Kosovo citizens will be able to travel in the EU visa-free

The EU Council adopted a decision providing the right for holders of Kosovo passports to visa-free travel to the EU.

The visa-free regime will allow holders of passports issued by Kosovo to stay in the EU for 90 days within a 180-day period without the need to obtain a visa, the Council says in its statement on March 9.

The visa-free regime will start from the entry into force of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) or from 1 January 2024, whichever is earlier.

Visa-free travel with Kosovo still needs to be approved by the European Parliament before the new rules are signed and published in the EU's official journal.

The European Commission has proposed to lift the visa regime for holders of passports issued by Kosovo, given the significant progress on all blocks of the visa liberalization roadmap.

Exemption from the visa requirement for Kosovo will ensure a uniform visa regime for the entire Western Balkan region.

To this day, Kosovo remains the only country in the Western Balkans where citizens need a visa to enter the EU, despite the fact that it has fulfilled all the conditions set by the European Commission in 2018.

Kosovo has also applied to join the EU in December 2022, but expects to face stiff opposition as five member states do not recognize Kosovo's independence from Serbia.

As for the operation of the ETIAS system, the Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission has postponed its launch until 2024.