Serbian dinar(sign: din. or din.; code: RSD) - the monetary unit of the state of Serbia. One Serbian dinar is equal to 100 par.
Territory of circulation of the Serbian dinar:
Serbian dinar exchange rates:
- Exchange rate Serbian dinar (RSD ) to ruble (RUB)
- Serbian Dinar (RSD ) to Euro (EUR)
- Exchange rate Serbian dinar (RSD) to ruble (RUB) online now on the Forex exchange (Forex)
- Rates, quotes for the exchange of cash Serbian dinar to the ruble in banks for today
History of the Serbian Dinar.
For the first time in the territory of modern Serbia, the dinar was introduced in 1214.
Since 1459, Serbia was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and therefore piastres of the Ottoman Empire were used in everyday life.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the war for the independence of Serbia began and lasted until 1867. In 1868, the Serbian dinar was introduced as the national currency, and the first banknotes appeared in 1876.
The Serbian dinar was pegged to the French franc.
In 1918, Serbia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (in the future Yugoslavia) and in 1919 a temporary currency was introduced - the crown of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
In 1920, they again carried out a monetary reform and introduced a new currency - the Yugoslav dinar at the rate of 1 dinar = 4 crowns.
During the Second World War, Yugoslavia was divided into several parts, the Serbian dinar, German mark, Italian lira, Bulgarian lev were used as money. In 1944, after the reunification of Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav dinar was returned to Yugoslavia at the rate of 1 US dollar = 50 dinars.
Inflation led to the need for denomination. In 1990, another monetary reform of 10,000 dinars took place: 1 dinar.
In 1991-1992, four states separated from Yugoslavia: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. Each of the countries introduced their own currencies: the Slovenian tolar, the Croatian dinar, the dinar of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Macedonian dinar.
Until 1991, Serbia was part of Yugoslavia, and from 1991 to 2006, in union with Montenegro.
In 2006, Montenegro left Yugoslavia and the state of Yugoslavia ceased to exist. As a result, Serbia is transformed into a new state and puts into circulation the Serbian dinar, the banknote design of which is taken from the banknotes of the Yugoslav dinar.
Republic of Serbia.
Country Summary
Capital Belgrade. Founded in 1217. Political system Parliamentary republic. The head of the Republic of Serbia is the President. The highest legislative body is the unicameral parliament (the Assembly). The highest executive body is the Council of Ministers (head - chairman). multi-party political system. Serbia is preparing to join the European Union. Geographically Serbia is located in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. Serbia borders in the east with Bulgaria, Romania, in the south - with Macedonia, in the north - with Hungary, in the west - with Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro. The largest cities The largest cities in Serbia are the capital city of Belgrade with a population of more than 2,000,000 inhabitants, Nis (626,000), Novi Sad (265,000), Kragujevac (180,000). Time zone UTC+1. Flight time from Moscow Flight time is approximately 3 hours. Territory The territory of Serbia with two autonomous regions - Kosovo and Metohija and Vojvodina - is 88.4 thousand square meters. km. Population The population of Serbia is 9,396,411 (according to 2002 data). Most of the population lives in Central Serbia: almost 5.5 million people. A little over 2 million people live in Vojvodina, and a little less than 2 million people live in Kosovo. Serbia is a multinational country. Along with the Serbs, who are the vast majority (85%), Albanians (Kosovo), Montenegrins, Hungarians, Bosnians, Gypsies, Slovaks, Romanians, Bulgarians live here. Recently, the number of immigrants from Asia (Chinese) has increased in the country. The most colorful part of the country on a national basis is Vojvodina. Several dozens of different nationalities have taken root in Vojvodina (the Ukrainian diaspora even stands out here). Language In Serbia, the state language is Serbian (the Cyrillic written base is used with free use of the Latin alphabet). Major Religions The major religions are Orthodoxy and Islam. Orthodoxy prevails in Central Serbia, and Islam prevails in the Kosovo region. Official currency The official currency of Serbia is the dinar (YUM), equal to 100 pairs. In circulation are denominations of 5000, 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 dinars, coins of 10, 20, 5, 2 and 1 dinars, as well as 50 par. At the same time, banknotes in denominations of 10, 50, 200, 1000 and 5000 dinars were issued in two versions, and in 100 dinars - in three. The dinar is pegged to the euro. In Kosovo, only the euro (EUR, ?) is used. In circulation there are denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros, coins of 2 and 1 euros, as well as 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. Mains voltage Mains voltage - 220 V. Climate Serbia's climate varies from continental in the north with cold winters and hot, humid summers to Adriatic - with dry and hot summers and cold, snowy winters. The territory of Vojvodina belongs to the zone of a typical continental climate, air masses from the north and west of Europe reach here, which determine the climate.The south and southeast of Serbia are dominated by a Mediterranean climate, but the mountainous terrain of the mainland as a whole cools the warm air currents heading inland from the south. The most severe winters in Serbia are in Sandzak (Sand? ak) - the city is located on a plateau and is surrounded on all sides by mountains. Average annual temperature according to data from 1961-1990: 10.9 ° C (at an altitude of 300 meters above sea level). At an altitude of 600 meters: 10.0 ° C, at 1000 meters: 6.0 ° C. The average temperature in Belgrade is about +17 from May to September, in April and October - about +13, and about +7 - in March and November.
Approximately 700 mm of precipitation falls in Belgrade per year. The sunniest months are July and August, each with up to 10 hours of sunshine per day on average, while the darkest months are December and January with 2.3 hours of sunshine.
Finance
What money to take with you Euro, dollars. However, Serbia is not a popular tourist destination, so dollars and euros are not accepted everywhere. If in neighboring Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina you can pay in euros in a supermarket, then in Serbia - no. Euros and dollars will only be accepted in large hotels or by prior arrangement with the shop owner or taxi driver. In this case, you will be offered the most unfavorable exchange rate. Thus, when traveling to Serbia, it is important to immediately exchange euros or dollars for Serbian dinars. Where to change Currency can be exchanged at bank branches, official exchange offices and many licensed exchangers. In Serbia, in public places (train stations, airports) there are currency exchange machines. The rate even in nearby exchange offices can differ quite a lot. On the territory of Serbia, exchange transactions outside official institutions (commercial banks, exchange offices, etc.) are considered a criminal offense and are punishable by imprisonment for a term of 6 months to 5 years with confiscation of currency. Credit cards Credit cards of world monetary systems and traveler's checks are accepted only in large cities of the country. In some shops and hotels it is possible to pay with credit cards: "VISA International" and "DINERS CLUB International". Shopping In the bazaars and shops in Serbia, you can buy a lot of fun souvenirs made in the traditional style. As souvenirs from Serbia, you can also bring T-shirts with resort symbols, plates, shell crafts, as well as wine or 45 ° "Krunak" or "Vine" (grape vodka), etc. Shops are open daily from 6.00 to 20.00, in tourist centers - until 23.00. Some shops are open 24/7. Tips As a rule, in restaurants and bars, the tip amount is 10% of the bill (if it does not immediately include a service charge), in cheap eateries - 50 dinars, for a porter at a hotel or airport - 100 dinars, for a taxi driver - the bill is rounded up . Cost of meals Cost of a "typical" dinner: ~10 EUR. Taxi service Taxi can be an extremely convenient and inexpensive means of transportation in any city in Serbia. But it can also turn out to be extremely unpleasant, since many local taxi drivers tend to deceive tourists. The usual vigilance should be exercised, absolutely to the same extent as upon arrival in any unfamiliar city in one's homeland.It makes sense to have a map of the city with you and at least roughly represent the distance and route to your destination. Ordering a taxi by phone is sometimes 10-20% cheaper than stopping a random car on the street. But in this case, it should be borne in mind that when a taxi stops on the street, the driver, as a rule, receives payment “past the cashier”, which makes him more amenable to bargaining and lowering the base fare, especially when it comes to a long trip.
If you parked your car on the street and didn't agree on a fare, be sure to make sure the driver turns on the meter.
There are several taxi companies in Belgrade: Beotaxi, Zuti taxi, Zeleni taxi, Lux taxi and Pink taxi. They all offer roughly the same rates.
The Belgrade Suburban Railway (Beovoz) has six lines that connect the suburbs to the city centre. Despite the fact that trains run underground in the city center and there are two underground stations ("Karađorđev Park" and "Vukov Spomenik"), it should not be confused with the subway. These railway lines differ from the classic metro in that they use ordinary commuter train cars and trains follow the schedule.
Most of Belgrade's transport system is run by the state-owned company GSP Beograd. It serves a total of 138 city routes (1,000 vehicles and 7,000 personnel), transporting about 1 million passengers per day. The company is already more than 110 years old, and in Serbia, on the day of its foundation, a holiday was even established - the Day of GSP.
Buses are the most developed and demanded type of urban transport in Belgrade. Buses serve 119 routes on both sides of the Sava River, and some lines also cross the Danube. A number of bus routes carry passengers at night. Night tariff is 25-40% more expensive (from 0.00 to 4.00).
In addition to SHG buses, a number of commercial companies are involved in bus transportation in Belgrade itself, as well as the connection between the center and the suburbs. The largest of them is "Lasta", which has about 800 modern buses that serve almost 300 routes. From its branded bus station (Autobuske village "Lasta") you can go not only to any of the regional centers, but to more remote places - for example, to the resorts of independent Montenegro. "Lasta" also organizes sightseeing bus routes in the center of Belgrade.
There are 12 tram routes in Belgrade with a total length of 127.3 km. Unlike a trolleybus, a tram can take you to the New Belgrade area on the left bank.
The trolleybus network in Belgrade is more modest than the tram. These are 8 routes with a length of 58.1 km - and all of them serve only the eastern part of Belgrade (the Old Town and other areas on the right bank of the Sava).
Shuttle taxis run on 7 lines (indicated by a number with the prefix E).
From the Belgrade bus station and the Belgrade railway station, international bus and train routes depart, which connect the city with many states of Central and Eastern Europe.
Public transport in small towns for the most part - buses (a significant part of which - old cars are not in the best condition).
Travel coupons are sold at any newsstand - they need to be composted when entering the transport. You can pay the fare directly to the driver, but then the fare will almost double.
Car rental To rent a car, you need:
Be at least 21 years of age
- Have a driver's license,
- Have a driving experience of at least two years.
Payment is made in cash in the amount of the entire rental amount. It should be taken into account that the driving speed is limited to 120 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on first class roads, 80 km/h on second class roads, and 60 km/h in urban areas. A toll is charged for the use of motorways.
customs control
Import and export of foreign currency and securities in foreign currency is not limited, declaration is not required, however, free export of foreign currency is possible within the amount up to 2000 EUR. Above this, it is allowed to export only what was previously imported and declared.
Persons over 16 years of age can import duty-free into Serbia up to a liter of wine and strong alcoholic beverages, up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, up to 250 ml of cologne or 100 ml of perfume.
It is forbidden to import drugs, poisons, psychotropic and explosive substances, gold in raw form and in coins, weapons (only hunting weapons are allowed to be imported at the request of the Serbian Hunters Association) and ammunition, as well as pesticides. The export of objects of cultural, historical and artistic value is possible only with the permission of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of Serbia.
Transport
Telecommunications
Network technologies and means of their maintenance are developing quite intensively in the country. Providers MoNet, Internet Montenegro, Infosky and others provide almost all types of network services. In almost all cities of the country you can find many Internet cafes (usually open seven days a week).
Telephone communication You can call to another country from the main post office. To call from a street pay phone, including abroad, in Serbia, "Halo Kartica" phone cards are used. Coin-operated telephones are found in the hinterland, but they often only accept one particular type of coin. Calls from hotels are much more expensive, and the quality of the connection is usually lower than from a pay phone. Calls to Russia To call Russia, dial 00 (long distance) + 7 (country code) + area code + number of the called subscriber. Calls from Russia To call from Russia, dial 8 - 10 - 381 - area code - number of the called subscriber. Long-distance calls When dialing a number within the country from any phone, a zero is dialed before the area code (for a call to Budva: 086-xxx-xxx, for a call to the Monet network: 067-xxx-xxx, etc.). City codes Codes of some cities: Belgrade - 11, Podgorica, Kolasin - 81, Novi Sad - 21, Kotor, Tivat - 82, Nis - 18, Niksic, Shavnik - 83, Bijelo Polje, Mojkovac - 84, Pristina - 38, Bar, Ulcinj - 85, Cetinje, Budva - 86, Berane, Rozaje, Plav - 871, Pljevlja and Zabljak - 872, Hercegnovi - 88. Useful telephones Useful telephone numbers:
Information Desk - 998.
Tourist information - 987.
Police - 92.
Fire Department - 93.
Ambulance - 94.
National cuisine
Traditionally, in medieval Serbia, they ate twice a day, and breakfast came later, under the influence of the West. Until the middle of the 20th century, they ate mainly boiled food with a lot of vegetables: soups, stews, paprikashi, goulash. Therefore, it is not surprising that the spoon was the only cutlery for a long time. People in Serbia still live and eat slowly, enjoying rough, sometimes greasy food, grilled dishes, great home-made spirits, desserts that do not spare walnuts, eggs and butter, and other manifestations of hedonism in nutrition, which in the Western Europe is practically banished from the menu.
As elsewhere in the Balkans, the local cuisine was formed as a result of mixing such different culinary traditions that it turned into a rather distinctive phenomenon. A very large variety of dishes is due to the influence of Slavic, Hungarian, German, Turkish and Mediterranean traditions, so here they distinguish the cuisine of the central regions and the coastal ones, which differ quite noticeably from each other.
Traditional local dishes include chops stuffed with spices "veshalitsa", the famous minced meat sausages "chevapchichi", spit-roasted meat "biscuits", small pork and veal skewers "rajnichi", stewed with rice and vegetables meat "juvech" , lamb meat fried in a cauldron "yagnetina ispod sacha" (there is also "teletina" and "eretina" - goat meat), fried assorted pork cutlet, liver, sausages and meatballs with onion "mixed meso", chicken in mustard sauce or in kaymak , as well as lamb “kapama” stewed with onions, lettuce and yogurt, dried lamb “kastradina”, grilled meat “hayduk”, a very thin steak fried in breadcrumbs - “karađorđe schnitzel”, a huge cutlet fried on coals from coarsely chopped meat "splash", lamb baked with eggs and vegetables, stew "hunting cauldron", the famous dried ham "prosciutto" and dozens of other meat dishes.
All kinds of vegetables, herbs and proya cornbread are sure to be served with the meat.
A characteristic feature is the widespread use of cheese - "kachkavali", "kachamak", "zlatibor", "lipsky" and "senichki", as well as local cheese made from cow's and sheep's milk, start almost any meal.
Serbian cuisine is known for its generous use of bread. Like most other Slavic peoples, it serves as a symbol of harvest and prosperity, so there is always white bread "pogacha" and a special dish of bread, milk and cheese "popara" on the table. In medieval Serbia, bread was baked from "sumeshica" and "surazhica", a mixture of wheat, barley and rye. In those days, because of the great role of bread in nutrition, it was treated with special attention. The dough was kneaded, cabbage leaves were placed on hot coals, dough was placed on them, it was also covered with cabbage leaves on top and covered with hot ash. Knead the dough for bread with both cold and hot water. Cold was used for corn tortillas and cornbread to prolong their shelf life. The upper social strata ate bread made from wheat, while the poor were content with bread made from oats, rye and buckwheat.
In medieval Serbia there were even laws that determined the quality standards of bread, and, in accordance with written evidence, in Belgrade in 1660 there were 600 mills powered by horses or the waters of the Danube.
A special article is vegetables. They are always served here, regardless of whether it is breakfast or dinner, as independent dishes or simply as a "green snack". Local salads are mostly very coarsely chopped vegetables seasoned with olive oil, but there are often very complex "compositions" of tomatoes, peppers, onions and numerous varieties of greens such as "srpska salad". Especially good are cabbage rolls "sarma", "pasul" (beans) in all forms, stuffed peppers, eggplants and tomatoes with layers of meat "moussaka", pickled peppers with spices, pumpkin "punyena tikvitsa" stuffed with meat and rice, stuffed kohlrabi cabbage, vegetable dumplings, Serbian bean goulash, tomatoes stuffed with smoked fish, numerous vegetable soups, courgette "yahnia", eggplant fried with onions and peppers and dozens of other delicious dishes.
Honey in medieval Serbia played a very important role, as a rule, it almost completely replaced sugar. Beekeeping was especially developed in the monasteries. Although the use of honey is now gradually losing importance, it is too early to completely write it off. Mead was very popular in its time, but its traditional recipe has almost been lost.
Institutional work
Shops are usually open from 6.00 to 20.00, in tourist centers - until 23.00. Everywhere there are shops open around the clock. Banks are open from 10.30 to 14.00 (except weekends), some exchange offices work on weekends.
Holidays and non-working days
Holidays:
January 1 and 2 - New Year.
January 6 and 7 - Orthodox Christmas.
April 27 - Statehood Day.
April-May - Orthodox Easter.
May 1-2 - Labor Day.
May 9 - Victory Day.
July 4 - Partisan Day.
July 7 - Day of the uprising in Serbia.
November 29-30 - Days of the Republic.
customs and practices
Serbs and Montenegrins, although they are two branches of the same ethnic group, differ markedly from each other in character and attitude. The tragic fate of the Balkan land, which from time immemorial served as a bait for all kinds of aggressors and invaders, left an indelible mark on the character of these peoples, which is easily traced even today.
Montenegrins are very proud and independent, while surprisingly peaceful and tolerant of all manifestations of other cultures. Here you will not see interethnic hostility, recent political crises and wars have not touched this fertile land at all, no one cheats in the store and cheats in the market (although Montenegrins love and know how to bargain), there is clearly respect for any faith and beliefs, and there is absolutely no craving to the "beautiful life".
The two most important strongholds of local morality are "cojstvo" and "junastvo", that is, "bravery" and "courage". Montenegrins say "courage protects you from others, courage protects others from you." The locals are very respectful of traditions and their history, centuries-old moral values, customs and their place on the planet as a nation. It would seem - a direct path to terry nationalism! But no - they are very sociable and hospitable, extremely tolerant, open and friendly, but they do not interfere at all in the affairs of other people (and peoples). And at the same time, centuries-old traditions of community, collectivism and even some old-fashionedness in education are clearly visible here, which makes Montenegrins one of the most colorful peoples of Europe. In flourishing and modern Montenegro, family traditions, concepts of family and clan, as well as an amazing inclination to mutual assistance, even completely unfamiliar people, are very strong.
Serbs are considered to be somewhat more reserved and harsh than Montenegrins. However, in order to notice these features, one will probably have to come here with a clear prejudice towards the Serbian people, who have been so zealously supported in recent times in the West. The fate of the Serbs is tragic and heroic at the same time. Suffice it to say that not a single war that has swept across the European continent over the past two millennia has bypassed this small country, several times smaller than, for example, Switzerland, which has not been at war with anyone for 600 years. Therefore, one should not be surprised that the inhabitants of Serbia are indeed ardent nationalists, and do not hide it. However, their nationalism is not at all the same as in some places they are used to describing in terrible propaganda about the Balkan wars. This is a sound and long-suffering feeling of national self-sufficiency, pride in one's history and the deeds of one's ancestors, as well as bitterness for the centuries-old genocide of Serbs and the narrow-mindedness of some politicians, including their own, Serbian ones.
But in general, this is the same hospitable and open people, like most of the South Slavic tribes. Serbs also sacredly honor their culture, like Montenegrins, for centuries they have relied on the main stronghold of their nation - the Serbian Orthodox Church, they also love to set the table, receive guests and organize all kinds of festivities, eat the same dishes and even speak almost the same language, like the rest of the peoples of the former Yugoslavia. Even young Serbs know the history of their country at the level of a professional historian, and excursions to memorable places will be carried out no worse than an experienced guide. Here they are tired of the war and will gladly discuss the views of the harvest or sports, gossip about their personal lives or criticize the weather, but it’s not worth talking about politics or the last Balkan war here - these events are too fresh in the memory of local residents. Relations with other peoples of the former Yugoslavia, despite the active process of reconciliation, still remain difficult - in almost every family, someone died in that war, more than 30% of the population lost their homes and were forced to live in other people's houses, Serbian shrines, and the situation in UN-controlled Kosovo is still extremely tense.
In Serbia and Montenegro, there is quite a lot of respect for Russians and residents of the countries of the former USSR, who are welcome guests almost everywhere. There is nothing ostentatious in this - for the most part, this is how they treat all foreign tourists, however, the centuries-old connection between our peoples has not faded from people's memory here, although it has been somewhat "blurred" by the events of recent years. The almost complete absence of a language barrier contributes to this - Serbo-Croatian, although very remotely similar to Russian, is nevertheless united in its linguistic basis and graphics, and the abundance of people who know Russian "from the old days" evens out this difference. However, young people, as elsewhere, prefer to study Western European languages. Although English is used almost everywhere, especially in trade and the resort business, it is not very popular with the population for political reasons, especially in Serbia - German or French is preferred here. Any phrase in Russian will arouse the liveliest interest of local residents here, and knowledge of several of the most common local words almost completely erases the boundaries between tourists and hosts.
When meeting, local residents, regardless of religion, greet each other in a European way - with a handshake. In some southern regions, hugs and kisses are allowed when meeting well-known people, but this is unacceptable with strangers. When visiting someone's home, small gifts are common. The ability to speak and carry on a conversation is highly valued by the locals. Lengthy dialogues at any table, be it a street cafe or a private house, can be seen everywhere.
The attitude to clothing is quite informal, European dress is accepted everywhere, but tracksuits are unlikely to cause understanding in restaurants and cafes. People in "inappropriate" form are simply not allowed in most restaurants, and even more so - at official events. Evening wear is quite informal, but conservative, and is based on local traditions (Serbs and Montenegrins treat their national costume with real reverence). For a foreigner, compliance with local dress codes for such cases is not at all necessary - it is enough to have long trousers or a dress, as well as a shirt or blouse in a classic style (in some cases, a jacket).
Most of the country's inhabitants are heavy smokers. Even in public transport and in public places you can always meet smokers. Also, noisy companies diligently engaged in libation are not uncommon, but drunkenness among local residents is a rare phenomenon.
Precautionary measures
The security situation in the country is rather ambiguous. In Serbia, the crime rate is growing quite quickly. You should beware of scammers, especially active in the foreign exchange market, as well as pickpockets, often "working" at the airport, in public institutions and in crowded places.
Some precautions must be observed:
Do not carry valuables, documents and large sums of money with you.
- Do not display your wallet in crowded places or leave things in the front seat of the car during stops.
- It is recommended to avoid isolated areas, including outlying areas of cities, after dark.
The police strictly suppress any manifestations of deception of foreign travelers, but at the household level there are frequent cases of petty fraud or supposedly a sudden language barrier, so you should be especially careful when discussing financial issues and never give money in advance, before the service is provided.
The drinking water situation in Serbia is quite stable.
Do you want to know everything about the currency of Serbia, starting from the origin of the country itself, the history of the origin of the Serbian dinar and ending with the current exchange rate against the ruble? The article will tell about how alliances with neighboring states and world wars influenced the value, name and appearance of modern Serbian money.
Serbian currency. From the beginning to the present day
The history of Serbia goes back to the depths of the 5th century, it is confusing, interesting and at the same time sad. The Serbian dinar has become the state currency of Serbia many times, just as many times Serbia has become a state, in one form or another.
The origin and formation of Serbia as a kingdom
At the beginning of the 6th century, the Slavs began to settle in the Balkan Peninsula, and in the 8th-9th centuries, the beginnings of Serb states appeared on this territory.
With the end of Byzantine power in the Balkans, by the end of the 12th century, the Serbian state turned into a fairly large power. At that time, Serbia was located in almost the entire southwestern part of the Balkans. In 1214, in the territory where present-day Serbia is located, the first money appeared, which was already then called dinars. The very name "dinar" is associated with the Roman Empire. The coins of this state used to be called denarii.
At the end of the XIV century, Serbia fell under the influence of the Ottoman Empire and was completely absorbed by it from 1459 for three and a half centuries. From the middle of the 16th century, piastres (or kuruš) were used in Serbia, which consisted of 40 pairs.
From the beginning of the 19th century, Serbia fought for independence for more than fifty years, and in 1868 the dinar again became the national currency. The first banknotes of the Serbian dinar were issued in 1876. The exchange rate was directly dependent on the French franc.
After the Austro-Hungarian War, the small principality of Serbia was granted independence. In 1882, the Kingdom of Serbia was formed with its capital in Belgrade, a parliamentary monarchy was established with its own currency. The official currency of Serbia is the Serbian krone.
Union with Croatia and Slovenia. Formation of Yugoslavia
In 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes appears. The temporary currency is the Serbian kroon. A year later, a monetary reform was carried out. The Yugoslav dinar is introduced in the Kingdom. The exchange rate established for that period was 4 crowns for 1 dinar.
After the end of the First World War, a new reconstruction took place in the Balkans. Serbia was joined by the territories of Kosovo, Macedonia, Croatia and Slovenia. The temporary currency is the Serbian kroon, but the Bulgarian leva, Austro-Hungarian kroons and banknotes of Montenegro remain in circulation. Since 1929, the united territory became known as Yugoslavia. A year later, another monetary reform was carried out.
The outcome of World War II was the proclamation of Yugoslavia as a federal republic. Serbia was called the People's Republic, and later the Socialist Republic. New banknotes were issued that could be exchanged for Serbian dinars and Croatian kunas. The exchange was made at the rate of 1 Yugoslav dinar for 20 Serbian dinars.
By the end of 1945, the Yugoslav dinar exchange rate depended on the US dollar. For 1 US dollar they gave 50 dinars.
Breakup of Yugoslavia
By the end of the 20th century, the level of inflation led the Serbian dinar to a denomination. 4 zeros were removed from the currency of Yugoslavia.
Yugoslavia collapsed in the early 1990s after numerous civil wars. Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina left it. And after 15 years, the union with Montenegro also collapsed. As a result, Serbia again became an independent state.
A new state, the Republic of Serbia, was formed, which was transformed from Yugoslavia. The Serbian currency was renamed again, and the Serbian dinar entered circulation. The design of the Serbian dinar was identical to the banknotes of the Yugoslav dinar.
Modern Serbian dinar
Today, the Serbian currency is the Serbian dinar, formally made up of 100 pairs. The exchange rate of the dinar directly depends on the euro. In circulation there are banknotes of 5000, 1000, 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 dinars. Coins from 10 to 1 dinar and 50 pairs, made of copper-nickel-zinc alloy. The Serbian dinar to the ruble has the following ratio: 100 dinars are given for 67 rubles.
Currency exchange is carried out by the Serbian People's Bank. The exchange rate of the Serbian dinar in various exchange offices in public places varies greatly. There is no transaction fee. Exchanging money outside banks or exchange offices is punishable by law, for violation of which they can be imprisoned for up to 5 years.
On the territory of Serbia, you can often find the euro, which comes here from the western borders of the union republics. Many operations can be performed without exchanging it for Serbian dinars.
Description of banknotes and coins
All bills have an interesting multi-colored design with drawings and portraits. Significant figures in the field of culture, politics, science and history from the Balkans are depicted on banknotes (Serbian linguist Vuki Karadzic, Metropolitan Peter II Petrovich-Negosha, composer Stevan Stojanovic, physicist Nikola Tesla, artist Nadezhda Petrovich, geographer Jovan Cvivic, industrialist Georg Weiferta, politician Slobodan Jovanvich and astronomer Milutin Milanković). On one side of the banknotes, images and inscriptions run horizontally, and on the other side, vertically, which is an interesting feature of the Serbian dinar.
The value of the banknote is indicated in the corners of the banknote. In the center are portraits, individual and group.
The design of the coins of the Serbian dinar has not changed since 2006. The obverse depicts the buildings and monasteries of Serbia (with the exception of a coin of 20 dinars, it depicts Nikola Tesla). On the reverse of the coins, the state emblem and the name of the state are minted.
All banknotes and coins are produced at the People's Court in the capital of the Republic of Serbia.
The official coin in Serbia is the dinar. We recommend bringing some cash (small euro coins) with you. You will need them to pay for a taxi, etc. This will be especially true if you arrive at night and cannot immediately find a bank or an exchange office.
Money and prices in Belgrade (Serbia)
Accepted payment methods in Serbia are cash (dinar) or well-known credit cards (VISA, VISA ELECTRON, PLUS, MASTER CARD, EURO CARD, DINERS CLUB) as well as travelers checks. If you plan to pay in cash, we recommend bringing Euros, US dollars, British pounds or Swiss francs with you. These currencies are the easiest to exchange. In the largest banks you can exchange Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish kroner.
Where can you exchange currency?
Currency exchange can be done at a bank or at an exchange office. Serbian: MENJACNICA (see picture on the left). The exchange rate in any exchange office is almost the same, and usually nothing is charged for the exchange. If you have cash, we recommend taking Euros or US dollars with you (they are the easiest to exchange). Be careful not to exchange money on the street. This is not only illegal but also dangerous. The exchange rate is not fixed and may change slightly on a daily basis.
The exchange rate of a dinar for 1 euro is about 123 dinars (spring 2016)
Use of ATMs and bank and other cards in Serbia
Belgrade has a large number of ATMs where you can withdraw cash around the clock with your credit card. In restaurants and shops you can also pay with most credit cards (VISA, VISA ELECTRON, PLUS, MASTER CARD, DINERS CLUB). When traveling to any city or village, we recommend stocking up on cash, as there are not a lot of ATMs there.
WESTERN UNION in Serbia
If you need cash, you can use the WESTERN UNION SERBIA service for an urgent money transfer. This service is provided in many commercial banks and at the post office. WESTERN UNION SERBIA issues money in euros. You can also transfer money to any country in the world if you have a current account in a local bank. Money transfer is carried out within 3-7 working days.
Important! You can take out no more than 2000 euros from the country!
In Serbia, there is a law according to which it is forbidden to take out more than 2,000 euros in cash from the country. To avoid problems, if you have a large amount of cash with you and you do not intend to spend everything, or you think that after your stay in Belgrade you will have more than 2000 euros left, you must declare it at customs upon entry. The corresponding declaration must be submitted when leaving the country!
How much money is better to bring for one week stay in Belgrade?
Renting an apartment for one week in Belgrade is the best choice. Living in it is better than renting a hotel room. Renting an apartment (4 stars) costs about 50 euros per day. Renting a hotel room costs 80 euros. Two trips from the Belgrade airport to the city and back cost 40 euros.
Breakfast in Belgrade
Breakfast at a local cafe (fresh croissants, three-layer sandwich or eggs and ham, a cup of coffee or fruit juice) costs about 4 euros.
Breakfast at a local bakery (in Serbian PEKARA) usually includes burek with cheese or meat and yogurt. It costs about 2-3 euros.
If you would like to prepare your own breakfast at the apartment, you can find food shops nearby and buy various products (see below). In shops, restaurants, etc. Only Serbian dinars are accepted in cash.
Prices for food and drinks in Belgrade - shops
milk - 1 l. 0.8€
loaf of white flour bread - (500 gr) 0.5 €
rice - 1 kg 1.2 €
eggs - 10 pieces 1.5 €
homemade cheese - 1 kg 4 €
boneless chicken breast - 1 kg 5.00 €
apples - 1 kg 1 €
oranges - 1 kg 1 €
tomatoes - 1 kg 1 €
potatoes - 1 kg 0.50 €
water - 1.5 l 0.40 €
a bottle of wine €4
local beer - bottle 0.33 l 0.55 €
import beer - bottle - 0.33 l 1 €
pack of cigarettes - (Marlboro) 2 €
Lunch in Belgrade
Traditional Serbian dishes are a mixture of Mediterranean, Hungarian, Turkish and Austrian dishes. They differ in that they almost always contain meat. If you are a vegetarian, it will be difficult for you to find a suitable restaurant.
Prices in Belgrade restaurants
Dish in an inexpensive restaurant - costs 6 €
A meal for 2 people in a mid-range restaurant costs 20 - 30 €
A dish in Mc Donald's or its equivalent - costs 4.00 €
Local beer (0.5l.) costs 1.50 - 3 €
Imported beer (bottle 0.33 l) 2 - 3 €
Cappuccino 1 - 2 €
Coca Cola, Pepsi (bottle 033 l) 1 – 1.5 €
Serbian currency - dinar - is used in the following banknotes and coins:
banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500,1000, 2000, 5000
coins: 1 dinar, 2 dinars, 5 dinars, 10 dinars, 20 dinars.
10 dinars banknote- An image reminiscent of the young Paul Macartney, but this is not him, but Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic - Serbian philologist and linguist, reformer of the Serbian language.
20 dinars banknote-It depicts Peter II Petrovich Negosh. He was the ruler of Montenegro and the lord of the Serbian Orthodox Church. in the 19th century.
- Depicted Milutin Milankovic - Serbian engineer, climatologist, geophysicist and astronomer.
Banknote 5000 dinars- Depicted Slobodan Jovanovic - one of the prominent Serbian lawyers, historians, sociologists, journalists and literary critics.
Exchanging currency while traveling can sometimes be problematic, especially when you travel to a country that uses a currency that you have never heard of before. It's funny that in Serbia, meanwhile, people very often express the concept of the price in euros, but you can hardly pay with euros in Serbia anywhere. Strange, isn't it? You might think that the Serbs do not name prices in local currency because of its high inflation, so as not to name huge numbers, but this is not so - the annual inflation in this country is almost equal to the same indicator in the European Union ... So how are things with the euro and with local dinars in Serbia?
I will try to explain, and you will see that it is really easy to change the currency and pay in Serbia.
1993 hyperinflation
If you have already searched for various information about Serbia when planning your trip, then you know that our currency is the Serbian Dinar, or RSD for short. But you're unlikely to hear the average Serb name any price—his salary, the value of his property, or his own cell phone—in dinars. We have dinars in our wallets and accounts, but in our heads, calculations are made in euros.
Why so, you ask? Not so long ago, some 20 years ago, our economy experienced the blow of hyperinflation, and then it was extremely important to convert every salary into German marks (DM), otherwise all that money would instantly depreciate. At that time we were all billionaires and paid with banknotes with so many zeros that our head was spinning, but in reality all this had no value. If you explain clearly, in the morning you received a salary in dinars, corresponding to 100 marks, and by the evening of the same day this amount in dinars was already estimated at 10 marks, so it was very unlucky for someone who did not have time to exchange dinars immediately. This hyperinflation lasted almost all of 1993 and was stopped in 1994; on 01/01/1994, the exchange rate was established, equating 1 dinar to 1 mark. Of course, this equality did not last long, but since then there has been no more hyperinflation, only good old normal inflation, which today makes 1 mark equal to 61 dinars, which means that our currency has become weaker by 6100% over the past 21 years. Not so bad! In 1993, she did more horse races in just a month.
Since the hyperinflation, our currency has been feeling some more turbulence, so it's not surprising, considering all this, that we prefer to think in terms of the standard currency (today's Euro), although the dinar is quite stable at the moment. And also all the troubles with the currency taught us to keep our savings in euros, so we change money a lot and often. This habit, in turn, led to the existence of a huge number of exchange offices literally on every corner throughout the country.
Exchangers and banks - at every step
Tourists and travelers only benefit from this state of affairs: after all, they can change foreign currency easily, quickly, safely and profitably. All exchange offices are licensed by the National Bank of Serbia, you will not find an exchanger without a license - this is strictly monitored. Personally, I have never heard of anyone getting scammed at an exchange since the license system was introduced 10 years ago. In Belgrade, the most unfavorable exchange rate is found in exchange offices with high customer traffic: for example, in shopping centers, at the airport, in the main pedestrian areas of the city. However, the difference is not very big: at the best rate, you will win about 1%, which does not really matter, unless we are talking about a very large amount of money. And of course, you can exchange currency in any bank, which we have plenty of, but be aware that in banks the exchange rate is always the worst (it can differ by 2% from the average for exchangers).
And, probably, the most important information about money in Serbia is that you do not need to carry a lot of cash with you. In every hotel, restaurant, cafe, gas station and other places you can pay with a card, and there are ATMs at every turn.
That's all I had to say. I hope now the situation with currency exchange in Serbia has become clearer and you will not worry about it during your trip. The bankers made sure that we spent our money comfortably, safely and simply.
