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As of 13:28 the wait at Gradina is 65 min. 5 vehicles are in the queue. Roughly 58 min to 73 min.

Updated (local time, UTC+2)
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Queue at Gradina — Kalotina

passenger car
65 min
Wait time
Quieter than usual
5 Weather at checkpoint: 22°C 22°C 5.0 · 1
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All queues at Serbia — Bulgaria border

Forecast for next 6 hours7-day queue forecast

Forecast is based on historical data and current trends. Day of week, time of day, and seasonality are taken into account.Typical daily peak queue for the week ahead

Mon · 14.09.202614–20 September 2026

LIVE5 cars (~1 h 5 min)Quieter than usual

As of 14:28 there are 5 cars in the queue, estimated wait ~1 h 5 min; usually at this hour: 6 cars (quieter than usual).

Forecast for next 6 hoursToday (Mon · 14.09.2026): Peak load 16:00 — 6 cars (~1 h 5 min), Shortest queue 23:00 — 2 cars (~37 min) · Next hours: 15:00 — 6, 16:00 — 6, 17:00 — 6, 18:00 — 6, 19:00 — 5, 20:00 — 414:00 — 2 cars · Actual14Predicted · 15:00 — 6 carsNow · 15:00 — 5 cars · Wait time ~1 h 5 min5Now16:00 — 6 cars · Wait time ~1 h 5 min61617:00 — 6 cars · Wait time ~1 h 17 min61718:00 — 6 cars · Wait time ~1 h 11 min61819:00 — 5 cars · Wait time ~1 h 1 min51920:00 — 4 cars · Wait time ~55 min42021:00 — 3 cars · Wait time ~46 min2122:00 — 3 cars · Wait time ~40 min22
Forecast for next 6 hoursToday (Mon · 14.09.2026): Peak load 16:00 — 6 cars (~1 h 5 min), Shortest queue 23:00 — 2 cars (~37 min) · Next hours: 15:00 — 6, 16:00 — 6, 17:00 — 6, 18:00 — 6, 19:00 — 5, 20:00 — 400:00 — 1 car · Actual0001:00 — 1 car · Actual02:00 — 2 cars · Actual03:00 — 1 car · Actual0304:00 — 1 car · Actual05:00 — 2 cars · Actual06:00 — 1 car · Actual0607:00 — 1 car · Actual08:00 — 1 car · Actual09:00 — 1 car · Actual0910:00 — 2 cars · Actual11:00 — 2 cars · Actual12:00 — 2 cars · Actual1213:00 — 2 cars · Actual14:00 — 2 cars · ActualPredicted · 15:00 — 6 carsNow · 15:00 — 5 cars · Wait time ~1 h 5 min5Now16:00 — 6 cars · Wait time ~1 h 5 min617:00 — 6 cars · Wait time ~1 h 17 min618:00 — 6 cars · Wait time ~1 h 11 min61819:00 — 5 cars · Wait time ~1 h 1 min520:00 — 4 cars · Wait time ~55 min421:00 — 3 cars · Wait time ~46 min2122:00 — 3 cars · Wait time ~40 min23:00 — 2 cars · Wait time ~37 min
14:002 cars
Now5 cars~1 h 5 minBetter to avoid
16:006 cars~1 h 5 minPeak load
17:006 cars~1 h 17 min
18:006 cars~1 h 11 minBetter to avoid
19:005 cars~1 h 1 min
20:004 cars~55 min
21:003 cars~46 minRecommended times
22:003 cars~40 minRecommended times
00:001 car
01:001 car
02:002 cars
03:001 car
04:001 car
05:002 cars
06:001 car
07:001 car
08:001 car
09:001 car
10:002 cars
11:002 cars
12:002 cars
13:002 cars
14:002 cars
Now5 cars~1 h 5 minBetter to avoid
16:006 cars~1 h 5 minPeak load
17:006 cars~1 h 17 min
18:006 cars~1 h 11 minBetter to avoid
19:005 cars~1 h 1 min
20:004 cars~55 min
21:003 cars~46 minRecommended times
22:003 cars~40 minRecommended times
23:002 cars~37 minShortest queue

Peak load hours — Better to avoid: 14:00, 15:00, 18:00. Best crossing times — Recommended times: 21:00, 22:00, 23:00.

ActualNowPredicted 6Cars

Today (Mon · 14.09.2026): Peak load 16:00 — 6 cars (~1 h 5 min), Shortest queue 23:00 — 2 cars (~37 min) · Next hours: 15:00 — 6, 16:00 — 6, 17:00 — 6, 18:00 — 6, 19:00 — 5, 20:00 — 4

Queue Forecast Smart Forecast

Updated:

Forecast for Gradina (passenger cars) — updated at 14:00, covering the rest of today.

• Midday today (14:00–17:00): ~65 min, busy.
• This evening (17:00–21:00): ~65 min, busy.
• Late tonight (21:00–00:00): ~40 min, moderate load.

Best time to cross: Late tonight (21:00–00:00).

Next update: today at 16:00.
Was this forecast helpful?
7-day queue forecastPeak load: Sat 19.09 — 13 cars (18:00) · Shortest queue: Thu 17.09 — 2 cars (04:00) · Today (Mon · 14.09.2026): Peak load 16:00 — 6 cars (~1 h 5 min), Shortest queue 23:00 — 2 cars (~37 min) · Next hours: 15:00 — 6, 16:00 — 6, 17:00 — 6, 18:00 — 6, 19:00 — 5, 20:00 — 4Mon 14.09: 6 cars6Mon 14Tue 15.09: 7 cars7Tue 15Wed 16.09: 6 cars6Wed 16Thu 17.09: 6 cars6Thu 17Fri 18.09: 6 cars6Fri 18Sat 19.09: 13 cars13Sat 19Sun 20.09: 13 cars13Sun 20

Peak load: Sat 19.09 — 13 cars (18:00) · Shortest queue: Thu 17.09 — 2 cars (04:00) · Today (Mon · 14.09.2026): Peak load 16:00 — 6 cars (~1 h 5 min), Shortest queue 23:00 — 2 cars (~37 min) · Next hours: 15:00 — 6, 16:00 — 6, 17:00 — 6, 18:00 — 6, 19:00 — 5, 20:00 — 4

Peak loadShortest queue
Tap a day to see the hourly forecast
Mon · 14.09.2026Peak load 16:00 · 6 cars   Shortest queue 04:00 · 2 cars
Mon 14.09: Peak load 16:00 — 6 cars; Shortest queue 04:00 — 2 cars00:00 — 30001:00 — 302:00 — 303:00 — 20304:00 — 2205:00 — 306:00 — 30607:00 — 408:00 — 509:00 — 50910:00 — 511:00 — 612:00 — 31213:00 — 414:00 — 415:00 — 61516:00 — 6617:00 — 618:00 — 61819:00 — 520:00 — 421:00 — 32122:00 — 323:00 — 2
Tue · 15.09.2026Peak load 12:00 · 7 cars   Shortest queue 02:00 · 2 cars
Tue 15.09: Peak load 12:00 — 7 cars; Shortest queue 02:00 — 2 cars00:00 — 20001:00 — 302:00 — 2203:00 — 20304:00 — 205:00 — 306:00 — 30607:00 — 408:00 — 509:00 — 60910:00 — 611:00 — 712:00 — 771213:00 — 714:00 — 715:00 — 71516:00 — 617:00 — 618:00 — 51819:00 — 420:00 — 421:00 — 42122:00 — 323:00 — 3
Wed · 16.09.2026Peak load 12:00 · 6 cars   Shortest queue 04:00 · 2 cars
Wed 16.09: Peak load 12:00 — 6 cars; Shortest queue 04:00 — 2 cars00:00 — 30001:00 — 302:00 — 203:00 — 20304:00 — 2205:00 — 206:00 — 30607:00 — 408:00 — 509:00 — 50910:00 — 511:00 — 612:00 — 661213:00 — 614:00 — 615:00 — 61516:00 — 617:00 — 518:00 — 51819:00 — 420:00 — 421:00 — 32122:00 — 323:00 — 2
Thu · 17.09.2026Peak load 12:00 · 6 cars   Shortest queue 04:00 · 2 cars
Thu 17.09: Peak load 12:00 — 6 cars; Shortest queue 04:00 — 2 cars00:00 — 30001:00 — 302:00 — 203:00 — 20304:00 — 2205:00 — 206:00 — 30607:00 — 408:00 — 509:00 — 50910:00 — 611:00 — 612:00 — 661213:00 — 614:00 — 615:00 — 61516:00 — 617:00 — 518:00 — 51819:00 — 420:00 — 321:00 — 32122:00 — 223:00 — 2
Fri · 18.09.2026Peak load 12:00 · 6 cars   Shortest queue 04:00 · 2 cars
Fri 18.09: Peak load 12:00 — 6 cars; Shortest queue 04:00 — 2 cars00:00 — 20001:00 — 202:00 — 203:00 — 20304:00 — 2205:00 — 206:00 — 30607:00 — 408:00 — 509:00 — 60910:00 — 611:00 — 612:00 — 661213:00 — 614:00 — 615:00 — 61516:00 — 617:00 — 618:00 — 51819:00 — 420:00 — 421:00 — 32122:00 — 223:00 — 2
Sat · 19.09.2026Peak load 18:00 · 13 cars   Shortest queue 00:00 · 2 cars
Sat 19.09: Peak load 18:00 — 13 cars; Shortest queue 00:00 — 2 cars00:00 — 220001:00 — 202:00 — 203:00 — 30304:00 — 305:00 — 306:00 — 30607:00 — 408:00 — 409:00 — 50910:00 — 611:00 — 812:00 — 81213:00 — 714:00 — 715:00 — 81516:00 — 1017:00 — 1218:00 — 13131819:00 — 1220:00 — 821:00 — 62122:00 — 623:00 — 4
Sun · 20.09.2026Peak load 18:00 · 13 cars   Shortest queue 01:00 · 3 cars
Sun 20.09: Peak load 18:00 — 13 cars; Shortest queue 01:00 — 3 cars00:00 — 30001:00 — 3302:00 — 303:00 — 40304:00 — 505:00 — 506:00 — 40607:00 — 308:00 — 309:00 — 40910:00 — 511:00 — 512:00 — 51213:00 — 514:00 — 815:00 — 91516:00 — 1017:00 — 1218:00 — 13131819:00 — 1120:00 — 621:00 — 42122:00 — 423:00 — 4

Estimated from historical patterns for this crossing. Actual queues vary.

When is the best time to cross at Gradina — Cars, RS → BG

Typical load by day of week and hour — averages from the last 60 days of real observations

Best time
Wednesday, 00:00–02:00
~2 cars
Heaviest load
Saturday, 11:00–14:00
~45 cars
Quietest day
Tuesday
on average 4 cars
Busiest day
Saturday
on average 17 cars
Typical load by hour
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0003060912151821
0003060912151821
0003060912151821
0003060912151821
0003060912151821
0003060912151821
quietbusy

Weekdays (Mon–Fri): median 5 cars · weekend: 9 cars

Weekly picture: days × hours
Weekly picture: days × hours — Gradina (Cars, RS → BG) (cars)
on average00:0001:0002:0003:0004:0005:0006:0007:0008:0009:0010:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:00
Monday255553821141871413116201811447223
Tuesday2323——2664764811342443333
Wednesday12362467441074933451266413
Thursday3223136101415101320101178597—214
Friday4422681122616113117817157511812336
Saturday59311665371723181377112714591516115965
Sunday2482561057112530242571811245126535

Key takeaways

  • The quietest day is Tuesday: on average 4 cars in the queue.
  • The busiest day is Saturday: on average 17 cars in the queue.
  • The lightest traffic is usually on Wednesday between 00:00 and 02:00.
  • Peak load is on Saturday between 11:00 and 14:00 (up to 45 cars).

Calculated from 1 314 real measurements over the last 60 days.

Which day has the shortest queue at the Gradina (Cars, RS → BG) border crossing?

Based on the last 60 days of statistics, the quietest day is Tuesday (4 cars on average). The heaviest load is on Saturday.

What time of day is best to cross the border at Gradina (Cars, RS → BG)?

Queues are usually shortest on Wednesday between 00:00 and 02:00. The worst time is Saturday between 11:00 and 14:00.

Data updated: 14.09.2026 · Analysis period: last 60 days · Europe/Belgrade

Thanks to our user Ihor for the idea behind this page 💛

Detailed statistics for today and yesterday · Peak Hours · Data Comparison

Detailed statistics for today and yesterday

Border Queue Analysis at the Gradina - passenger car checkpoint for Yesterday

During the period 13.09.2026 from 00:00 to 23:59 at the Gradina - passenger car checkpoint, the following key moments were recorded:

Morning hours (06:00 - 12:00):
The number of vehicles stayed stable with small fluctuations: from 1 to 1 car. The lowest point was observed at 06:00 13.09.2026 — 1 car. The highest point was recorded at 06:00 13.09.2026 — 1 car.

Afternoon (12:00 - 18:00):
The number of vehicles stayed stable with small fluctuations: from 1 to 1 car. The lowest point was observed at 12:00 13.09.2026 — 1 car. The highest point was recorded at 12:00 13.09.2026 — 1 car.

Evening hours (18:00 - 24:00):
The number of vehicles stayed stable with small fluctuations: from 1 to 1 car. The lowest point was observed at 18:00 13.09.2026 — 1 car. The highest point was recorded at 18:00 13.09.2026 — 1 car.

Night hours (00:00 - 06:00):
The number of vehicles stayed stable with small fluctuations: from 1 to 1 car. The lowest point was observed at 01:00 13.09.2026 — 1 car. The highest point was recorded at 01:00 13.09.2026 — 1 car.

Chart for Yesterday and the Day Before

Recommendations

To avoid long queues at the Gradina - passenger car checkpoint, it is recommended to plan your border crossing during the least busy hours. According to the data from the past day, the lowest number of vehicles was observed between 1:00 and 4:00 hours. This is the ideal time to cross the border, saving time and avoiding delays.

Plan your trips in advance using up-to-date border queue information at the Gradina - passenger car checkpoint to make your crossing fast and convenient. Pay special attention to these hours to avoid peak times and reduce waiting times.

Peak Hours

Travel Planning Gradina By car

Best days: Tuesday–Wednesday (4 cars, ~0.9-1.9 hrs).
Avoid: Saturday (8 cars).

Queue comparison by day of week

Day Cars Load Wait time
🟠 Mon675%~1.3-2.3 hrs
🟢 Tue450%~0.9-1.9 hrs
🟢 Wed450%~0.9-1.9 hrs
🟡 Thu563%~1.1-2.1 hrs
🟡 Fri563%~1.1-2.1 hrs
🔴 Sat8100%~1.6-2.6 hrs
🔴 Sun8100%~1.6-2.6 hrs

Peak time: Monday 12:00 - 14:00 and 09:00 - 11:00.

Based on the data, the best time to cross the border is Tuesday or Wednesday, when the queue is shortest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which day is best to cross Gradina by car?

Tuesday or Wednesday — shortest queue (4 cars, ~0.9-1.9 hrs waiting).

When to avoid crossing at Gradina?

Saturday — peak load (8 cars).

What is the average queue wait time?

Depends on the day: 0-2 hrs (Tue–Wed), 1-3 hrs (Mon, Thu–Sun).

How did you like this checkpoint? 5.0 · 1 review
Tap a star to rate

Best Time to Cross Gradina today

23:00↓56%−56%
22:00↓50%−50%
21:00↓38%−38%
Based on historical data.
Queue Forecast•Statistics by Day

Shorter queues at nearby crossings — Gradina

1Zheravino38 km · ≈38 min−1 car
Here: 2 cars

Current Data

As of 13:28, at Gradina checkpoint there are 5 cars waiting.

Does the EES system work at Gradina border crossing?

EES Inactive

Currently, the Entry/Exit System (EES) is not active at Gradina border crossing.

EES is a new EU automated system being gradually implemented at Schengen Area borders. Once activated, the system will record the date, time and place of border crossing, as well as travelers' biometric data.

Learn more about EES

Information provided for trip planning only. Actual conditions may differ. Always check the latest data before departure.
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Live Cameras

Live Webcam Gradina in real time

In online mode using a webcam at the border you can view queues at the checkpoint Gradina.

Gradina (Serbia → Bulgaria) - Gradina border crossing webcam
2026-09-14 13:18:05 CEST

Gradina (Serbia → Bulgaria)

Gradina 2 (Serbia → Bulgaria) - Gradina border crossing webcam
2026-09-14 13:33:03 CEST

Gradina 2 (Serbia → Bulgaria)

Toll booth Dimitrovgrad — lanes towards Gradina (~5 km before the border) - Gradina border crossing webcam
2026-09-14 13:51:08 CEST

Toll booth Dimitrovgrad — lanes towards Gradina (~5 km before the border)

Free flow 10 km/h

1 h ago

Real-time traffic conditions on roads leading to the border crossing. Data is automatically updated from TomTom Traffic and Autobahn.de.

Free flow 10 km/h
Nearby Road Incidents 5
Road works
Flag of Bulgaria 24.1 km
Road works
Flag of Bulgaria 24.4 km
Closure
Flag of Bulgaria 25 km
Road works
Flag of Bulgaria 25.5 km
Road works
Flag of Bulgaria 26.1 km
View all traffic incidents

Gradina or Zheravino?

As of 13:28: Gradina — 5 vehicles in the queue (wait ~65 min), Zheravino — 1 vehicles (~25 min). They are 38 km apart, ~38 min by road. Once the drive is added, switching to Zheravino gains almost nothing right now — stay here.

If the queue is long: a quick check before you join it

  • Fuel: fill up before the border — the engine runs for hours in the queue and the first station across may be 20–30 km away (fuel prices nearby).
  • Water and food for 4–6 hours, a bag for rubbish.
  • Power bank and cable — you need the phone for eCherha, navigation and reporting the queue.
  • Some cash in the currency of the country you are entering — not every kiosk or station near the border takes cards.
  • Documents in one place: passport, vehicle registration, insurance, Green Card (full list).
  • Toilets, cafés, currency exchange — services near the crossing.

How we calculate the wait time

Every figure on this page — the hero, today’s chart, the 7-day forecast and the source comparison — comes from one model, so they never contradict each other.

Why our figure differs from the official one

The border service publishes a vehicle count or an estimate made on its side of the border, and a camera shows one stretch of road. We combine these sources with driver reports and convert them into a wait time using this crossing’s own history, so our figure is an estimate of crossing time, not a vehicle count.

How the model works

  1. Base wait = vehicles in the queue × the average processing time per vehicle at this crossing (learned from the last weeks of history).
  2. The base wait is then adjusted for the lane mode, the weather and the current processing speed, with a correction around border-guard shift changes.
  3. The next-hours and 7-day forecasts use the same model on the typical profile of this weekday.

The best time is the hour with the lowest forecast queue from now until the end of the day; hours with known counter glitches are excluded.

The update time is shown in the hero. When no new data arrives for several hours, the page marks it as outdated and offers a refresh.

ℹ️ How is the forecast calculated? ▼
Data source:

Automatic calculation based on historical queue data and current checkpoint situation.

Factors considered:

The model analyzes typical load patterns by time of day and day of week.

Limitations:

Actual waiting time may vary due to unforeseen circumstances (repairs, incidents, seasonal peaks).

Improvements:

Forecast accuracy improves with more real-time data from users and official sources.

Data sources

  • Cameras at the crossing and on the approach roads
  • TomTom — traffic speed on the approach roads
  • Driver reports on nakordoni.eu and in Telegram

Official sources: MUP (Police/Border), Carina (Customs), Border Police (MoI), Bulgarian Customs

Data source: Nakordoni’s own estimate, built from the sources listed above

Updated (local time, UTC+2)

At a glance

  • As of 13:28 the wait at Gradina is 65 min. 5 vehicles are in the queue. Roughly 58 min to 73 min.
  • Usually at this hour there are 6 vehicles in the queue here; right now it is quieter than usual.
  • Over the last 60 days the quietest day is Tuesday, the quietest window is 00:00–02:00.
  • Nearest alternative with a shorter queue: Zheravino — 1 vehicles, 38 km, ~38 min drive.