Serbia has placed Albania and Croatia on its travel advisory list, recommending increased caution for Serbian citizens visiting these countries.
The advisory was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, which introduced a “traffic-light” system classifying travel destinations into four categories:
- Green – normal travel with standard caution
- Yellow – travel with additional precautions
- Orange – travel only in cases of extreme necessity
- Red – travel not recommended
Under this system, Albania is placed in the yellow category, meaning Serbian citizens are advised to take additional precautions, while Croatia is categorized as orange, recommending travel only if absolutely necessary. Croatia is the only European country in that category, alongside states such as Togo, Tanzania, Myanmar, and the Republic of Congo.
The recommendations were announced by Marko Đurić, who said the initiative aimed to inform Serbian citizens about potential risks abroad. Serbian officials insist the classification does not carry a political message, but reflects security assessments and incidents involving Serbian citizens abroad.
However, the move has drawn criticism. Former Croatian diplomat Božo Kovačević warned that the advisory could further worsen already strained relations between Belgrade and Zagreb.
Croatia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia responded by stressing that the country is a member of the European Union, NATO, and the Schengen Area, and is considered one of the safest countries in Europe according to Eurostat.
Meanwhile, Tirana has not officially commented on the decision.
Analysts suggest the move may also be linked to a defense cooperation agreement signed in 2025 between Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo, which Aleksandar Vučić has previously criticized as a potential “military alliance” against Serbia.
Despite political tensions, tourism trends remain strong. Data from the Croatian National Tourist Board shows that over 212,000 Serbian tourists visited Croatia in 2023, while Albania has also recorded a significant rise in Serbian visitors in recent years.
