Kosovo
Kosovo is a small, landlocked country in the central Balkans, bordered by Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, its two broad plains ringed by mountains that rise above 2,500 metres along the borders. Pristina, the capital, lies in the east, Prizren below the Šar mountains in the south, and Peja at the foot of the Accursed Mountains in the west. Albanian and Serbian are the official languages, the euro is the currency, and the population is one of the youngest in Europe.
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Visa requirements for Kosovo
Holders of American, British, Canadian, Australian, Irish and New Zealand passports need no visa for a visit to Kosovo, for tourism or business, and may stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Kosovo visa issued before the journey, unless they hold a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa or a biometric residence permit from a Schengen state, which allows a stay of up to 15 days without one. Entry is stamped at Pristina airport or at the land border, and a trip that also takes in Serbia is planned in the right order.
Before you travel
Admitted at the border
A visitor whose passport needs no visa is admitted at Pristina airport or at a land crossing, for tourism or business, with nothing to apply for before the journey.
90 days in any 180
Visits without a visa may be repeated, but together they may not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
Entry on a Schengen visa
A traveller whose passport needs a Kosovo visa may enter without one for up to 15 days with a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa or a biometric residence permit issued by a Schengen state.
Where to apply
A Kosovo visa is applied for at a Kosovo embassy or consulate before the journey.
Work and longer stays
A stay without a visa covers visits only; work, study and stays beyond 90 days need a residence permit.
Onward travel to Serbia
Serbia does not admit travellers from Kosovo who entered Kosovo from another country: a traveller who arrived by air or from Albania, North Macedonia or Montenegro reaches Serbia through one of those countries, while one who came in from Serbia may leave in any direction.
Visa types
Visit without a visa
For tourism and business visits on a passport that needs no visa: entry is stamped at the border.
Entry on a Schengen visa
For travellers whose passport needs a Kosovo visa but who hold a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa or a biometric Schengen residence permit.
Kosovo visa
For visits on a passport that needs a visa, applied for at a Kosovo embassy or consulate before the journey.
Residence permit
For work, study and stays beyond 90 days.
Guides
Kosovo is travelled from three bases — Pristina, Prizren and Peja — none more than about two hours from another, so a week reaches nearly everything. Its draw is density: medieval monasteries and Ottoman old towns on the plains, limestone gorges and high pastures in the mountains along the borders. Café life sets the rhythm of the towns, and the mountains are walked from village guesthouses. Buses link the towns often enough to manage without a car.
Kosovo travel guide →
A week on three bases, the medieval monasteries, the Rugova gorge and the Šar, the Mirusha falls and Rahovec's vineyards, Pristina and Prizren.
Money in Kosovo →
The euro and the dinar in the north, cash machines and where they stop, cards and cash, and tipping.
Eating in Kosovo →
Flia baked layer by layer, lamb in yogurt and pies from the bakery, qebapa from the grill, macchiato, raki and the welcome of besa.
Getting around Kosovo →
Pristina's airport, buses between the towns and to the neighbours, mountain roads, taxis and drivers, and staying connected.
Health & safety in Kosovo →
Insurance with medical cover, the weather and the trails in the mountains, and mountain roads by day.
Embassies & missions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Kosovo?
Not for a visit of up to 90 days in any 180 on a US, UK, Canadian, Australian, Irish or New Zealand passport, for tourism or business. Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Kosovo visa from an embassy or consulate, unless they hold a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa or a Schengen residence permit, which allows a stay of up to 15 days without one.
Can I visit Kosovo and Serbia on the same trip?
Yes, in the right order. Serbia does not admit travellers coming from Kosovo who entered Kosovo from another country, so the simple way is to visit Serbia first, cross into Kosovo from there, and leave towards Albania, North Macedonia or Montenegro. A traveller who flies into Pristina and wants to see Serbia afterwards goes round through North Macedonia or Montenegro.
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Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.