Spotlight EMEA Series: European Union

Spotlight on EMEA

In our Spotlight on EMEA series we round up the latest developments across the EMEA region.  In this post we explore the recent introduction of visa free travel across the EU for Kosovan nationals.

European Union: Kosovans qualify for visa-free travel

Effective 1 January 2024, Kosovo passport holders can travel to the EU without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.  In a reciprocal arrangement EU citizens are able to travel to Kosovo without a visa.

The proposal to grant visa free travel to Kosovo was approved by the European Union co-legislators in April 2023.

The EU Member States covered by the visa waiver are:

• the following EU Member States which are part of the Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden;
• the EU Member States which are not yet part of the Schengen area but do apply the EU acquis related to the EU visa lists Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania;

The visa waiver also applies to the associated Schengen states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Although Ireland is an EU Member State, it is not part of the Schengen Area, so the visa waiver does not apply.

Kosovans can enter the EU as a tourist, to visit friends or family, to attend cultural or sports events, business meetings, for journalistic or media purposes, medical treatment, for short-term studies or training and any similar activities. However, the

Limitations

The visa waiver does not apply to Kosovan nationals who are travelling to the EU for the purposes of working within an EU state.  The relevant employment permission would be required from the individual EU State.

For more information on this or any of our updates on the EMEA region please contact [email protected] or [email protected]