Queues: Serbia–North Macedonia border today

About the border: Serbia–North Macedonia border

The Serbian-Macedonian border lies entirely outside the European Union: neither Serbia nor North Macedonia is a member of the EU or the Schengen area. Full passport and customs checks therefore apply on both sides, and each country sets its own entry and insurance rules. Even so, this is one of the key stretches of the Balkan route, carrying the main road from Belgrade and Niš to Skopje and on to Thessaloniki and the Greek coast.

The page covers a single crossing: Preševo–Tabanovce, on the motorway through the South Morava and Vardar valleys. It is the natural choice for most drivers going from Poland to Greece via Serbia and North Macedonia, as well as for coaches and freight transit. Because the other crossings on this border matter far less for long-distance traffic, the queue at Preševo often decides the length of the whole journey.

Our data shows that queues can build here in both directions, with weekends usually the busiest. The hardest period is summer, when holidaymakers head for Greece and diaspora families visit relatives, along with public holidays. Towards Serbia the peak generally falls at the end of the summer and on Sundays after long weekends. Because this border lacks a convenient alternative for long-distance traffic, it is wise to build a possible delay into your whole trip plan and, where possible, cross outside the weekend.

Before you go, have a passport ready – or an ID card, if both countries accept it for your nationality – plus proof of insurance valid in both countries, such as a green card. Motorways in Serbia and North Macedonia are tolled at toll plazas, so carry cash or a card. The board above shows current estimates for both directions.

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.