What it is
Neštin and Vizić are villages in the Bačka Palanka municipality, between Fruška Gora and the Danube. Croatian territory lies between them and the municipality's administrative centre. According to 021, the route via the Bačka Palanka—Ilok border crossing is about 9 km from Vizić to Bačka Palanka and about 13 km from Neštin. Residents use this route to get to work, school, medical care and their farms.
Why it became a problem
Croatia is in the Schengen area, where third-country nationals may stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Residents told N1 and Danas that even a few minutes of transit through Croatia counts as a day in the Schengen area and that Croatian border police turn them back once they have used the allowance. EES did not create that limit: Croatia's Interior Ministry describes EES as the system that digitally records entry and exit and automatically calculates the permitted stay.
Current status
Residents blocked the Neštin—Vizić road and the border crossing on July 13 and 14, demanding an urgent solution. On July 14, Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said he had discussed the issue with Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović. N1, citing residents, reported that possible special permits were discussed; residents said they welcomed the talks but would continue their action until there was a practical solution. By July 15, authorities had published neither an agreement text nor a procedure for issuing such permits.
Why it matters
The dispute is not only about waiting at a border. Even a brief transit through Croatia may count as one day of stay and reduce the remaining 90-days-in-180 allowance, although the traveller is going to the centre of their own municipality rather than staying in Croatia. Croatia's Interior Ministry says holders of local border permits, certain residence documents, and long-stay visas are not recorded in EES. The ministry's page does not describe a separate local-transit regime, and officials have not said whether Neštin and Vizić residents can obtain those documents. An EES exemption and the special permits under discussion are therefore separate questions.
What remains open
The central question is whether Serbia and Croatia will agree on an arrangement that lets residents reach Bačka Palanka without using up the short-stay Schengen allowance, and who could use it. Until authorities publish an agreement and an application procedure, residents cannot assume that such a regime is in force or that they may cross under the ordinary rules after using all 90 days.