Visa liberalisation for Kosovo will officially come into force from January 1, 2024, and the European Integration of Kosovo has published details related to the consequences in case of violating visa-free rules, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Kosovo’s European Integration official website, operated by the EU government, has warned that if a person stays in the borderless area of Schengen for more than 90 days, without a residence permit or long-term visa, they risk facing a ban on travelling in the Schengen Zone.
Under Schengen rules, working in the EU passport-free zone countries without a work permit is also illegal, the department’s website announced.
“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 on re-entry to the Schengen area. In case of eventual violations and abuse of visa-free travel, the personal consequences include: the imposition of a financial fine and an official note in your passport and file showing the violation in the Schengen system, as well as a ban on entering the Schengen area for up to 5 years.”
The European Union introduced visa-free travel for Kosovo passport holders in April this year, stressing that they would be able to travel without visas from January.
German Embassy in Kosovo stated that Kosovo citizens would be entitled to visa-free entry to Schengen countries for short-term stays, starting from January 2024.
Kosovo is currently ranked 188th in the VisaGuide.World Passport Index, which rates the passports of 199 nations in terms of the power of their passports. Visa liberalisation is expected to quadruple the power of Kosovo’s passports.
Spain announced it would not recognise the EU-Kosovo visa liberalisation agreement. The decision was confirmed by Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, arguing that Madrid did not recognise the Republic of Kosovo as an independent country. Accordingly, Spain does not recognise the passports issued by the authorities as well, meaning that Kosovars are subject to additional requirements when planning a trip to Spain.
