As of January 1, 2024, citizens of Kosovo will be able to travel visa-free to Schengen Zone countries.
Visa-free travel is intended for tourist visits, family matters, or similar purposes.
The Kosovo Government’s European Integration page has provided information on the amount of money that Kosovo citizens should have with them when traveling to the Schengen Zone after January 1, 2024.
According to this page, as a traveler arriving at the first Schengen border point, border police may ask you for sufficient financial proof for your trip. The amount of these funds depends on two groups of factors: 1) the number of days you will stay and the country you are visiting, and 2) 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 the country you are visiting, the amount of funds is around 30-50 EUR per day per person. If you declare that you will stay in a hotel, apartment, or any other paid accommodation, depending on the country you are visiting, the amount of funds you need to provide as financial proof is around 50-100 EUR per day per person,” says the announcement on the European Integration page of Kosovo.
Furthermore, the announcement states that accommodation with friends or relatives can be verified by contacting the host directly by phone or verifying their address through the police.
While verifying sufficient financial means can be done in various forms by asking you to show cash, a bank card, a credit card, a confirmation letter from a conference or seminar covering your accommodation and food expenses, proof of hotel payment, or any other confirmation or evidence of your travel costs.
“Each Schengen country determines the amount; please consult the websites of the Schengen Zone member states you plan to visit. Thus, the daily amount varies if you visit Greece, Croatia, or if you visit Switzerland or Norway,” the announcement says.
Finally, you do not need to have a specific amount of money deposited in the bank, but you must prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your stay there, including the costs of returning to Kosovo.
As of January 1, 2024, citizens of Kosovo will be able to move freely in dozens of European countries.
Visa liberalization allows visa-free travel for up to 90 days within six months to any of the 27 member states of what is known as the Schengen Zone.
However, such travel should only serve for tourist visits or family matters and does not imply any work permit or other benefits. In recent years, thousands of citizens of Kosovo have obtained work visas for EU countries, especially Germany.
Just last year, the number of work visas issued by the German Embassy in Pristina increased by 110 percent compared to the previous year. Kosovo is currently the only country in the Western Balkans whose citizens cannot move freely in the Schengen Zone. The Kosovo Statistics Agency does not yet have data for 2022 and for this year, but those for 2021 show that more than 42,000 residents have left Kosovo for various reasons, including employment. According to the Kosovo Statistics Agency, the majority of them were legal residents.
