Queues: Croatia–Serbia border today

About the border: Croatia–Serbia border

The Croatian-Serbian border crosses the plains of Slavonia and Syrmia and for a long stretch follows the Danube. Croatia is an EU member and, since 1 January 2023, part of the Schengen area; Serbia remains outside the EU. This is therefore an external EU and Schengen border with full passport and customs checks on both sides, and non-EU travellers are also registered in the EU's entry/exit system.

The page lists four crossings. Bajakovo–Batrovci is on the motorway from Zagreb to Belgrade and is the most important crossing on this border – and, according to our data, the most congested, especially towards Croatia. Tovarnik–Šid, close by, handles road traffic parallel to the motorway. On the Danube there are two bridge crossings, Ilok–Bačka Palanka and Erdut–Bogojevo, linking Croatian Slavonia with Serbian Vojvodina. In our figures Erdut and Ilok usually compare favourably with Bajakovo and Tovarnik.

Weekends and the summer season are the hardest, when transit towards Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey and North Macedonia passes through Bajakovo, along with diaspora families visiting relatives. Traffic also rises around Christmas and Easter, including the Orthodox dates. On such days the queue for Bajakovo can start far back on the motorway, so decide early, using the board, whether to turn off for another crossing.

Before travelling, have a passport or ID card ready (EU citizens can enter Serbia with an ID card) and proof of insurance valid in Serbia, such as a green card. Motorways in Croatia and Serbia are tolled at toll plazas. If Bajakovo is at a standstill and you are heading for Novi Sad or northern Serbia, compare times with the Danube crossings – the difference can be significant.

When to go

Border queues are usually shortest at night, roughly between 01:00 and 05:00, and longest in the evening and at weekends. In the holiday season the Balkan-route peak falls on Saturdays. Check the live figures above before setting off.