Before you start

Passport for a prepaid SIM
Residence permit for a postpaid contract
A Serbian bank account for direct debit on most contracts
Landlord permission for any installation

Step-by-step

1
Get a prepaid SIM in the first hours
mts, A1 and Yettel all sell prepaid packs at the airport, in shops and in kiosks, registered against a passport. Data allowances are generous and prices are low. This covers you until the residence permit exists.
In personWho: YouDay 1
2
Move to postpaid once the permit is issued
Postpaid plans want the residence permit and usually a Serbian bank account for direct debit. They are cheaper per gigabyte and often bundle home internet and television.
In personWho: You
3
Check what is wired into the building before choosing a provider
Belgrade buildings are served by whichever operators have equipment installed. Novi Beograd's blocks and the newer developments are generally well served with fibre; older buildings in the centre and in Zemun can be cable-only or limited to one provider.
In personWho: You
4
Bundle home internet with mobile if you can
Serbian operators price bundles aggressively and the combined package is usually well below the sum of the parts. Ask specifically rather than taking the advertised standalone price.
In personWho: You
5
Understand the roaming position before crossing a border
Serbia is not in the EU, so EU roaming rules do not apply in either direction. A Serbian SIM in Hungary and an EU SIM in Serbia are both non-EU roaming unless a specific arrangement applies. A regional agreement covers roaming within the Western Balkans, which is why a trip to Sarajevo or Podgorica behaves differently from a trip to Budapest.
Mobile appWho: You
6
Port your number when you switch
Serbia operates number portability. Do not cancel the old contract before the port completes.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport for prepaid registration
Residence permit for postpaid
Serbian bank details for direct debit
Landlord permission for installation

Things most newcomers don’t know

The EU roaming cliff is the most expensive mistake a newcomer makes here, and it works in both directions.

EU roaming regulation makes an EU SIM behave domestically across the Union. Serbia is outside it, so an EU SIM used in Belgrade is on non-EU roaming rates and a Serbian SIM used in Budapest is likewise. A separate regional agreement covers roaming among the Western Balkan countries, which is why Sarajevo and Podgorica are cheap and Vienna is not. Check both directions before travelling — a weekend in Hungary on an unmanaged EU plan produces a real bill.

Source: RATEL

Novi Beograd's blocks are better connected than the historic centre.

The socialist-era superblocks were built with service ducts and have been comprehensively refibred, while the nineteenth-century buildings of Stari Grad and Vračar are harder and more expensive to wire. It is one of the few respects in which the brutalist side of the river beats the pretty side outright, and it matters a great deal if your income depends on the connection.

Source: community-reported

Prepaid SIMs are registered here, and that is a change from a decade ago.

Serbian operators register prepaid SIMs against identity documents. A passport suffices, so it is no obstacle on arrival, but the anonymous prepaid SIM that older guides describe no longer exists. This also means a lost SIM can be blocked and replaced, which is the upside.

Source: RATEL

Bundling is priced far more aggressively here than in Western Europe.

Serbian operators compete hard on combined mobile, broadband and television packages, and the bundle discount is large rather than nominal. Someone who signs a standalone broadband contract and a separate mobile plan is frequently paying half again as much as they need to. Ask for the bundle price explicitly; it is often not the advertised headline.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Using an EU SIM in Belgrade on the assumption that EU roaming applies.
Taking a Serbian SIM into Hungary or Croatia without checking non-EU roaming rates.
Choosing a historic-centre flat without confirming which operators serve the building.
Signing standalone contracts instead of asking for the bundle price.
Cancelling an old contract before the number port completes.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.