Kosovars are embracing the opportunity to explore destinations across the Schengen Area as visas are no longer required for these nationals to be able to travel to the EU for a 90-day period every 180 days.
As of January 1, 2024, Kosovar passport holders are allowed to travel to 27 EU countries, marking a new milestone for the youngest nation in the European continent, which was the only remaining nation without visa liberalisation in the region, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
This has impacted the pent-up demand for travel the Kosovars have, as respective authorities reveal that travel-related procedures, including acquiring passports, have increased during this period. In addition, Kosovar air travellers in 2024 have surged during this period.
Demand for Passports Up Post-Visa Liberalisation Months, Interior Ministry Confirms
The increased travel activity of Kosovars is also reflected in the demand for passports, as the Interior Ministry pointed out.
In an email exchange with SchengenVisaInfo, the Interior Ministry confirmed that more people were applying for necessary documents for travelling.
Starting on January 1, the demand for obtaining essential travel-related documents has surged, especially for passports.
The volume of applications for obtaining identity cards and passports can be the main reason why the Interior Ministry takes a longer time to process such requests. The authority confirmed that since the year began, the time dedicated to processing applications is higher than it used to be when application rates were lower.
According to data from the Civil Registration Agency, almost 39,000 Kosovars have filed their passport applications as of January 3, 2024. Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla recently said that between January and March, a total of 124,000 applications for passports had been filed.
More specifically, the regular time for processing such applications is set at 15 days. However, the authorities say that they are working hard to process such applications within a 30-day period, which is the optimal time considering the application rates.
The authorities also ensured that they were working hard to meet the application demands, as there were people waiting for more than a month to get their passports. Such an issue occurred last year when people had to wait for months to get their passports due to a shortage of material needed for passport production.
The Interior Ministry confirmed for SchengenVisaInfo that it can handle the increased demand for passport applications.
The Interior Ministry has sufficient capacity to accommodate citizens’ document applications and has no risk of material shortage.
Prishtina International Airport: 22% More Travellers in January 2024 Alone
The International Airport of Prishtina has revealed that 287,205 passengers have been recorded in January 2024, showing an upward trend of travelling. More specifically, the number of passengers in the first month of 2024 increased by 21.9 per cent compared to the same time in 2023. The number of flights has increased by 23.3 per cent, from 808 flights to 996.
Valentina Gara, Head of PR at Limak International Kosovo Airport, said for SchengenVisaInfo that the hub is always coordinating with relevant authorities, pointing out the cooperation to ensure safe and smooth travelling for passengers.
Regarding the increased number of passengers, Gara noted that the figure is a continuation of travel interest noticed even before visa liberalisation.
Prishtina Airport has maintained its upward trend of flight and passenger numbers for years, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic times, and this trend is on the rise.
In order to meet travellers’ demands, the airport has included new destinations in several places across the EU, including Luxembourg, Riga, Heraklion, Halmstag, and Turkiye’s Izmir.
Greece is going to be an emerging destination for Kosovar nationals, as an Executive Director at local travel agencies previously said for SchengenVisaInfo.
According to Ruzhdi Kurtishaj of Sharr Travel, travel interest for EU destinations was evident even before visas were scrapped for Kosovars, as his company had received numerous requests for destinations in Greece, especially Thesalonikki.
UAE & Spain Scrap Visas for Kosovo – Kosovo Passport Climbes Up 90 Positions
Following visa liberalisation from the EU, several other countries followed suit, granting Kosovars visa-free travel or initiating negotiations for visa waiver programmes with these countries.
Spain, an EU and Schengen Member, was insistent on not scrapping visas for Kosovar nationals, even after January 1, 2024, when Kosovars were permitted to travel visa-free to the Schengen zone.
However, some days before the visa liberalisation agreement, Spain announced it would scrap visa requirements for Kosovo passport holders, but the authorities pointed out that this does not mean Spain has recognised Kosovo’s independence.
DG Home has announced that Spain now recognises the passports of the Republic of Kosovo. Therefore, we can travel to this country without visas. As of January 1st, visa-free travel has begun, and Spain is a destination added to the Schengen Zone countries where we can travel through liberalisation and where the obstacle was previously the non-recognition of our passport.
Visa liberalisation also opened doors for Kosovar passport holders in countries outside the EU and Schengen. Israel was another country to follow suit and scrap its visa requirements for Kosovo nationals, with the decision being announced at the end of January.
In addition, the United Arab Emirates has also granted visa-free travel to Kosovars, with the decision entering into force on February 22, while negotiations for a mutual visa waiver agreement for Kosovo and Qatar are under work.
The visa liberalisation agreement has boosted the Kosovar passport, as since January 2024, it has climbed a total of 90 positions in the Passport Index by VisaGuide. While in March 2023, it ranked 187th and had a score of 12.45 points, now it ranks 97th – its highest rank ever and has a passport score of 42.7 points.
Visa Liberalisation Prompts Better Working Conditions for Kosovo’s Private Sector
Workers engaged in the country’s private sector are expected to have better working and paying conditions as the Trade Union for the country’s private sector has stated that prompted by labour shortage fears, employers are offering better payments and working conditions overall.
The situation has also raised awareness among workers as the Labour Inspectorate revealed that it received 614 employee complaints in 2023 alone, while more than 8,000 inspections have been conducted. In general, visa liberalisation has encouraged private-sector employers to be more generous.
Some of the most common complaints from Kosovar employees include the termination of employment contracts, not paying monthly salaries on time, lack of compensation for medical holidays, lack of compensation for overtime hours, and few to no annual holidays.
Kosovar Diaspora Finally Able to Welcome Family Members in Their EU Homes
Besarta Sllamniku Berisha, originally from Kosovo, relocated to France eight years ago. Throughout this almost one-decade-long period, she was unable to visit her family in Kosovo, missing significant life events, including the passing of loved ones or her sister’s wedding and, most importantly, her family could not be in France for the birth of her two children, Siar and Siara.
Visa liberalisation was shockingly good news for this young mother who had not met any family member since 2015 when she and her husband left in search of a better life.
I was so happy when visas were scrapped for Kosovars. I could not stop thinking about all the things I had to share with my family, what I could cook them and where I could take them. I made plans long before they booked their tickets to Paris.
Thousands of Kosovar diaspora across the EU share a similar story to Besarta and are excited to have their host their close family members in their homes, with visa-free travel bringing them closer. On top of the sentimental aspect, visa liberalisation is expected to improve the connectivity between Kosovo and the EU countries, strengthen cultural exchange, offer more opportunities and open a new horizon for young Kosovars.
