03 - Entry into Kosovo – a successful start

All EU citizens can enter Kosovo without a visa, provided their stay does not exceed 90 days. A passport is not required for this; an identity card that is valid for at least 3 months from the date of entry is sufficient (the same applies to the passport, of course). If the stay lasts longer than 90 days, the extension must be applied for at least 15 days in advance at the police station in Prishtina (Rruga Luan Haradinaj).

While there are hardly any special features when entering other European countries, there are some special features for Kosovo:

1. special status - relationship with Serbia

When entering and leaving the country via Serbia, there are some special features to bear in mind. Serbia still regards Kosovo as its own national territory. This means that they (the Serbs) interpret it as follows: If you enter Kosovo from Albania, Montenegro or North Macedonia and then want to travel on to Serbia, this is generally not possible (unless the border police turn a blind eye), because in this case entry into Kosovo (i.e. the Serbian part of the country) is illegal from the Serbs' point of view and onward travel is not possible. In this case, the only option is to return to one of these countries and enter/further travel to Serbia from there.

2. special status for the vehicle

Kosovo does not recognise the international insurance card (so-called ‘green insurance certificate’). The reason for this is that Kosovo is not a member of the United Nations, which in turn is a prerequisite for membership of the Council of Bureaux (CoB), the umbrella organisation of the Green Card system.

This means that when entering the country directly at the border, a specific Kosovar border insurance policy must be taken out for the vehicle. The office is recognisable by the inscription ‘Sigurim’. The tariff is based on the vehicle category and length of stay. Interesting to know in advance: For camping vehicles that are registered as lorries, the expensive lorry tariff actually applies, no exceptions are made, the correct procedure is followed.

As a rule, it is not possible to take out insurance in advance; the insurance must be purchased on site at the border crossing and paid for in cash.

An up-to-date overview can be found here: https://bks-ks.org/home/tariff

Incidentally, this also applies vice versa for Kosovan vehicles whose drivers are travelling under the green card system.