Visa requirement for Kosovars travelling to Switzerland to be dropped

The 90-day visa regulation already applies to to the rest of the Western Balkans, such as Serbia and Montenegro. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

As of 2024, Kosovar nationals will be allowed to travel to EU and Schengen countries without a visa for short stays. Switzerland has confirmed that it would also lift its visa requirements correspondingly.

As of next year, Kosovo passport holders will be able to enter the European Union (EU) and the Schengen area twice a year for 90 days without a visa. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) told the Swiss public broadcaster, SRFExternal link, that as of January 1, 2024 this will thus also apply to entering Switzerland – which is a member of Schengen but not the EU.

The 90-day visa regulation already applies to the Western Balkan countries, such as Serbia and Montenegro.

Though Kosovo has applied to become a member of the EU, five EU countries – Spain, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Cyprus – do not recognise Kosovo as an independent nation. This leaves the small Balkan country at the prospect of membership stageExternal link.

In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, but is still considered a breakaway territory by Belgrade. Thousands of Kosovars fled to Switzerland during the war with Serbia in 1999. In total, as of 2021, 114,755 Kosovar citizens are registered as living in Switzerland. Official statistics showed 3.2% of the Swiss population spoke Albanian in 2020.