Serbia celebrates as first citizens travel visa free in EU

50 citizens from Serbia have had the honour of being the first to travel from that country within the European Union. The government sponsored event was in celebration of the end of over 18 years of travel restrictions imposed on the Balkan state and the watershed moment saw travel to several EU destinations.

Passengers were chosen via a competition called ‘Europe for Everyone’, with those lucky enough to be selected having never travelled to the EU before. The landmark flight departed for Brussels from Belgrade at midnight on Saturday. The lucky few fore-runners for Serbian travel will also travel to Paris, Berlin and Rome with a couple of days spent at each of the capitals. The passengers were selected due to their efforts in the community at home with nominations garnered from friends and family in praise of their displays of humanitarianism.

The event marks the symbolic abolition of visa requirements for EU travel for Serbian citizens. It was decided on the 30th of November this year that Serbs, along with citizens of Montenegro and Macedonia would be allowed free movement to EU member states from the 19th of December, the UK and Ireland excepted.

There were street parties in the streets of Skopje, the Macedonian capital, in celebration of the new ruling coming into effect. A similar trip is thought to be in the pipeline. In Montenegro, the decision was met with an announcement that Rome would host 100 citizens in a symbolic trip.