How to Apply to Universities in Serbia: Requirements, Deadlines and Portals

Apply to the faculty directly, not to a central portal

Serbia does not run a single national application system for higher education. Each university faculty handles its own admissions from start to finish: publishing its own requirements, running its own entrance exam, and managing its own document deadlines. This means your first job is picking the specific faculty and program, then working from that faculty's own admission page rather than a generic country-wide checklist.

The University of Belgrade Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad both publish detailed, separate admission pages for their international admission cycles , and other faculties across Serbia follow the same pattern. Bookmark the admission page of your target faculty early and check it directly, since requirements differ even between faculties at the same university.

Step 1: Confirm entrance exam requirements

Most bachelor programs require an entrance exam (prijemni ispit) tied to the subject area. Engineering programs typically test mathematics, medicine and related health programs test biology and chemistry, and other fields set their own subject combinations. Your final ranking usually combines your entrance exam score with your high school grades, so strong secondary school results still matter even after you pass the exam.

At the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, the entrance exam and application together cost 6,600 RSD, about 55 EUR for candidates applying from abroad, and this fee is not refunded if you fail the exam or withdraw. At the University of Belgrade Faculty of Medicine, the application fee for the 2026-27 cycle is 140 EUR , with document submission running from August 25 to 31, 2026, a written exam on September 2, interviews on September 2 and 3, and results published September 7.

Step 2: Get your foreign school diploma recognized

If you finished secondary school outside Serbia, your diploma needs to go through an equivalency check before you can enroll. This recognition process, run through Serbia's ENIC-NARIC contact point, confirms that your foreign qualification matches the level needed to enter Serbian higher education. Start this early since it can take weeks, and some faculties require the recognized equivalency before they will finalize your enrollment rather than only before your first day of classes.

Step 3: Gather your documents

Expect to submit, at minimum, your secondary school diploma and transcripts, your passport or ID, proof of your diploma equivalency, and passport-style photos. Faculties running English-taught programs may also ask for proof of English proficiency, while Serbian-taught programs may require a Serbian language certificate or a preparatory year if you do not already speak the language. Documents issued outside Serbia typically need certified translation, so check your target faculty's exact translation and legalization requirements before you submit. Many faculties also ask for an Apostille stamp on your diploma and transcripts if your home country is party to the Apostille Convention, which replaces a longer embassy legalization chain with a single certificate from your national authority.

Step 4: Submit your application and pay the fee

Submit your documents by the faculty's stated deadline along with the non-refundable application fee. Fees vary by faculty and program, so confirm the exact amount on the admission page rather than assuming a flat national rate. Missing a document deadline usually means waiting for the next admission cycle, since most faculties do not accept late applications for their main round.

Step 5: Sit the entrance exam or interview

Attend your exam or interview on the scheduled date, in person unless your faculty has explicitly confirmed a remote option. Health and medical programs commonly combine a written test with a personal interview, as at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Medicine, where both fall in the same exam week.

Step 6: Check the ranking list and confirm your place

After the exam, the faculty publishes a ranking list. Where you land determines whether you are offered a state-subsidized budget place or a self-financing place, since budget places are limited and awarded to the highest-ranked candidates. If you are offered a place, you generally need to pay a first tuition installment to confirm it. At the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, admitted foreign students pay a minimum of 1,750 EUR, 25% of the total annual tuition, by the registration deadline.

Foreign applicants versus Serbian nationals

The real dividing line in Serbian admissions is nationality, not EU membership specifically. Serbian nationals compete for budget and self-financing places on the same terms. Foreign nationals, including students from other European countries, are almost always placed on self-financing tuition tracks unless they qualify for a bilateral agreement or dedicated scholarship program. Check visa and residence permit requirements with your nearest Serbian embassy or consulate well before your document deadline, since these run on a separate timeline from your university application.

After you arrive: registering your stay

Once you land in Serbia, register your address with the local police within the timeframe your visa or residence approval specifies, a step separate from university enrollment that many first-time international students overlook. Your faculty's international office or student services desk can usually point you to the right police station and the documents you need to bring, so ask about this at orientation rather than leaving it until later in the semester.