Serbia is a landlocked start with a straightforward run south and west to the sea. Pickups are in Belgrade and Novi Sad, and the cover options are grouped by which neighbours you plan to cross into, with Kosovo treated separately throughout.
Around half the fleet needs none, most of the rest is low.
Free cancellation
On many cars, free up to 24 hours before pickup.
Covered before you go
Fee and Green Card written into your agreement.
What do you need?
Serbia sells three groupings of cross-border cover, and you choose one when you book rather than at the border. Note that Kosovo is excluded from the broadest option, so check carefully if it is on your route.
All neighbouring countries except Kosovo
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro
Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania
The Kosovo exception
Kosovo is named as an exclusion on the broadest Serbian option rather than simply being unlisted. If your route includes it, raise it with the rental agent before you book rather than assuming a wider option will cover it.
Cross-border cover sold from Serbia
Serbia sells three groupings. Kosovo is named as an exclusion on the broadest of them rather than simply being left off, so check carefully if it is on your route.
All neighbours except Kosovo
The broadest of the three groupings
Kosovo is carved out by name. Albania does not border Serbia, so take the four-country grouping below if you are heading there.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro
Two-country grouping
The usual choice for a run to the Adriatic.
Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania
Four-country grouping
Covers a full western Balkans loop.
What you need to rent
Driving licence
A full national licence with the details repeated in Latin script, valid through to the end of the rental. Photocopies and phone images are not accepted. If your licence is only valid in the country that issued it, carry an International Driving Permit alongside it.
Age and experience
The minimum age and years held vary car by car rather than by category, and the agent can decline if you do not meet the requirement for that specific vehicle. Filter on driver age when you search rather than assuming.
A card in the main driver’s name
Usually a physical embossed credit card belonging to the lead driver, for the deposit. Some cars accept a debit card, stated on the listing and your voucher, but it still has to be physical and personalised.
Your cross-border choice
Selected while you book. Kosovo is excluded from the broadest option, so if it is on your route raise it with the rental agent before reserving rather than assuming a wider grouping covers it.
LANDLOCKED START, ADRIATIC FINISH.COVER CHOSEN AT BOOKING.
Serbia has a smaller footprint than the coastal countries, with pickups in Belgrade and Novi Sad only, so the eligible pool is correspondingly tighter. Filter for cross-border eligible cars early, especially in summer.
Driving back
The car returns to Serbia at the end of the rental. There is no cross-border one-way drop-off, so a run to the Adriatic needs to be planned as a round trip.
Drive times from Serbia
Approximate driving times from a Belgrade pickup. Novi Sad adds roughly an hour to the southern routes.
From
To
Distance
Approx. drive
Belgrade
Sarajevo
300 km
4h 30m
Belgrade
Zagreb
390 km
4h
Belgrade
Podgorica
470 km
6h 30m
Belgrade
Kotor
550 km
7h 30m
Belgrade
Dubrovnik
540 km
7h
Belgrade
Tirana
570 km
8h
Renting from Serbia: common questions
Common questions about picking up in Belgrade or Novi Sad and driving out.
Which countries can I drive to from Serbia?
Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania are all covered, depending on which grouping you select at booking. One option covers all neighbours except Kosovo, which is treated separately.
Is Kosovo covered?
Not on the broadest option, where it is named as a specific exclusion. That is a deliberate carve-out rather than an oversight, so if Kosovo is on your route, confirm it directly with the rental agent before booking.
Where can I pick up in Serbia?
Belgrade and Novi Sad. Belgrade has the larger choice and is the airport arrival point for most visitors; Novi Sad suits a start in the north.
How long is the drive to the coast?
Allow around 6h 30m from Belgrade to Podgorica and about 7h to Dubrovnik or 7h 30m to Kotor. These are full-day drives and most people break them, usually at Visegrad or Mostar in Bosnia, or at Zlatibor if you are staying inside Serbia. The A2 motorway south from Belgrade takes the sting out of the first couple of hours.
Can I drop the car off at the coast?
No. Cross-border one-way drop-off is not available, so the car has to return to Serbia at the end of the rental.
When do I choose the cross-border option?
At booking, always. It cannot be added at pickup or arranged at the crossing, so decide your route before you reserve the car.
Book your car
Rent a car in Serbia.
Choose Belgrade or Novi Sad and add your cross-border cover at checkout.
