Holders of Kosovo passports starting from January 1, 2024 will be able to travel to the Schengen Area without visas for short-term stays.

Visa-free travel enables you to travel without a visa for short stays, for example, as a tourist, to visit friends or family, to attend cultural or sporting events, business meetings, medical treatment, for short-term educational programs such as seminars, conferences, workshops, summer schools and similar activities.

You can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period within the Schengen area. If you travel several times, you must carefully calculate the number of days of your stay, as the total period of stay must not exceed a total of 90 days within a 180-day period. The period of stay is calculated from the first date of entry into each Schengen area.

With a valid Kosovo biometric passport you can travel visa-free to the following EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy , Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. You can also travel to the Schengen countries: Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. You cannot travel to Spain.

You should always have information about the purpose of your visit, the place of accommodation/where you will stay during the visit, return tickets, evidence of sufficient financial means to cover the stay (cash and/or credit card). It is strongly recommended to have travel insurance. If you intend to stay with your relatives or family friends, you must have their correct address and telephone numbers. Border officials may request supporting documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay.

Visa-free travel does not enable you to work in the Schengen Area. If you intend to work in one of the EU countries, you must apply for a category D work visa at the relevant consular office of this EU country.

Visa-free travel is not intended for studies that exceed 90 days in the Schengen Area within a period of 180 days. For longer-term studies, you need to apply for a student visa, and the rules for this vary from country to country.

When properly justified, visa-free travel allows you to seek medical treatment as long as the stay is within the maximum 90-day limit. In this case, you must have a proof (official document) of admission to the medical institution and proof of your planned health treatment or medical examinations.

Waiver of visas does not grant an unconditional right of entry and residence. Member States have the right to refuse entry and stay in their territories, if one or more of the entry conditions are not met, such as:

• - Possession of a valid biometric passport (valid for at least three months after the intended date of departure from the Schengen area),

• - Justification of the purpose and conditions of the intended stay, having sufficient financial means, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return;

• - Not be a person for whom an alert has been issued in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusal of entry;

• - Not be considered a threat to the public policy, internal security, public health or international relations of any of the member states.

Visa-free travel does not give you the right to seek asylum in EU or Schengen countries.

Misuse can lead to denial of future entry in cases such as: staying beyond 90 days in a 180 day period, being employed without a permit, if you pose a threat to public safety or engage in criminal activity. Misuse and overstaying can lead to financial penalties and result in deportation and a ban on entry to the Schengen Area for up to 5 years.

For more information read: Visa liberalization for citizens of Kosovo (PDF, 5 MB)