The European Parliament on April 18 approved a decision on visa liberalization that will allow citizens of Kosovo to travel to most European countries without a visa by January 2024 at the latest.
The vote by the EU legislature in Strasbourg, France, was the last legal hurdle to granting visa-free travel in the 26-country Schengen area to Kosovar citizens after member states gave their backing in March.
Under the new rules, people who hold a Kosovo passport will be able to travel to and within the Schengen zone, which includes 22 EU member states and the non-EU countries Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
"Visa liberalization is now a reality," Kosovo's government said in a statement, while Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani said on Twitter that the decision "is a victory for the people of Kosovo, for democracy and for European unity."
In a separate message on Facebook, she said, "This decision is due to the people of Kosovo, the unprecedented determination shown over the years, despite various delays and injustices."
SEE ALSO: Wider Europe Briefing: In 2023, There's A Good Chance Georgia, Moldova, And Ukraine Will Move Closer To The EUA signing ceremony will take place on April 19 featuring representatives of the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers -- two institutions that were instrumental in the approval of the abolition of the visa regime for Kosovo.
The visa exemption will enter force parallel with the implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) but no later than January 1, 2024.
When the decision was agreed by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers in December, it was thought the ETIAS system would be operational on November 1, 2023, but its implementation has been delayed.
Kosovo is the last country in the Western Balkans to be granted visa-free travel to the Schengen zone. It joins other countries in the region whose citizens have enjoyed freedom of movement for years.
Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have not had visa requirements since December 2009, and Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina joined Schengen in December 2010.
The European Commission in 2018 recommended the abolition of the visa regime with Kosovo, but the political decision was held up by some EU member states.
Visa liberalization for Kosovo was revived after Russia's invasion of Ukraine when the EU took several positive steps toward the region to try to reduce Russia's influence.