Most Balkan trips never need an embassy. When something does go wrong, knowing which city to head for saves a day. Posts change, so check each governmentβs official page before you travel.
Where the main embassies are
Coverage is uneven. Several countries run an embassy in only some capitals and cover the rest from a neighbouring post.
- UK: the British Embassy in Belgrade is at Resavska 46 and is open by appointment only. The UK also has a page for its Sarajevo embassy on gov.uk.
- US: the embassy in Belgrade is at Bulevar kneza Aleksandra KaraΔorΔeviΔa 92, and the one in Zagreb is at Ulica Thomasa Jeffersona 2.
- Canada: embassies in Belgrade (Kneza MiloΕ‘a 75) and Zagreb (Prilaz Gjure DeΕΎeliΔa 4), plus a consulate in Sarajevo (Maglajska 1). Albania is covered from Rome, with an honorary consul in Tirana. Bosnia and Slovenia fall under the Budapest embassy.
- Australia: the embassy in Belgrade is at Vladimira PopoviΔa 38-40, New Belgrade, and the Zagreb embassy also covers Kosovo. Belgradeβs ambassador is also accredited to North Macedonia and Montenegro.
- EU citizens: you can ask any EU member stateβs embassy for help if your own country has no office locally.
Emergencies first
Call local emergency services before the embassy. 112 works in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia lists separate numbers: police 192, ambulance 194, fire 193. Embassies are not emergency responders, but they will help with serious injury, arrest or a death.
What embassies can and cannot do
They can issue emergency travel documents, contact family, point you to English-speaking lawyers and doctors, and visit you if you are detained. They cannot pay your bills, get you out of jail, or override local law or visa rules.
If your passport is lost or stolen
- Report it to local police and keep the written report.
- Contact your embassy. Check the gov.uk page for UK nationals, which explains the online emergency travel document process.
- Expect a temporary document. US passports are generally not printed abroad, so urgent travellers receive a limited-validity one.
- Photocopy or photograph your passport before leaving, and keep the copy separately.
- Check entry rules for your next border, as some countries are stricter than others. Our Balkans border crossings guide covers what to expect.
A temporary document does not extend your stay. See the Balkans visa guide for the 90/180 rules.
Before you go
Register your trip with your governmentβs travel alert service where one exists, and take a policy that covers medical evacuation and lost documents. Our travel insurance guide compares options, and the safety guide covers common scams and risks.
Planning city time in the region? Browse Belgrade tours once your documents are in order.