How to Apply
If you plan to travel to the U.S. you should have in mind that visa interview time may be from a few days to few weeks away, so please plan ahead. For the approximate wait time for a visa interview please check Visa Wait Times. You have the possibility to apply weeks, or even months ahead. We strongly encourage you to wait to purchase plane tickets until you have a valid visa. You do not need a ticket at the time of the interview.
Interviews for all nonimmigrant visas are scheduled by appointment only. To apply for a nonimmigrant visa and to schedule a visa appointment, you should follow the steps listed below. Before starting the process, please review the information described in "Basic documents and photos" and gather the required items.
Children need an appointment to apply for a tourist visa, as well as an application form, photo, and fee receipt, just like other visa applicants. Children under 14 do not need to be present at the interview.
Step 1
Obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN) at any Raiffeisen Bank or Banca Intesa branch in Serbia or Montenegro Bank in Montenegro. This PIN number will allow you to access our call center in Serbia for information and the scheduling of a visa appointment. It costs approximately $10, to be paid in either dinars (in Serbia) or euros (in Montenegro). Callers from abroad may pay the call center by a credit card directly.
Note: Organized groups (sports teams, bands, etc.) should contact the consular section before purchasing pins for the appointment center to receive approval for special group appointment pin numbers. Please send an e-mail with contact information and an explanation about the purpose of the group's trip to consularbelgrd@state.gov at least 15 days before the group's planned departure. The title of the e-mail should be "Group Appointment Request." Consular staff will then inform you whether your group has been approved for group processing, and how to submit that information. All groups must use the Electronic Visa Form for all applicants.
Step 2: Make a Phone Call
After obtaining the PIN number, wait 24 hours for the PIN to be activated. Then please call +(381-11) 3050-550. You may access the call center any working day between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm, Monday through Friday.
The infoline provides you with information on the types of nonimmigrant visas that are available and directs you to the correct category of visa for your intended travel. This is the appropriate opportunity to ask any questions you may have pertaining to visas necessary for your intended travel to the US.
Additionally, you should schedule an appointment for a visa interview. Applicants for a U.S. visa may schedule appointments for up to five members of their nuclear family (spouse and children) using one PIN.
Step 3: Complete and Submit the Application Form
Nonimmigrant visa applicants must complete and submit the electronic application form DS-160, available at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv. This form takes the place of the application forms DS-156, DS-157, and DS-158. All nonimmigrant visa applicants, regardless of what type of visa they are applying for, will be required to fill out this form online prior to their appointment at the Consular Section.
The form DS-160 also requires a digital photo, less than 240 kb, to be uploaded as part of the application process. Click here for photo requirements.
Note: There is no longer a written application form. After completing the new DS-160, the applicant will electronically submit the application and will be provided with a confirmation page that includes only limited biographical information, their photo and a bar code. Applicants must bring this confirmation page with them to the interview along with one (1) photograph. Although uploading a photo is part of the application process, we still require visa applicants to bring one photo with them in the event that the system will not accept the uploaded version.
Important Note: All questions on the form DS-160 must be answered completely and accurately. Otherwise, we will not be able to process the visa application and a new interview appointment will be required.
Start DS-160 Application Form.
Step 4: Complete and Print Out Your DHL Shipping Form*
After you print out your DS-160 confirmation page, go to the following link and fill out all fields completely and correctly. Any incorrect information submitted on this form will cause a delay in your visa processing and we will not be able to deliver your visa. Print out this form and bring it with you to your interview.
*The US Embassy now utilizes DHL’s services to provide courier passback of visas to applicants found eligible for a visa. The service is mandatory. The cost of the courier service is 500 Serbian dinars to any address in Serbia, and 20 euros to any address in Montenegro, and is paid in cash at the time of visa package delivery. You will generally receive your visa and passport in two working days after your interview if you are in Serbia, and three working days after your interview if you are in Montenegro. Saturday and Sunday do not count as working days.
Step 5: Come to the Consular Section
Please come to your scheduled appointment at the appropriate consular section with the documents described in "Basic documents and photos."
All applicants must pay the appropriate nonrefundable application fee based on visa classification. The amount should be paid in Serbian dinars to the Embassy's account at Raiffeisen Bank. The receipt will not be returned to applicant. Please note that it is not a fee for visa issuance. All applicants, regardless of citizenship, must pay a nonrefundable application fee.
Please note: Federal regulations now require that applicants for US visas have their digital fingerscans collected at the time of the visa interview and checked against a database of known criminals and suspected terrorists. When the visitor arrives at the port of entry, the same biometrics -- these digital fingerscans -- are used to verify that the person at the port is the same person who received the visa. This type of identity verification helps U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers make better admissibility decisions and ensures the overall integrity of the immigration system.
In most cases, the consular officer will make a decision on your eligibility for a nonimmigrant visa at the time of the interview. In a few cases, you may be requested to return with additional documents before a decision can be made. In these rare cases, no appointment will be necessary for you to gain access to the consular section and present the additional documents.
Visa applicants who are interviewed at the US Embassy in Belgrade may spend up to several hours to complete the entire process.
Step 6: Find Out About Your Visa Application
Once the consular officer has reached a decision on your visa application, one of the two following actions occurs:
- You will qualify for a visa, and generally your visa should be delivered to the address you provid us on your DHL shipping form within two working days of your interview if your address is in Serbia, and within three working days of your interview if your address is in Montenegro. We cannot always guarantee these timelines; occasionally, unexpected problems may cause visa printing to take longer and therefore your visa passback may take slightly more time.
- You will not qualify, and you will receive a letter that explains the reason for your ineligibility for a visa and your passport will be returned. You may always reapply for a visa at a later date. However, it is recommended that ineligible applicants thoroughly reconsider their chances of obtaining a visa as each application requires a nonrefundable application fee.
Applicants should generally apply at the American Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over their place of permanent residence. Although visa applicants may apply at any U.S. consular office abroad, it may be more difficult to qualify for the visa outside the country of permanent residence.
U.S. Port of Entry
Applicants should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has authority to deny admission. Serbian citizens having trouble while entering the USA have the right to request contact with the Embassy of Serbia in Washington or the Consulate General of Serbia in Chicago. The Embassy can be reached by telephone at (202) 332-0333 or fax (202) 332-3933. The Consulate can be reached by telephone at (312) 670-6707 or fax (312) 670-6787. Citizens of Montenegro may wish to contact the Montenegro mission in Washington by telephone at (202) 234-6110, or (202) 234-6108, or fax (202) 234-6109.
Also, the period for which the bearer of a visitor visa is authorized to remain in the United States is determined by the DHS, not the consular officer. At the port of entry, a DHS official validates Form I-94, Record of Arrival-Departure, which notes the length of stay permitted. Those visitors who wish to stay beyond the time indicated on their Form I-94 must contact the DHS to request Form I-539, Application to Extend Status. The decision to grant or deny a request for extension of stay is made solely by the DHS.