In the wake of the current situation regarding the outbreak of corona flu epidemics in the United States and a need to undertake additional measures to prevent further spread of the disease, the Consular Department of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Washington D.C. has adopted the following measures which will take effect on Monday, 16 March 2020, and remain in force until further notice:

• The Consular Department will be able to extend services only in very urgent and pressing cases;
• You are kindly requested to call the Consular Department in advance, at least two days ahead of the planned visit, by calling +1(202) 820-3123, and +1(619) 313-9005 or by messaging the  temporary email address: konzularnovasington@gmail.com
• Unannounced visitors whose appointments have not been confirmed will not be admitted;
• Your requests for consular services not requiring personal presence in the Consular Department  should be exclusively sent by post (e.g. registration of birth, marriage and death, admission to citizenship, customs certificates, police clearance and other vital statistics, certificate for transfer of mortal remains, regulation of military service, etc.);
• The Consular Department  shall continue to admit applications for voting abroad in Parliamentary elections in the Republic of Serbia by email, fax or post.
The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Washington D.C. appreciates your understanding and cooperation at this time. The  Embassy shall continue to closely monitor the situation regarding the corona virus outbreak in the United States and shall resume its regular regime and hours of operation as soon as the situation improves.

Washington D.C., March 16, 2020
President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic announced yesterday, on Marh 15th, that due to the coronavirus situation, a decision was made to declare a state of emergency throughout the Republic of Serbia.

President Vučić said at a press conference that the decision was made after meeting of the Covid-19 crisis response team and the crisis team for eliminating the possible and harmful effects of the coronavirus on the economy at the Palace of Serbia, which he chaired.

The state of emergency came into force immediately after the decision is published in the Official Gazette, after which a government session was held to adopt a decree on emergency measures.

Accordingly, the borders of the Republic of Serbia are closed to all foreign nationals, with the exception of diplomats accredited in Serbia and foreigners with a residence permit or permanently resident in Serbia. Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, as well as accredited diplomats and foreign nationals residing in the Republic of Serbia, who enter the Republic of Serbia, are under criminal responsibility for at least 14 days in self-isolation. This measure will be strictly controlled and its violation will be most severely sanctioned. Citizens will be provided with a legally binding solution upon entering the country. Imprisonment for violation of this provision is up to three years in prison. This is very important to reduce the movement of citizens, which is one of the main reasons for introducing a state of emergency in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

For citizens of the Republic of Serbia and foreign nationals residing in the Republic of Serbia who come from the Swiss Confederation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Romania, the Kingdom of Spain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Greece isolation for 28 days.

These measures do not apply to:

Crews of freight motor vehicles when performing international road transport. In the case of international road traffic burden, the stay is limited to a period of no longer than 12 hours from the moment of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia;

Crew of freight ships carrying goods into one of the domestic ports. In the case of transit sailing on the international water road on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, it is limited to a period of no longer than 90 hours for ship's supply and 60 hours for self-propelled vessels from the moment of entering the territory of the Republic of Serbia in the event of water sailing. In the case of downwater, the stay in the waters of the Republic of Serbia is limited to the period not longer than 72 hours for ship's supply and 54 hours for self-guiding vessels from the moment of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia;

Driving staff of railway vehicles entering the zone of border stations established by intergovernmental agreements;
Crew and cabin staff of aircraft whose ultimate destination is the Republic of Serbia or in transit through international airports of the Republic of Serbia;

Persons who received the consent to enter the Republic of Serbia from the government's working body, consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior Affairs and the Ministry of Construction, Transport and infrastructure.

The humanitarian convoys contracted by diplomatic way (under compulsory escort).
  

In accordance with the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the termination of the Decision on closing all border crossings for entry into the Republic of Serbia, i.e. the possibility of entry of all foreign nationals into the Republic of Serbia without permits, conditions have been created for issuing visas for foreign nationals in all diplomatic-consular missions of the Republic of Serbia, with the application of preventive measures in order to prevent the spread of the COVID - 19 disease (wearing masks and gloves, keeping a distance, making an appointment for visits, etc.).

We would like to inform you that the Government of the Republic of Serbia, at its session on 21 May 2020, passed the Decision on termination of the Decision on closing all border crossings for entry into the Republic of Serbia - which terminated that decision passed on 19 March 2020,  the Decision on termination of the Decision on closing border crossings - which terminated that decision, as well as the Decision on amendments to the Decision on declaring COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus a contagious disease, which entered into force on 22 May 2020.
By all these decisions, all border crossings of the Republic of Serbia have been opened and they are functioning in the usual regime as of today.
Amendments to the Decision on declaring the COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus a contagious disease lifted the ban on entering the Republic of Serbia, as well as epidemiological measures for all categories of domestic and foreign nationals. (without consent / permission, isolation measures and mandatory possession of a negative PCR test).

The Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government has published a statement regarding the fake website for applying for voting from abroad, which can be downloaded at the link:
http://mduls.gov.rs/saopstenja/vazno-upozorenje-lazan-sajt-za-prijavu-za-glasanje-iz-inostranstva/