Kosovo passport holders finally know the date – starting January 1, 2024 they can plan trips to the European Union (EU) for periods of up to 90 days without visas.

Members of the European Parliament supported the abolition of visas for Kosovo citizens, so eliminating the last obstacle to the official signing of the Visa Liberalization Agreement, which is to take place on Wednesday.

The EU has thus closed a “gap” in the territory of Europe, because Kosovo citizens were the last ones on the continent who needed visas to enter the EU.

In 2018 the European Commission published an assessment that Kosovo meets all the criteria for visa liberalization and recommended the abolition of visas for holders of passports issued by the administration in Pristina.

However, some member states, primarily The Netherlands, had reservations on the issue, so they blocked the Agreement.

Visa liberalization with Kosovo was officially approved by EU ambassadors in December last year.

“After years in the waiting room, Kosovo is now the last one in the Western Balkan region to join our visa-free regime. This finally enables the people of Kosovo to easily travel, visit relatives and do business in the EU. But it is more than that: this milestone is also an important foundation for the future and ever-closer cooperation between the EU and Kosovo,” said Rapporteur Thijs Reuten.