Kosovo Reaches a Visa-Free Travel Deal with the EU

Negotiators for the Council presidency and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on a draft regulation that would grant visa-free travel to people holding passports issued by Kosovo. The deal, struck in mid-December 2022, still has to be confirmed by both institutions before it can move through the formal adoption procedure, but it marks a decisive step toward closing the last visa gap in the Western Balkans.

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What the provisional agreement covers

Under the agreed text, Kosovo passport holders would be able to travel to the EU without a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The exemption is designed to take effect once the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) becomes operational, and in any case no later than 1 January 2024. It applies to short visits such as tourism, family trips and business, not to the right to live or work in the bloc.

Background: closing the Western Balkans gap

The Commission proposed lifting the visa requirement after concluding that Kosovo had made significant progress across all blocks of the visa liberalisation roadmap. Granting the exemption brings Kosovo into line with its neighbours, ensuring that the whole Western Balkan region falls under the same visa regime. Brussels has said it will keep monitoring how the requirements are met, including alignment of visa policy, through the post-liberalisation mechanism.

How ETIAS fits in

Visa-free status does not mean travel without any formality. Once ETIAS is running, visa-exempt visitors will need to obtain an online travel authorisation before heading to the Schengen area. If you want to check whether the rules apply to you, our guide to who needs an ETIAS authorisation explains the practical details.

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