Visa-free travel for Kosovo citizens to the EU

As of 1 January 2024, Kosovo passport holders are allowed to travel to the EU without a visa, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This, in turn, also enables EU citizens to travel to Kosovo without issuing a visa.

This agreement with Kosovo falls under a broader decision regarding the Western Balkans, allowing all citizens from that region to enjoy a visa free regime when travelling to the EU.

Background

The European Commission presented its final Report, confirming that Kosovo had fulfilled all standards in the Visa Liberalisation Dialogue, on 18 July 2018. The proposal to grant visa free travel to Kosovo was approved by the EU co-legislators in April 2023.

Any Commission proposal to grant visa-free status to a third country is followed by a legislative procedure, involving both the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission conducts an assessment based on criteria relating to: irregular migration; public policy and security; economic benefit, in particular in terms of tourism and foreign trade; and the EU’s external relations with the relevant third countries, including considerations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as implications of regional coherence and reciprocity. New decisions on visa exemption are usually followed by bilateral negotiations on a visa waiver agreement.

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