As a logistics base, Serbia is a perfect place for a company to locate its operations if wanting to closely and most efficiently serve its EU, SEE or Middle Eastern customers. It borders the EU, at the Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian and Croatian state line. At the same time, businesses can enjoy all the benefits of working outside the EU, while being able to provide services and transport goods in projected and flexible time frames. In summary, Serbia boasts a great potential to grow into a logistics hub of the South East Europe.
Transportation Infrastructure
Roads
By using developed road connections, a shipment from Serbia can reach even remotest parts of Europe, in less than 72 hours. Products can also move rapidly cross-country: the road network of the Republic of Serbia is 40,845 km (25,380 miles) long, out of which 415.7 km (257 miles) of highways with toll collection, 246.5 km (153 miles) of semi-highways with toll collection, 5,525 km (3,433 miles) of arterial roads, 11,540 km (7,171 miles) of regional roads, and 23,780 km (14,776 miles) of local roads.
Transportation |
Length of road network |
40,485 km |
Length of railway network |
3,809 km |
Length of navigable routes |
959 km |
Number of river ports |
11 |
Number of intern. airports |
2 |
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In order to further upgrade the country's road network, Serbian government has adopted the National Plan for Road and Railroad Infrastructure Development. By the end of 2012, a total of EUR 2.9 billion was invested in the construction of the 6 major highways.
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Air
Duration of Flights |
Up to 1 hour |
Up to 2 hours |
Up to 3 hours |
More than 3 hours |
Bucharest, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Rome, Vienna, Zurich, Sarajevo |
Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Kiev, Milan, Munich, Paris, Prague |
London, Moscow, Stockholm, Amsterdam |
New York, Toronto |
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Air transportation is the fastest and the most convenient way of transportation. Serbia can be reached by air using one of two available international airports in Serbia - Nikola Tesla Airport and Nis International Airport. An airport in Vrsac is currently being used only for domestic non-commercial flights, training and leisure aviation, while it is expected soon to be granted an international certification. Transportation by air to and from Belgrade is possible to almost every destination in the world, either directly or by layover.
Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla international airport is the only airport in the Balkans registering a constant increase in the number of passengers. Despite the ongoing crisis, in 2011 the business performance of the airport was strong with a 14% increase in the number of travelers compared to 2010 and figures remained stable in 2012. Moreover, last year the number of passengers increased by 8% compared to 2011.
eDreams, one of the largest online travel agencies in Europe, has published the ranking of the "Best Airports in the World 2012," compiled from thousands of customer reviews gathered over the past year. Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla international airport in the overall ranking took 7th position.
River
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Serbia offers an outstanding potential when river transportation is concerned. A highly cost effective way of transport can be pursued on three rivers giving a total of 959 km of safe navigable routes. 588 km of the International River Danube, represents the most reliable navigable route that can be used for transportation throughout the year. In addition, artificial canals Rhine-Main-Danube, an international canal that allows barge traffic between the North Sea and the Black Sea, and Danube-Tisa-Danube create a network of routes providing access to all Danube basin countries. The Sava River links the following countries in the region: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia, and it is in the process of gaining the status of International Navigable Route. |
Danube
588 km of the International River Danube, represents the most dependable navigable route throughout the year. The Rhine-Main-Danube canal, completed in 1992, allows barge traffic between the North Sea and the Black Sea.
Tisa
164 km of inter-state navigable passage on the river Tisa, with the network of the domestic channel Danube - Tisa - Danube totaling 600 km, has the potential to become an International Navigable Route of satisfactory level for use by all Danube basin countries.
Sava
207 km of the river Sava provide excellent potential for transportation of goods in the Western Balkans. The river Sava links the following countries in the region: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina (The Republic of Srpska) and Serbia. It is in the process of gaining the status of International Navigable Route.
Ports
There are seven ports on the River Danube: Luka Apatin, Luka Bačka Palanka, Luka Novi Sad, Luka Beograd, Luka Pančevo, Luka Smederevo i Luka Prahovo. They can all be used for logistic purposes i.e. loading and unloading the cargo.
Free Trade Zones
At present, there are Free Zones operating in the following cities: Subotica, Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Sabac, Kragujevac, Uzice, Nis, Smederevo, Krusevac, Svilajnac and Pirot.
Foreign companies can establish a privately-owned Free Zone based on the project approved by the government.
Earnings and revenues created within a Zone can be transferred to any country, including Serbia, freely without any prior approval, and are not subject to foreign trade regime.
Global Free Zones of the Future 2012/13
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The ranking was carried out by fDi Intelligence, a division of The Financial Times Ltd, the largest FDI centre of excellence globally, and it was published in the FDI Magazine Financial Times.
Among more than 600 zones from more than 100 countries participating in the assessment two Serbian Free Zones entered the final ranking: Free Zone “Pirot” was listed as No. 41 and industrial zone “Jugoistok-Ečka”, which is part of Free Zone “Zrenjanin”, No. 48 in the list of top global zones for FDI.
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Over 10.000 free zones operate in the world..
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