EU Officially Abolishes Visa Requirements for Kosovo Citizens with Serbian Passports

The Official Gazette of the European Union has published a new regulation, dated September 18, which was signed on the same day by representatives of the European Union, marking the abolition of visa requirements for citizens of Kosovo holding passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate. This decision allows Kosovo citizens with Serbian passports to travel visa-free for short-term stays within EU countries starting in mid-October.

The regulation, titled "Regulation (EU) 2024/2495 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 as regards holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (Koordinaciona uprava)," was officially published in the Official Gazette of the European Union.

The decree was signed in Strasbourg by Roberta Metzola, the President of the European Parliament (EP), and Janos Boka, Hungary's Minister of European Affairs. Dragiša Mijačić, coordinator of the National Convention for Chapter 35, also announced the decision on his social network “X,” mentioning that the signing of the visa abolition for Serbian Coordination Directorate passports was scheduled for 15:15 on September 18, in the European Parliament building in Strasbourg.

The new regulation will take effect 20 days after its publication in the Official Gazette and will be applied in all EU member states. As stated in the official document, "This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in the Member States in accordance with the Treaties."

The Council of the European Union had already agreed to lift visa requirements for Kosovo citizens holding Serbian Coordination Directorate passports in July 2024. The Council emphasized that these changes were made to ensure uniform visa rules across the Western Balkan region.

Under the new regulation, holders of Kosovo passports can travel to EU countries without needing a visa for short stays, up to 90 days within a 180-day period. However, the European Commission had clarified in April 2023, when announcing visa liberalization for Kosovo, that holders of Serbian passports would not be eligible for the same benefits.

Previously, Kosovo citizens holding passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate in Belgrade were the only group still subject to visa requirements when traveling to the Schengen Area. With this new regulation, they will now enjoy the same visa-free travel privileges as other Western Balkan nations.

By fLEXI tEAM