Private jet to Serbia

Almost every private flight to Serbia lands in Belgrade, where Nikola Tesla Airport has two long runways and stays open day and night. From Milan a light jet needs 1:42 h, from London just under three hours, so a meeting in the capital fits into one day. In winter two smaller airports in the south come into play: Niš and Morava near Kraljevo, both closer than Belgrade to the ski resort of Kopaonik.

Serbia is outside the EU and the Schengen area, and that shapes the trip in three ways: the operator needs a landing permit before departure, passengers clear passport and customs control in both directions, and a foreign operator usually cannot fly passengers between two Serbian airports. As a broker, we find the aircraft with operators across Europe, file the permit with the booking and plan the route to the airport closest to the final address.

Send the route, dates, passengers and passport nationalities through the form, and we will reply with the airport, aircraft, permit lead time and price.

Why a private flight to Serbia

Flight times from the main hubs

Times in a Citation CJ3 from the price tables below, including taxi, climb and descent:

Belgrade lies on the main air corridors from Central Europe to the south-east, so the route needs no detours. Niš is about 200 km further south, which adds 10-20 minutes from Western Europe. Every European route in the tables, Madrid included, is flown non-stop by a light jet.

Private jet prices to Serbia

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport. The Serbian permit, handling, airport charges and passenger taxes are added in the quote. The flight time refers to the first aircraft in the row.

From the European hubs

A Citation CJ3 from London costs EUR 14,500 to Belgrade and EUR 15,500 to Niš; from Paris EUR 13,500. The shortest hub routes are Vienna - Niš at EUR 10,000 and Munich - Kraljevo at EUR 10,500. For a group with ski luggage, a Citation XLS+ from Munich to Kraljevo costs EUR 14,000, and a Challenger 350 from London to Belgrade EUR 24,000.

Regional flights

Sarajevo - Belgrade and Skopje - Niš cost EUR 6,500 in a PC-12, Podgorica or Tivat - Belgrade EUR 7,000. The first row, Belgrade - Niš, is a domestic leg: a foreign operator usually may not carry passengers between two Serbian airports, so it is flown by a Serbian operator, or the trip is planned straight from abroad to Niš or Kraljevo. Zagreb, Ljubljana, Budapest and Thessaloniki are in Schengen, so the passport is checked when you leave Serbia and again on arrival.

From the Gulf and the USA

Heavy and long-range jets use Belgrade, where both runways are 3,400 m or longer. The price follows the hours flown, the base of the nearest free aircraft, the season and how long the aircraft must wait. The departure country may add its own tax, such as the French, Italian or Austrian passenger taxes or UK Air Passenger Duty, explained below.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Examples of a full trip

Price per seat

The whole aircraft is chartered, so each extra passenger lowers the cost per seat:

Calculator

Enter the route, date and number of passengers to Belgrade, Niš or Kraljevo, and the calculator sends an estimate by e-mail within minutes.

Serbian airports for business jets

Three airports with border and customs control take private flights. Belgrade carries most of the traffic; Niš and Morava, both run by the state company Aerodromi Srbije and shared with military air bases, are used when the address lies in the south or in the mountains. Where to land:

Some handling agents in Belgrade work to two or three working days for the permit, so a trip at very short notice is checked first. Handling is optional at Belgrade, but we always book an agent: the agent takes passengers through border and customs control, orders fuel and catering, and meets the car. In thick fog over the plain, Timișoara in Romania or Budapest is the usual alternate.

Which aircraft fits the trip

At Niš and Kraljevo we check the apron and fuel before proposing a large aircraft. A ski group of five or more usually moves to one of the midsize jets, because skis and boot bags fill the hold of a light jet first.

Planning a trip with several Balkan capitals or Kopaonik in peak season? Leave your number and a consultant will call you.

Serbia through the year

Belgrade has business travel in every month and no tourist peak, so the calendar matters mostly for the south: Kopaonik from December to April and the summer festivals. The most comfortable months for a city trip are April, May, September and October, without frost or summer heat. Empty Legs appear all year after day trips to Belgrade, and more often on Sundays in the ski season, when jets that brought groups to Niš and Kraljevo fly back empty.

For February on Kopaonik, BITEF and the Guča weekend, the permit, the handler and the hotel are the items to secure first. Belgrade rarely runs short of parking, so outside those weeks a few days' notice is enough.

From the airport to the city and the mountains

Empty Legs to and from Serbia

Most Serbian trips are one way or short stays, and an aircraft rarely has a reason to wait, so the leg home is often offered at a reduced price. Typical directions:

The Serbian permit is still required for an empty leg sold to passengers, so names and passport numbers should be ready in advance. Send the direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights and we will forward matching offers.

Travelling with pets

The dog or cat flies in the cabin beside you, never in the hold, and the operator must approve the animal in advance. Serbia is outside the EU and applies its own rules:

• ISO microchip and a valid rabies vaccination.
• 21 days must pass after a first vaccination before entry; boosters given on time need no wait.
• Pets from the EU travel on their EU pet passport, with no extra health certificate or antibody test.
• Pets from the UK and other non-EU countries follow Serbian rules that can include a rabies antibody test months ahead; we check them case by case.
• Serbia is on the EU list of countries exempt from the antibody test, so dogs and cats return to the EU without a titre test.

Hotels in Belgrade and on Kopaonik have different rules for dogs, so we check yours before you book.

Border, permits and money

Checklist for the day

• A passport for every passenger, children included; ID cards are not enough outside Schengen.
• Names, dates of birth, nationalities and passport numbers, sent at least two days before the flight for the permit.
• The final address: Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kopaonik or the south.
• The return time, so the crew's duty time and the airport's notice period fit.
• Number of suitcases and skis.
• For a dog or cat: microchip, rabies vaccination and pet passport.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

How the booking works

1. Send the route, dates, passengers and their nationalities, and the address: an office in New Belgrade, a plant near Novi Sad or a chalet on Kopaonik.
2. We choose Belgrade, Niš or Kraljevo, check fuel and apron, and confirm the notice period and permit lead time for your date.
3. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, with waiting time or a second positioning flight as separate lines.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; the operator files the permit, and we confirm the handler, the VIP lounge and the car.
5. On arrival the handler meets the aircraft, the border check takes a few minutes in the lounge, and the driver is waiting outside.

Private flights to Serbia: questions and answers

• • How much is a private jet to Serbia?

  • From the European hubs a Citation CJ3 starts at EUR 10,000 one way, Vienna - Niš, and costs EUR 14,500 from London to Belgrade. A PC-12 from Sarajevo to Belgrade or from Skopje to Niš costs EUR 6,500. The permit, handling and taxes are added in the quote.

• • How soon can we fly?

  • Belgrade needs notice of a non-scheduled arrival at least 36 hours ahead, Niš 24 hours and Kraljevo 48 hours. With two or three days' notice the permit is rarely a problem.

• • Is Belgrade airport open at night?

  • Yes, the airport and the tower work 24 hours and no slot is needed, so an evening return after a meeting is possible.

• • Which airport for Kopaonik?

  • Kraljevo is closest, about 1:30 h by car, but lists no fuel. Niš has fuel and is about two hours from the resort; Belgrade is three and a half to four hours away.

• • Can we fly from Belgrade to Niš with the same jet?

  • Usually not with a foreign operator, which may not carry passengers between two Serbian airports. A Serbian operator can fly the leg, or we plan the flight from abroad straight to Niš or Kraljevo.

• • Do EU and UK citizens need a visa?

  • No, for stays of up to 90 days within six months. There is a passport check on arrival and departure, so every passenger needs a valid passport.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • About 2:53 h to Belgrade and 3:09 h to Niš in a Citation CJ3, non-stop. Serbia is one hour ahead of London.

• • Can my dog travel with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin. Pets from the EU need a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport, and no titre test is needed on the way back to the EU.

• • Are there Empty Legs from Serbia?

  • Yes, mainly from Belgrade after day trips and from Niš and Kraljevo after ski weekends. The permit still applies, so keep passport details ready and write to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Can we combine Serbia with Montenegro or Bosnia?

  • Yes. Podgorica, Tivat and Sarajevo are about an hour from Belgrade, and each border crossing includes a passport check. See Montenegro for the coast.

• • Which currency do we need?

  • The Serbian dinar for local payments; cards are widely accepted in Belgrade. The charter itself is invoiced in euros.