"Adio" to Dubrovnik A tale of two refugees Full Monty Parlor Games Share My Fire Car - the relationship-saving device Going Straight West A year to expirience, a lifetime to understand Meeting Vuk Cultural insensitivity Sex in Serbia Buvljak experience What's news in Yugoslavia? part II What's news in Yugoslavia? Trust issues: Yugoslav Banks Hosting, Serbian style Flat-hunting Staying legally in Yugoslavia Welcome to Belgrade Border crossings The Paper Chase: Single - entry visas

Most traveling to Yugoslavia from Europe obtain visas at the embassy in Budapest, but for reasons unknown, you can only get a one-month tourist visa there while the three-month visa is only available in Vienna. At the time of publishing, I don't know what visas are obtainable from other the embassies in neighboring countries or in the United States.

Since Yugoslavia is particularly sensitive to foreigners poking their noses into their domestic affairs, election frauds, police beatings and widespread poverty, expect to be greeted by the visa consulate with varying degrees of suspicion and a few standard questions. The general rule of thumb about communicating with the embassy is to answer sparingly, without a lot of detail.

No matter what your intentions are, don't ramble on about visiting Serbs who you met last summer at a gathering of peace activists or your thesis about Albanian-language education in Kosovo. If possible, mention that you are scouting business opportunities and drop names like the Yugoslav Chamber of Industry and Commerce. If you need to provide an address you are staying at in Belgrade, the Hyatt and the Inter-Continental are always good to mention.

Of course, if you happen to have a Serbian sweetheart, don't EVEN hesitate to state that as your primary reason for visiting, raising your eyebrows up and down a few times for emphasis.

Yugoslavia is and probably always shall be a hot dateline and embassies know it. Journalists itching to do some reporting in Yugoslavia face a dilemma: travel with a tourist visa and get into some real trouble if you are questioned by the police. (This was especially problematic during the demonstrations, as the U.S. diplomatic crew tells me) or waste a lot of time waiting for approval from the Ministry of Information. When I decided to come on a journalist's visa, the embassy in Budapest told me it would take two weeks to process my papers whereas it actually took a month. Bureaucracy in the Balkans is like that. Get used to it.

If you decide to play it safe and take this longer route, you will need to present the embassy with a letter from your employer authorizing your trip and a general description of the publication you are writing for and what you plan to write about.

Since you are going to be under the watchful eye of the Ministry of Information, you might as well ask them for as many telephone numbers and contacts as possible. Go ahead. Make them feel useful.

If you decide to risk it and travel on a tourist visa, remember the following when filling out the white form if you don't want to be refused:

Your occupation is: English teacher
Your purpose for visiting Yugoslavia is: Tourism

After two hours of standing in line, fighting for the attention of the consul, handing over your white form, passport and $20 (or equivalent) and waiting for him or her to deliver back your passport stamped and signed, you have something worth showing off to colleagues, friends and family: a large, blue inky stamp taking up an entire page of your passport. But don't rest yet, you still have to get to Yugoslavia somehow.

by Jennifer C. Brown    

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