ID card or passport: what you need to cross borders in the region

Regional agreements mean that an ID card is often enough — but not always, and getting this wrong can see you turned back at the border.

If you are travelling from Bosnia and Herzegovina

A valid BiH ID card is enough to cross into Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania. It is not valid for Croatia — since Croatia is an EU member state, you need a passport.

If you are travelling from Serbia

A biometric ID card for adult citizens is enough to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania and Turkey.

If the trip goes further, into the EU

For all European Union member states and the Schengen area you need a passport — an ID card from the countries of the region outside the EU is not recognised there as a travel document.

When your document is close to expiring

For travel within the region the border police will not accept an expired ID card, but being close to expiry is usually not a problem in itself — the document is valid until the date printed on it. For European Union and Schengen countries it is different: many of them require your passport to be valid for at least three more months after your planned return, not just until the day you enter. If your passport expires in a couple of months and the trip is heading into the EU, check this rule before you fix your dates — renewing a passport can take longer than people expect.

One thing to watch out for

Time spent in a country on an ID card is recorded — overstaying the permitted period can carry penalties, including a temporary entry ban.

Children and minors

Since biometric documents came into use across the region, children can no longer travel entered in a parent's passport or ID card — every child needs their own document, whatever their age. If a minor is travelling with only one parent, with relatives, or in an organised group without both parents, bring a certified consent form from the other parent (or from both parents, if the child is travelling alone) — border police can be stricter about this than people expect, and without the consent they can turn you back at the border.

For a crossing into Croatia, where you need a passport — Kelebija or Doljani, for example — check the live cameras before you set off.

The rules depend on the bilateral agreements currently in force and can change — before you travel, check on the website of the interior ministry or the border police.