IB Diploma and University Admission in Serbia: Recognition and Scoring

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

The Law on Higher Education mentions the IB explicitly: when universities rank first-cycle applicants, holders of an internationally recognised school-leaving qualification, such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, may also be admitted. Beyond that, there is no national IB rule. Each university sets its own scoring, and the best documented example is the University of Belgrade.

Step 1: recognition of the diploma

Like any foreign secondary school qualification, the IB Diploma has to be recognised before you can enrol. This is done by the ENIC/NARIC Centre of the Qualifications Agency. You send the original diploma and subject results, a translation by a Serbian court interpreter, evidence of the school years completed, and proof of the fee. Study in Serbia says the procedure takes up to 60 days. See document recognition for Serbia.

The first entrance round is in early July and recognition can take up to 60 days, so timing is the main risk. The University of Belgrade's rules help here: IB candidates who hold a recognition decision or a confirmation that the recognition procedure has started may apply in the first enrolment round. Ask each other faculty whether it does the same.

Step 2: how the University of Belgrade scores IB points

The University of Belgrade's rules on enrolment give a separate scoring method for candidates with the IB Diploma. Every candidate can collect up to 100 points: 16 to 40 for the school record and 0 to 60 for the entrance exam. For IB candidates, the school-record part is made of two pieces:

• the average of the first two years of secondary school, multiplied by two, worth 8 to 20 points;
• the IB result, worth 8 to 20 points. The rules note that the IB certificate is issued only with a total of at least 24, and the maximum total is 45. A total of 24 is worth 8 points and a total of 45 is worth 20 points, using the formula: points = 8 + (total score minus 24) x 12 / 21.

For example, an IB total of 36 gives about 14.9 points. The rules also say that to enrol on a budget-funded place a candidate needs at least 51 points, and to enrol as a self-financing student at least 30 points. Foreign students pay tuition throughout their studies under the Belgrade rules, so ask the faculty whether foreigners can compete for budget places at all. These rules were last amended in 2024, and faculties publish their own calls every year, so check the current text.

Step 3: the entrance exam

The IB does not replace the faculty entrance exam. Under the Belgrade scoring, up to 60 of the 100 points come from the exam or aptitude test, and Eurydice confirms that institutions design their own exams. Which subjects are tested depends on the faculty. If you took a subject at IB that the exam covers, such as mathematics for engineering or biology and chemistry for medicine, say so when you ask the faculty about the exam. We could not find an official rule that IB grades exempt anyone from the exam.

Language

Enrolment requires that you understand the language of instruction, and faculties test it. The University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics, for example, asks all foreign candidates for evidence of Serbian at B2 level. For English-taught programmes the faculty sets what it needs; see bachelor's degrees in English in Serbia and IELTS and TOEFL for European universities.

Special cases

• Serbian citizens who completed the IB abroad can compete for the special budget places that a Government decision sets for citizens with a foreign school certificate. This is not open to other nationalities.
• Certificates from Republika Srpska normally do not go through recognition at the University of Belgrade, but the International Baccalaureate programme is an exception: it must be recognised.

Residence and costs

After admission, the usual visa and residence steps apply; see student visa for Serbia. For fees, see how much it costs to study in Serbia. For a wider comparison, read IB Diploma: universities in continental Europe.

Where to look next

• How to get into a university in Serbia
• Document recognition for Serbia
• Bachelor's degrees in English in Serbia
• All programmes in Serbia

Official sources

• University of Belgrade: rules on enrolment of students (in Serbian), articles 4, 5, 10 and 11
• Qualifications Agency: ENIC/NARIC Centre (in Serbian)
• Study in Serbia: recognition of previous education
• Eurydice: Serbia, bachelor
• University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics: candidates with foreign secondary school degrees

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.