Nikola Tesla International Airport (IATA: BEG) is Serbia's largest airport, located 18 km west of Belgrade. The good news for arriving travellers: immigration is fast, customs rarely asks questions, and the city centre is only 25 minutes away.
📷 Sebleouf · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Immigration: 3-5 minutes
It is a 3-5 minute walk from the gate to immigration, where there are two queues: EU/Serbian passports and all other nationalities. Most passengers clear the hall within 30 minutes of landing. Officers are friendly to visitors and rarely ask more than three questions.
Baggage and customs
Flight numbers are shown on the screens above the baggage carousels. After collecting your bags, choose a red or green channel: foreign visitors may bring 50 cigarettes and 1 L of spirits (plus 1 L of wine) duty-free. If you exceed this, or carry gifts or several identical new items, use the red channel; goods up to EUR 3,000 can be cleared on the spot, which is far better than being caught in the green channel. Cash above EUR 10,000 must also be declared. Tip: Chinese baijiu (Maotai, Wuliangye) counts as spirits and must be declared if you carry more than 1 L.
Four counters worth visiting at the airport
- Currency exchange: there are 4-5 exchange counters in the arrivals hall. Airport rates are usually worse than in the city. Change only 50-100 EUR at the airport for emergencies, then change larger sums at a Menjacnica around Knez Mihailova street downtown for the best rates.
- ATMs: to the right of the arrivals exit you'll find four ATMs (Banka Intesa, Raiffeisen, etc.) for withdrawing RSD (Serbian dinar, 1 EUR ≈ 117 RSD). Local banks usually charge foreign cards 400–600 RSD per withdrawal; if the screen offers conversion to your home currency, choose dinars.
- SIM cards: A1, Yettel and mts all sell tourist SIMs, e.g. mts Turist SIM 700 RSD / 150 GB / 5 days, Yettel Tourist 1,399 RSD / 50 GB / 30 days, A1 Welcome SIM 1,000 RSD / 200 GB / 7 days (official prices, Sept 2026). Registration with your passport is required. Most tourist-SIM data works only inside Serbia — check before using it in Montenegro or Bosnia.
- Wi-Fi: free Wi-Fi throughout the airport ("BEG Free WiFi"), no phone-number registration required.
📷 Laslovarga · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
To the city centre: 5 options compared
| Option | Price | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport taxi (print a fixed-price voucher at the kiosk first) | New Belgrade 2,700 RSD; Old Town / centre 3,500 RSD | 25 min | 1-4 people, luggage included; driver must charge the voucher price |
| Bus 72 (public) | Free (Belgrade city transport has been free since 2025) | 30-40 min to Zeleni venac | Tightest budget, no large luggage |
| Airport minibus A1 | 400 RSD, dinar cash only, pay the driver | 30 min | To the railway station and Slavija square |
| Yandex Go / CarGo ride-hail | Metered | 25 min | If you have local data and an English app (Uber and Bolt do not operate in Serbia) |
| Mandarin-speaking driver-guide pickup | 30 EUR (sedan) / 50 EUR (van) | 25 min | First-time visitors / Mandarin support / heavy luggage / tight transit time |
Practical tips for first-time visitors
1. For a first trip to Serbia we strongly recommend booking a Mandarin-speaking pickup. BALKAN CHINA's airport drivers are long-term Chinese residents in Serbia, know the airport flow inside out, and will meet you at the arrivals gate with a Chinese-language name board. The price is fixed at 30 EUR per sedan and includes a 60-minute waiting grace period (no surcharge for delayed flights), bottled water, and hotel check-in support.
2. On landing, change about 100 EUR into dinars, or withdraw 5,000 RSD from an ATM. Restaurants, taxis, and kafanas in the city centre often prefer cash, even though card payment is widespread for larger purchases.
3. Use Wi-Fi at your hotel before deciding whether to buy a SIM. Wi-Fi coverage in central Belgrade is good, and a 3-5 day trip may not need a local number.
4. Connecting to Montenegro or Sarajevo? BEG has no frequent low-cost direct flights to Tivat. Take the 8-hour overland route with a night in Kotor — door to door it's faster than flying once layovers are counted.