Citizens of Kosovo began visa-free travel within the European Union’s Schengen Area on January 1 under a new regime that enables Kosovars to travel without a visa within the zone for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
Kosovo was the last of the six countries of the Western Balkans to attain the waiver, which is perceived as a key step for the country’s ambition to join the EU. The new visa regime is intended for tourism and personal travel and does not include permission to work.
SEE ALSO: European Council Clears Romania, Bulgaria To Join Schengen Free-Travel ZoneAt a ceremony at the Pristina airport on January 1, Prime Minister Albin Kurti urged citizens to use the privilege responsibly, saying, “This is how we respect and elevate our country.”
“We have waited too long and have been denied many opportunities,” Kurti added. “Therefore, this is an important day because a great injustice has been eliminated and an important right has been won.”
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani congratulated Kosovo’s 1.8 million citizens on Facebook, writing, “The people of Kosovo have proved with unwavering commitment that they are not giving up their rightful place in the European family.”
She added that 2024 was “a year that begins with freedom of movement.”
The president and the prime minister of neighboring Albania also stressed the waiver was “an overdue achievement” for Kosovo.
“I hope this step will speed up the entire process of Kosovo’s membership in the EU and other international organizations,” Albanian President Bajram Begaj wrote on Facebook.
WATCH: Starting from January 1, Kosovars no longer need visas to enter the Schengen Area. Among the first who used the opportunity were 50 winners of a Vienna tour lottery organized by Kosovo's government. "It's a feeling beyond description," a happy traveler told RFE/RL at the Pristina airport. The visa liberalization is not valid for Spain, the only Schengen country that doesn't recognize Kosovar travel documents.
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'A Feeling Beyond Description:' Kosovars Enjoy Visa-Free Schengen Travel
The European Commission ruled that Kosovo had met the necessary criteria for the waiver in 2018, but its approval was held up by France and the Netherlands, which feared a possible new wave of migration.
Kosovo’s participation in the scheme was also opposed by Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain, which do not recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia.
Before the new regime enabled access to the 27 Schengen zone countries, Kosovars could only travel visa-free to 14 countries globally.