Visa Liberalization

What does visa liberalization mean?

Visa liberalization means free movement in the Schengen area. Visa liberalization enables visa free travel only up to 90 days (every six months). Visa liberalization allows only free travelling, and not any work permit or other benefit.

Where can I travel after visa liberalization?

States in which you can travel without visas are the European Union countries, such as: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal , Cyprus, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. Kosovo citizens may also travel visa-free in Iceland, Norway and Switzerland and Liechtenstein, even that these states are not in Schengen zone.

Who can benefit from this process?

From the moment the visa regime for Kosovo will be lifted, all citizens of the country who possess biometric passports will have the right to travel without a visa. However, citizens are recommended to have along with their travel documents, proofs of their financial status, place of stay, reasons for visiting and health insurance. This is because the border police of the Schengen state have the right to deny entry to any citizen in case of suspicion that visa liberalization could be abused.

Will I save money from this process?

Visa liberalization will save money and times for Kosovo citizens, considering that there will be no need to pay visa application fees and go through visa obtaining procedures.

Does this mean I can work in these States?

Under no circumstances visa liberalization implies that there will be opportunities for work or developing other economic activities in the Schengen area.

What about studying?

If you want to study in one of the Schengen countries, then you must have a visa that allows your stay longer than 90 days. For this, you should contact the embassy of the country you plan to study. While if you want to attend professional trainings and short courses that do not require a stay of more than 90 days, then you can benefit from the visa liberalization process and you will not need to obtain an additional visa.

Consequences in case of eventual violations:

In case of possible violations and abuse of visa liberalization, the personal consequences include: fining, official record in your file and the ban on the entry of the Schengen area into the future. This ban usually applies for the next 3 to 5 years. Moreover, if there are a noticeable number of abuses with the right of visa-free travel, then the European Union may suspend the visa liberalization for the respective country.