Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Schengen visa-free travel for Kosovo passport holders

1. When will I be able to travel without a visa?

Kosovo citizens will be able to travel without a visa throughout the Schengen area from 1 January 2024.

2. For what purposes can I travel without a visa to the Schengen area?

Visa-free travel enables Kosovo citizens to travel without a visa for short stays as a tourist but also to visit friends or family, to participate in cultural or sports events, business meetings, medical treatment, for short-term educational programs such as seminars, conferences, workshops, summer schools and any similar activity.

3. Which countries can I travel to without a visa?

Countries in the EU that are exempt from visa requirements are:

a)EU Member States that are part of the Schengen area: For more information about the Schengen area and the list of countries, please visit: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/schengen-area_en

b) EU Member States that are not yet part of the Schengen area, but apply the EU acquis regarding EU visa lists: Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania

c) The waiver of visas also applies to the associated Schengen states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland

1. Can I travel to Ireland without a visa?

No. Although part of the EU, Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area. They apply a different visa regime: for more details, see the relevant Embassy/Consulate page.

5. Can I travel to the UK without a visa?

No. The UK is no longer part of the EU. They apply a different visa regime: for more details, see the relevant Embassy/Consulate page.

6. For how long can I stay without a visa in the Schengen area?

You can stay 90 days in any 180 day period within the Schengen area. If you travel several times, you must calculate the days of stay carefully, as the total period of stay must not exceed the total of 90 days within the 180 day period.

When implementing this rule, the following aspects should be taken into account:

• The date of entry is considered the first day of stay in the Schengen territory;
• The exit date is considered the last day of stay in the Schengen territory;

The 180-day reference period is not fixed. It is a rolling window, based on the sight access on each day of stay (whether at entry time or on the day of a current check, such as internal police check or border check after departure). Absence, not traveling to the Schengen area for a continuous period of 90 days, allows a new stay of up to 90 days in an 180-day period.

7. Can I enter the Schengen area more than once during that period?

Yes. However, you should carefully calculate the days of your stay as the total period of stay, which should not exceed the total of 90 days of stay within any 180-day period.

Hence, the 90-day period starts from the moment you first enter the Schengen area. For example, if you enter the Schengen area on 1 January 2024, for the first time, the next six-month period starts after 180 days, or more precisely, on 29 June 2024. Therefore, within these 180 days, you can stay in the Schengen Zone for a maximum of 90 days. If one travels frequently to the Schengen area, he/she should count the remaining days from the last six-month period.

8. What travel documents are needed to take advantage of visa-free travel to the Schengen area?

√ Biometric passport (valid for at least three months beyond the departure date from the Schengen area);

√ Proof of the purpose of your trip to the Schengen area;

√ Proof of accommodation, such as a hotel booking or details of place you will stay;

√ Travel details, including a return ticket booking;

√ If traveling by car, the necessary vehicle documents;

√ Proof of sufficient funds.

9. Does liberalization mean employment in the Schengen area countries?

No! Visa liberalization in no case means employment opportunities in the Schengen area countries. 

9. Do I need a visa to work in the Schengen area for less than 90 days?

Yes, member states require a visa and work permit if you intend to work there, even if it is for less than 90 days. Please contact the Embassy/Consulate of the Member State you wish to work in to ask if a special visa and work permit is required, usually a type D visa. Visa liberalization does not grant you permission to work but only allows for short tourist and family visits.

10. Will I need to apply for a student visa if I plan to travel to the Schengen area for studies?

Yes, you will need to apply for a student visa if you intend to carry out studies that exceed 90 days of stay in the Schengen area within a period of 180 days. You will need to apply for a student visa for studies, as the required documents and regulations vary from country to country. It is therefore recommended that you consult the embassy or consulate of the country in which you intend to start studying.

11. Can I travel for health reasons?

If justified, you are allowed to travel for medical treatment to the Schengen area. Such travel should be within the maximum period of 90 days. Depending on the country you are visiting, different documents may be required as part of the verification of your stay conditions. For example, you may be asked to provide a proof from the receiving healthcare institution, such as proof of planned medical treatment or invitations for medical tests. Always take care that the medical treatment must be completed within a 90-day period. If the treatment will last more than 90 days, then you must obtain a visa through the embassy in charge.

12. Does the visa waiver give you the automatic right to enter the territory of the Schengen countries?

Visa waiver does not grant an unconditional right of entry and residence. Member States have the right to refuse entry and stay in their territories if one or more of the entry conditions are not met.

For stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, the conditions of entry are as follows:

• The individual has no passport with sufficient validity (at least 3 months beyond the planned return date from the Schengen area);

1. The individual presents forged documents; justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay, having sufficient funds for both the intended stay and the return;
2. The individual has exceeded in the past the 90-day stay limit within the 180-day period;

(c) not be a person for whom an alert has been issued in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purposes of refusal of entry;

(d) not be considered a threat to the public policy, internal security, public health or international relations of any of the Member States, in particular where there has been no alert issued to the national databases of the Member States for the purpose of denying access to the databases.

(e) When there is evidence that the individual is involved in criminal activities or clear evidence that he/she intends to do so.

13. Is my entry into the Schengen area without a visa guaranteed?

Entry into the European Union without a visa is not guaranteed. Entry may be rejected by border police if you do not have a valid passport with sufficient validity, lack documents proving the purpose of your trip, and evidence of sufficient funds for your planned stay in the Schengen area, or if you have exceeded the 90-day stay limit within the 180-day period in the past.

13. What documents do I need to present to the border control officer?

You must present your passport issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least 3 more months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member State. In addition, during border control you may also be asked to present documents that prove the purpose and conditions of your stay (invitation letter from your friend, invitation to a conference, agenda of a seminar, etc.). Travelers must have information about their purpose of visit, place of accommodation and booking, return tickets, proof of sufficient funds to cover the stay (cash and/or credit card). It is recommended to have travel insurance. If you intend to stay with your relatives or family friends, you must have their correct address and telephone numbers.

14. How much money should I bring with me to travel to the Schengen area?

According to Article 5(3) of the Schengen Borders Code: “The means of subsistence shall be assessed in accordance with the duration and purpose of the stay and with reference to the average prices in the Member States concerned for accommodation, multiplied by the number of days of stay”.

For each latest information, each Member State determines the amount; please consult the website of the respective Member States through which you intend to enter Schengen.

Verification that the third-country national concerned has sufficient means of subsistence for the duration and purpose of the intended stay, for his/her return to the country of origin or transit to a third country or that he/she can obtain these means legally. In order to assess the means of subsistence, the reference amounts set by each country of the Schengen area must be taken into account.

Verification of sufficient means of subsistence may be based on cash, traveller’s checks and credit cards in the possession of the third-country national. Declarations of sponsorships, where such declarations are provided for by national legislation, and letters of guarantee/invitation from hosts, as defined by national legislation, in case the third-country national stays with a host, may also constitute evidence of sufficient means of subsistence. The validity of a credit card can be verified by contacting the issuing company or using other facilities available at the border crossing point (e.g exchange offices). The invitation from the hosts can be verified by contacting the host directly or by verifying the “bona fides” of the host through the national contact points of the Member States in which the host resides.

15. Is it mandatory to have medical travel insurance when traveling to Schengen?

Travel medical insurance is not mandatory. Nevertheless, it is recommended to take one if travelling to Schengen countries.

16. If I plan to visit a friend or relative who lives in the Schengen area, will I need to provide any specific information about that person at the border?

You may be asked to provide information about that person. It is recommended to have at least their residential address and contact number. Border authorities may call your friends on the phone to verify whether you will be staying with them or visiting them at the provided address to ensure that it is a private or family visit.

17. Once visa-free travel is implemented, can I travel from one Schengen country to another?

No border restrictions are in place between the nations in the Schengen Zone. However, border controls are carried out between the Schengen countries and Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania (EU Member States that have not yet fully implemented the Schengen acquis).

18. If I stay beyond 90 days (without a residence permit or long-term visa) or work in the Schengen area (without a work permit), what could happen?

A non-EU national staying in the Schengen area for more than 90 days (without a residence permit or long-term residence visa) is illegally present, which may result in a ban from re-entering the Schengen area. Working in the Schengen area without a work permit is also illegal (even if it is less than 90 days) and may also result in a ban from re-entering the Schengen area. Depending on the member state, administrative fines may also apply. Excessive use and staying can lead to financial penalties and result in expulsion and ban on entering the Schengen area for up to 5 years.

19. What consequences can you have in case of possible violations?

In case of potential violations and abuse of visa-free travel, the personal consequences may include: the imposition of a financial fine, an official note in your passport and file showing the violation in the Schengen system, and a ban on entering the Schengen area for up to 5 years.

20. Who cannot travel to the Schengen area?

Individuals listed as threats to public order, public health, or internal security.

Individuals subject to entry bans in any of the Schengen area countries or who have been the subject of a removal, deportation, or expulsion order (return or deportation) , typically applied for cases of unlawful stay.

21. Can I be denied entry to the Schengen area countries?

Yes, the border police of a Schengen state has the right to deny entry to any citizen if:

X The individual has no passport with sufficient validity (at least 3 months beyond the planned return date from the Schengen area);

X The individual resents forged documents;

X The individual does not possess documents proving the purpose of the trip;

X The individual fails to provide evidence of having sufficient funds to cover expenses during the stay;

X The individual has exceeded in the past the 90-day stay limit within the 180-day period;

X The individual poses a risk to public security, public health, or international relations for one or more Schengen states;

X When there is evidence that the person is involved in criminal activities or clear evidence that he/she intends to do so.

22. What is ETIAS and when will it be operational?

The European Travel Information and Authorization System is known as ETIAS (from the English language). The ETIAS system is not yet operational and according to information it may be operational sometime during or after 2024. While it is not yet operational, citizens of Kosovo with valid passports will enjoy the right to travel without visas starting from January 1, 2024, the moment it is fully operational and functioning, the ETIAS system will be valid for all countries that do not have visas to enter the Schengen area, so the same for Kosovo.

ETIAS is an automated IT system which should detect risks, from an immigration and security point of view, to people who can travel to the Schengen area without a visa. At the same time, this system will make it easier for the vast majority of travelers who do not pose a risk to cross borders. All non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area without a visa, including Kosovo passport holders, will need to apply for a travel authorization through the ETIAS system before departure. A symbolic amount will be paid online for this service, which at the moment has not yet been determined. The information collected by ETIAS allows for pre-screening for possible irregular immigration and security risks.

After completing the online application form, the system performs checks against EU information systems for borders and security. In the vast majority of cases, permission to travel is obtained within minutes. The ETIAS travel authorization will be mandatory to enter the Schengen area. Border guards will check these authorizations, along with travel documents, when travelers cross EU borders. This pre-screening of visa-exempt nationals from outside the EU facilitates border controls, avoids bureaucracy and delays for travelers arriving at the border, coordinates and harmonizes the risk assessment of third-country nationals and significantly reduces entry refusals at checkpoints of the border crossing.

23. How much money should I have with me to travel in the Schengen area?

Recently, we have received many questions about how much money we should have with us or deposited in the bank in order to visit the countries of the Schengen area. Taking into account that you can travel to #visafree from January 1, 2024 only for short-term tourist or family visits and for a maximum stay of up to 90 days, we are giving you some practical information.

As a traveler, upon arriving at the first Schengen border crossing, the border police may ask you if you have sufficient financial evidence for your trip. The amount of these funds depends on two groups of factors: 1) on the number of days you will stay and the country you are visiting and 2) on whether you will stay in paid accommodation such as a hotel/apartment or with your relatives.

If you declare that you will stay with your relatives by providing their address and contact, depending on which country you visit, the amount of funds is around 30 – 50 EUR per day per person. If you declare that you will stay in a hotel or apartment or any other paid accommodation, depending on which country you are visiting, the amount of funds you must provide as financial evidence is around 50 – 100 EUR per day per person.

Accommodation from friends or family can be verified by contacting the host directly by phone or by verifying their address through the police. While verification of sufficient financial means can be done in several forms by asking you to show cash, bank card, credit card, confirmation letter from a conference or seminar covering your accommodation and food expenses, evidence of hotel payment or any confirmation or other evidence of your costs during the trip.

Each Schengen country determines the amount; please consult the website of the Schengen area member states you plan to visit. So the daily amount differs if you visit Greece, Croatia or if you visit Switzerland or Norway. You can see a table with reference amounts at this link: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-09/reference_amounts_table.pdf

Finally, you do not need to have a certain amount of funds deposited in the bank, but you must provide evidence that you have sufficient financial means to cover your stay there, including the costs of returning to Kosovo.

24. I have a visa valid until 31 December, 2023. If I travel before the new year, can I stay in the Schengen area for a few days after the new year?

You must have a Schengen visa valid until 31 December, including 31 December, 2023. If you have already entered the Schengen area before 31 December, 2023 and since with a Kosovo passport no visa is required from 1 January, 2024 you can continue to stay in the Schengen area. In this case the same rule applies, you can only stay 90 days within the 180 day period. So, the days calculated in the Schengen area for a short-term visit in your case also include those of 2023, so be careful with the calculation of days since for you they are calculated from the date of first entry into the Schengen area

Important:

Entry into the European Union without a visa is not guaranteed. Entry may be rejected by border police if you do not have a valid passport with sufficient validity, lack documents proving the purpose of your trip, and evidence of sufficient funds for your planned stay in the Schengen area, or if you have exceeded the 90-day stay limit within the 180-day period in the past.