Kosovo*: Council gives green light to visa free travel
The Council today adopted its position at first reading on visa free travel for holders of passports issued by Kosovo.
The new rules will allow Kosovo passport holders to travel to the EU without a visa for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period. This exemption from the visa requirement will apply as of the date when the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) comes into operation or from 1 January 2024, whichever comes first.
The new rules now need to be adopted by the European Parliament before they can be signed and published in the EU official journal.
“Kosovo has made great efforts to improve its security and migration management and to align its visa policy with that of the EU. We hope our cooperation in these fields will continue to be fruitful.”
Swedish Minister for Migration, Maria Malmer Stenergard
Background
Kosovo has made significant progress in all blocks of the visa liberalisation roadmap. On the basis of this assessment, the Commission proposed to lift the visa requirement for holders of passports issued by Kosovo. The exemption from the visa requirement will ensure that the whole Western Balkan region is under the same visa regime.
The Commission will continue to actively monitor the implementation of these requirements, including visa policy alignment, through the post-visa liberalisation mechanism.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
- Council position at first reading and statement of reasons
- Kosovo*: Council presidency and European Parliament agree on visa free travel (press release, 14 December 2022)
- Kosovo*: Council agrees negotiating mandate on visa free travel (press release, 30 November 2022)
- EU visa policy (background information)
