Expat insurance and health insurance in Serbia

The Serbian health system relies on a single public fund, the Health Insurance Institute (RFZO, Republički fond za zdravstveno osiguranje), under the authority of the Ministry of Health, alongside the PIO Fund (old-age, disability and survivors' pensions, family benefits, under the Ministry of Labour) and the National Employment Service (unemployment insurance). Opening health insurance rights requires a qualifying contribution period: 3 months of continuous contributions, or 6 months discontinuous, over the last 18 months. Beneficiaries pay a co-payment according to their category, with some groups exempt (children, older people, people with disabilities in particular).

The package of care funded by the RFZO covers prevention, hospitalisation, and listed medicines and medical devices. The private sector, whose regulation remains incomplete according to the sources available, has grown strongly since a framework for private health insurance was introduced in 2008, particularly for primary care and certain specialised services. France Diplomatie notes that public hospitals are often overcrowded and recommends using private clinics for routine care, particularly in Belgrade.

• Stay of less than 90 days: no visa required for an EU citizen with a valid passport or national ID card; documents declared lost or stolen are not accepted on entry.
• Stay of more than 90 days: a long-stay visa to request before departure with the Serbian embassy in Paris, processing of the file taking several weeks.
• RFZO affiliation: mandatory for every employee from the start of activity in Serbia, subject to the qualifying contribution period (3 continuous months or 6 discontinuous months over 18 months). A self-employed person affiliates and contributes directly to the fund, on their declared income.
• Without RFZO affiliation or cover under the bilateral agreement: care is billed at the full rate by the facility, public or private, at a rate that varies by facility and is not publicly disclosed in a uniform way.
• Student: no EHIC, as Serbia is not an EU member; student insurance or comprehensive travel insurance remains necessary for any stay, as the France-Serbia agreement covers only urgent care.
• Seconded employee : stays on the French scheme on presentation of the certificate of coverage (form SE 21-01/SRB-FR 101) and the certificate of entitlement to benefits (SE 21-09/SRB-FR 128); the maximum duration of this arrangement is not publicly specified on the CLEISS pages consulted, to check directly with that body before departure.
• Retiree: cover depends on the situation (French pension alone, combined French and Serbian pensions, or activity carried out in parallel in Serbia); CLEISS recommends clarifying your situation before departure, as the precise terms are not detailed uniformly on its site.

No individual fine is mentioned in the sources consulted in case of failure to affiliate, but the employer remains required to register their employee; for the expat themselves, the risk remains above all financial, with no help from the French embassy for uncovered care.

As Serbia is not an EU member (a candidate since 2012), coordination with France does not run through EU regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009: it relies on the France-Serbia social security agreement of 6 November 2014, supplemented by an administrative arrangement of 15 March 2018.

• Temporary stay: form SE 21-05/SRB-FR 111 (certificate of entitlement to urgent care during a stay), to request before departure with your French fund, covers only urgent care and certain cash benefits (daily allowances, subject to declaring any Serbian sick leave within 48 hours). It covers neither planned care nor repatriation, unlike what the EHIC allows between EU countries.
• Secondment: certificate of coverage (SE 21-01/SRB-FR 101) and certificate of entitlement to benefits (SE 21-09/SRB-FR 128), staying on the French scheme with no RFZO contribution; the sources consulted do not specify a quantified maximum duration for this arrangement.
• Long-term move: direct RFZO affiliation (via the employer for an employee, directly for a self-employed person), subject to the qualifying contribution period.
• Retiree: cover depends on the situation (French pension alone, combined France-Serbia pensions, or activity carried out in parallel); CLEISS refers to an individual case-by-case review before departure.

1. Before departure: notify French agencies of your departure (CPAM, CAF, France Travail, pension funds).
2. Seconded employee: request the certificate of coverage (SE 21-01/SRB-FR 101) and, if needed, the certificate of entitlement to benefits (SE 21-09/SRB-FR 128) from your French fund before departure.
3. Before any temporary stay: request form SE 21-05/SRB-FR 111 (certificate of entitlement to urgent care) from your French fund — this does not exempt you from taking out travel insurance covering repatriation and planned care.
4. For a stay longer than 90 days: request a long-stay visa from the Serbian embassy in Paris before departure, allowing for a processing time of several weeks.
5. Employee hired locally: check with your employer that RFZO affiliation happens from the start of the employment contract.
6. Self-employed: affiliate and contribute directly to the RFZO, on declared income.
7. Retiree: contact CLEISS or your pension fund before departure to find out the procedure applicable to your situation.
8. Register with the roll of French nationals living abroad (French embassy in Belgrade).