Passport

Passport

We would like to inform you that to apply for a new biometric passport at the Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia in Zurich, it is necessary to schedule an appointment in advance.

Appointments are scheduled online through the website of the Consulate General: ekonzulat

While residing abroad, a passport serves as proof of identity and proof of citizenship of the Republic of Serbia. The passport may only be used by the person in whose name it was issued. Please take care to keep your passport safe while abroad.

Tip: Before traveling abroad, it is recommended that you make a copy of your biometric passport to facilitate obtaining a new one, reporting its loss to the police, or acquiring an emergency travel document in case of loss.

Biometric passports are issued by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia.

To apply for a biometric passport, the following is required:

Personal presence:

  • Adults must appear in person.
  • For minors – both parents must be present, or the parent who is absent must provide a notarized consent.

Required original documents:

  1. Identification document: previous biometric passport or national ID card;
  2. Swiss residence permit (if it is being renewed – a confirmation from the relevant Swiss authority regarding the ongoing procedure).

Dual nationals may submit their Swiss ID card or passport.

For minors:
Each child, regardless of age, receives their own passport and cannot be included in a parent’s passport.
In addition to the above-mentioned documents, the presence of both parents is required or notarized consent from the parent who is not present. This applies even if the other parent is a foreign citizen.
If the application is submitted by only one parent – the legal guardian – a court decision granting sole custody must be provided. This part of the decision must be translated into Serbian by a sworn court translator.

Processing time and validity:

  • The legal deadline for processing an application is 60 days (Article 34, Paragraph 2 of the Law on Travel Documents).
  • Applications may be submitted no earlier than seven months before the current passport expires.

Passport collection:

  • The person to whom the passport is issued must be present in person.
  • Bring the application receipt and the old passport.
  • Minors who did not provide fingerprints do not need to be present when collecting the passport; those who did must be present.
  • At least one parent who signed the application at the time of submission must be present.

Please keep the application receipt, as it contains the application number that you can use to check on the Consulate’s website whether your passport is ready for collection.

Note:
Citizens of the Republic of Serbia born in the territory of the former Yugoslav republics who are not registered in the civil records of the Republic of Serbia must first initiate the procedure for registration in the civil registry in Serbia.
Without civil registry extracts from Serbia, it is not possible to issue a passport.

A biometric passport cannot be issued in the following cases:

  • Newborns abroad, until they are registered in the birth registry in Serbia, residence is reported, and a personal ID number (JMBG) is assigned;
  • Persons who were married before a foreign authority and are changing their last name, until the name change is registered in the civil records in Serbia.

The validity of the blue passports marked “SRJ” expired on December 31, 2011.

Loss of a Travel Document
If you lose your passport, you must report it to the police in the canton where you reside and request a confirmation of the report.

With this confirmation, contact the nearest diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Serbia, which will, after verifying your identity and citizenship, issue an emergency travel document (putni list) for your return to Serbia.