Polovnjak.net

Which used cars can be imported, and who pays no duty

Serbia admits a used car that meets at least Euro 3, and BiH one that meets the Euro 5 level; neither sets an age limit, and neither accepts an ordinary right-hand-drive car. BiH waives both duty and VAT on a car brought when you move there, on an inherited car and, within set limits, on a car for a disabled person. Serbia waives only the duty, on an inherited car or on a car specially built or adapted for a disabled person, and gives no relief for a car brought when you move.

Serbia: Euro 3, and no age limit

A car may be imported only if it was made to Euro 3, for exhaust emissions and noise (Uredba o uvozu motornih vozila, Službeni glasnik RS 23/2010 and 5/2018). There is no age limit. A car made after 1 January 2002 and then first registered in an EU or EFTA country (in a country that joined the EU later, after it joined) counts as Euro 3; otherwise, or in doubt, customs refer you to the Road Traffic Safety Agency (ABS). Retrofits are not accepted.

Oldtimers are exempt: made 30 or more years ago, kept original and in working order, and a monument of technical culture, with a certificate from the Automobile Museum in Belgrade.

Serbia: what else is refused

  • Right-hand drive: a car first registered in Serbia after 1 July 2012 must not have its steering on the right, and ABS accepts no conversion. Exceptions include oldtimers and diplomatic vehicles.
  • Severe damage: a car that cannot move under its own power and cannot be registered without major repair is refused entry and clearance; a minor fault, such as the battery, is no obstacle.
  • At the vehicle test ABS refuses some more cars, for example chip-tuned ones; the vehicle test guide lists them.

BiH: Euro 5, and no age limit

A used car needs an emission approval at the Euro 5 level or later and must pass homologation, which comes before customs clearance, so a car that fails it cannot be cleared. There is no age limit. The BiH homologation guide lists every condition.

BiH: cars exempt from homologation

On request to the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BiH, these cars get an identification and technical-condition check instead of homologation (Pravilnik o homologaciji vozila, Službeni glasnik BiH 83/20, articles 8 and 9):

  • oldtimers;
  • a car brought by someone moving to or back to BiH after at least 12 months abroad without a break, owned or used there by them or their household for at least 6 months, imported within 12 months and adapted to right-hand traffic;
  • a car inherited under a final court decision;
  • a car specially adapted to carry disabled persons.

Unclear: the oldtimer age in BiH, and whether an exempt car below Euro 5 may be imported, since a 2016 decision (Službeni glasnik BiH 52/16) admits only vehicles meeting the minimum technical requirements.

BiH: who pays no duty or VAT

  • Moving: a BiH citizen moving their residence to BiH, or a foreigner with at least a year of approved temporary residence, after 12 months or more abroad without a break (at least 185 days a calendar year; studying alone does not count). The car must have been owned and used for 6 months before the move and be kept for the same use, the relief unused in the previous 5 years, and the car declared within 12 months of settling (Službeni glasnik BiH 24/18, article 16).
  • Inheritance: a car inherited abroad by a BiH citizen or permanent resident, declared within two years of the final inheritance decision.
  • Disability: listed categories of war invalids and other severely disabled persons, one passenger car every 5 years, worth up to 30,000 KM.

All three also remove the 17% VAT, but not homologation: the exemption above is requested separately. A car relieved on moving or for disability cannot be sold, lent or pledged for 36 months without paying the duties. With proof of EU origin the duty is 0% anyway, so the saving is the VAT.

Serbia: no relief on moving, VAT always paid

Serbia gives no relief for a car brought when you move: the household-goods relief for citizens returning from work abroad and for foreigners granted citizenship, asylum or permanent residence excludes motor vehicles (Customs Law, article 245). A draft amendment reported in March 2026 has not been enacted; whether it covers cars is not known.

Duty is waived on an inherited car and a car for a disabled person, but the 20% VAT is paid (VAT Law, article 26, point 7) and Euro 3 applies:

  • Inheritance: the ownership documents must be in the deceased's name; a car bought with inherited money does not qualify.
  • Disability: only a car specially built or adapted for persons with disabilities, which cannot be sold, lent or pledged for 3 years if used, or 5 if new, unless the duty is paid.

Common mistakes

  • "Since 2024 Serbia bans Euro 3 and Euro 4 cars." The bans announced for 1 January 2024 (Euro 3 and 4) and 1 January 2025 (Euro 5) came from a strategic programme and were never adopted.
  • "A car below the Euro standard can be adapted to meet it." Serbia accepts no retrofit.
  • "BiH no longer lets in cars older than 10 years." BiH sets an emission level, not an age limit.
  • "Moving back is the only legal way to bring a car below Euro 5 into BiH." Oldtimers, inherited cars and cars adapted for disabled persons are exempt from homologation too.
  • "BiH requires Euro 6." Used cars need the Euro 5 level; the stricter requirement is for new cars.

Next step

Work out the whole cost

Sources

The official laws, decisions and pages this guide rests on, read on 23/09/2026. Rules and amounts change, so check the ones that matter to you before you buy.