbian one at the police department where they live, with no test. You need a translation of the licence by a court interpreter and a medical certificate, and state fees total about $25.
The exchange itself is simple and cheap. People usually go wrong on the deadline: after 12 months, driving on a foreign licence counts as driving without a licence, so it is best to apply while the licence is still valid.
How long you can drive on a foreign licence in Serbia
Tourists and foreigners without a residence permit drive on their own licence as long as it is valid and they are lawfully in the country. For residents, the road traffic safety law sets a limit: foreign and international licences stop being valid 12 months from the day the foreigner was approved for temporary residence of more than six months or for permanent residence.
Vienna Convention model licences are recognised without an international permit. If the licence is not in Latin script, an international permit or a translation is handy for roadside checks.
Who exchanges a licence without a test
Serbia exchanges foreign licences for its own without a test if the licence is valid and the holder has a residence permit for more than three months. Temporary, probationary and similar licences are not exchanged, nor are licences that are invalid, cancelled or revoked. The categories on the Serbian licence follow the foreign one.
Licences from non-EU countries
Licences from outside the EU, including Russian ones, are exchanged under the general rules with no test: you need a court interpreter's translation, a medical certificate and a residence permit. A confirmation from the issuing country is not on the list of documents. During the 12 months after the residence permit, you can drive on the foreign licence.
Documents for exchanging a licence
- a valid foreign licence and its Serbian translation certified by a court interpreter;
- proof of approved residence in Serbia of more than three months;
- a medical certificate of fitness to drive the relevant categories, no older than six months;
- a foreigner's identity card or passport;
- receipts for the fees.
How the exchange works: steps
- Have the licence translated by a court interpreter.
- Pass a drivers' medical at a medical institution authorised to issue such certificates.
- Pay the fees and apply at the police department where you live.
- Hand in the foreign licence and collect the Serbian one a few days later.
How much exchanging a licence costs in Serbia
State fees for the exchange total about $25: the application, the issue of the licence and the card, at the National Bank of Serbia rate of 7 October 2026. The medical certificate and the court interpreter's translation are paid separately at the clinic's and interpreter's rates.
The main risk is not money but the deadline: if the 12 months have passed and the licence has not been exchanged, the driver is treated as driving without a licence, with a fine and a risk in an insurance claim.
Fees are about $25, but missing the 12 months turns the licence into paper
The law does not stop you exchanging a licence in Serbia on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: missing the 12-month deadline after the residence permit, a translation not made by a court interpreter, a medical certificate from the wrong institution or older than six months and an application at the wrong police department. Murblz specialists count the period from approval of residence, order the translation, book the medical and file the documents with the police where you live. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first application.
The cost of support depends on the categories and the city; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
If your licence has expired
Expired foreign licences are not exchanged in Serbia. Renew the licence in the issuing country first, then apply for the exchange. If renewal is impossible, a Serbian licence is obtained from scratch: driving school, theory and a driving test.
This topic in other countries
Deadlines, tests and documents for exchanging a licence differ in every country, so it is best to plan the exchange before the move, together with the residence permit: that way you will not spend months on taxis or risk a fine and your insurance.
Exchanging a licence in other countries: Georgia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, UAE, Portugal, Cyprus, Paraguay, USA, Italy.
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Learn more →We will help you exchange your licence without extra visits. Tell us where your licence was issued and when you got your residence permit. We will count the deadline and prepare the documents.
FAQ
How long can you drive in Serbia on a foreign licence?
Is a test needed to exchange a licence in Serbia?
Can a licence from outside the EU be exchanged in Serbia?
How much does exchanging a licence cost in Serbia?
Where do you exchange a licence in Serbia?
What happens if you do not exchange within 12 months?
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