Where to stay in Belgrade
In Belgrade the zone colour on the street sets how long a car may stand, at most three hours during charging hours. The nearest city garage matters as much as the area.
Last checked
How the areas differ
Stari grad holds the largest part of Belgrade's old core. Knez Mihailova, the protected main promenade, runs from Terazije to Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park, and the municipality counts 18 museums and six theatres. Skadarlija, the cobbled street in the Dorćol quarter, became the city's bohemian corner at the turn of the 20th century, and Belgraders and visitors still spend their nights in its taverns.
Vračar, the smallest central municipality, lies south-east of the core around Slavija Square and the Church of Saint Sava, about 3 km by road from Republic Square. Savamala, a former industrial district on the Sava, mixes old facades with clubs and bars and leads onto the 1.8 km Sava Promenada in the Belgrade Waterfront district.
Across the Sava, New Belgrade grew from 1948 into the most densely populated municipality in Serbia, with Sava Centar and the arena, and sits about 15 km from the airport by road. Zemun, on the Danube about 7 km from Republic Square, keeps its Gardoš Tower, Austro-Hungarian streets and a riverside promenade.
Staying with a rental car
The city company Parking servis runs the zones. The purple zone A allows 30 minutes at RSD 120, the red zone 1 one hour at RSD 80 with 30 more minutes at RSD 120, the white zone B and the yellow zone 2 two hours at RSD 65 an hour, and the green zone 3 three hours at RSD 55 an hour. When the time runs out the car must leave the space, and the same zone cannot be paid again for 30 minutes. A car without a ticket, or past its limit, gets an electronic daily ticket of RSD 3,000, half if paid within 20 days.
Purple, red and white zones are charged on weekdays and Saturdays from 07:00 to 22:00 and on Sundays from 07:00 to 14:00; yellow and green zones on weekdays from 07:00 to 21:00 and on Saturdays from 07:00 to 14:00. Payment works through the city app or by SMS to the number for the zone, 9111 for red, 9112 for yellow and 9113 for green, with the plate typed as it appears on the car.
For a night, the city garages are the answer. Obilićev venac, by Knez Mihailova, charges RSD 150 an hour and RSD 2,000 a day, Zeleni venac on Kraljice Natalije RSD 100 for the first hour and RSD 2,000 a day, Pinki in Zemun and the Novi Beograd car park RSD 1,500 a day. Knez Mihailova, Skadarska and Zemun's Magistratski trg are pedestrian zones behind bollards, open to cars only with a city permit. A towed car of up to 1,330 kg costs RSD 8,830. Cars to hire can be compared on GetCar's car rental page for Belgrade.
Serbia is outside the EU. A driver bringing a car in needs its registration and ownership papers and an insurance policy valid in Serbia, and many Serbian rental firms do not allow their cars into Kosovo, Albania or Bulgaria. Whether a car hired in an EU country may cross into Serbia depends on the rental contract. The toll list valid from 1 July 2026 charges a car RSD 340 from Stara Pazova to Novi Sad.
Tourist tax and registration for a guest
The City of Belgrade decision on the tourist tax, in force since 1 January 2020, charges RSD 160 per person for every day in a hospitality accommodation. The host collects it with the price of the stay and shows it as a separate line on the bill. Children under 7 pay nothing, ages 7 to 15 pay half, and people who stay more than 30 days in a row in the same accommodation are exempt. The City Assembly has amendments to the decision on its agenda for 6 October 2026; the press reports a rise to RSD 240, unverified as of September 2026.
Every foreign guest must be registered with the police. Hotels and hosts who rent for payment register the guest within 24 hours of the start of the stay; a friend or relative who hosts a foreigner registers within 24 hours of arrival. Some host guides call the confirmation the white card, a name the interior ministry pages do not use. In Belgrade the police Department for Foreigners sits at Omladinskih brigada 1.
When to book what
EU, UK and US passports enter Serbia without a visa for up to 90 days in six months from the first entry, and EU citizens may use an ID card. Those days count apart from Schengen days, so a stop in Belgrade does not use any of the Schengen 90.
Book a hotel or apartment in Stari grad or Skadarlija for a short city break on foot, and check the nearest garage before paying for a place without parking. Compare prices on this page and book through the seller that shows the room and the dates.
Which area for which trip
A first visit on foot: Stari grad, around Knez Mihailova and Kalemegdan.
Evenings out in the old centre: Skadarlija and Dorćol.
A longer stay near Slavija and Saint Sava: Vračar.
Bars and the river path: Savamala and the Sava Promenade.
A car and an early flight: New Belgrade.
A base on the Danube: Zemun.
Questions
How much is the tourist tax in Belgrade in 2026?
RSD 160 per person per day under the decision in force since 1 January 2020. A rise to RSD 240 reported in the press was on the City Assembly agenda for 6 October 2026 and is unverified as of September 2026.
Does a foreign guest need to register with the police in Belgrade?
A hotel or paid host does it within 24 hours of the start of the stay. A guest staying with a private host is registered by that host within 24 hours of arrival.
How long can a car park on the street in Belgrade?
From 30 minutes in the purple zone to 180 minutes in the green zone. After the limit the car must move, or it gets a RSD 3,000 daily ticket.
Where can a rental car stay overnight in central Belgrade?
In a city garage: Obilićev venac near Knez Mihailova at RSD 2,000 a day, Zeleni venac on Kraljice Natalije at RSD 2,000, or Pinki in Zemun at RSD 1,500.
Is Belgrade in the Schengen area?
No. Serbia is outside the EU and Schengen, and EU, UK and US passports may stay up to 90 days in six months without a visa.