- Since midnight, Kosovar citizens have been allowed to enter the Schengen area without a visa.
- According to Reuters news agency, hundreds used this option at Pristina Airport.
- Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti welcomed the passengers at the airport and said: This day is important. The great injustice has now been eliminated.
“I now feel free as a bird because I can travel anywhere in Europe,” said Habib Spahiu, who wants to make a two-day visit to Vienna with his son. He was among a group of 50 people who won a state lottery paid for by the government.
legend:
Prime Minister Albin Kurti (this is a file photo) was at Pristina Airport to welcome the first passengers who wish to travel to the European Union without a visa.
Keystone/Archive/VISAR KRYEZIU
The Schengen Area allows more than 400 million people to travel freely between member states without border controls. Strict requirements imposed by EU member states and internal disputes delayed Kosovo's integration process for many years.
In 2018, the European Union announced that all requirements had been met. But France and the Netherlands delayed making the decision for fear of a new wave of immigration.
Kosovo is the last of the six Western Balkan countries for which travel relief has come into effect. The new regulation also applies to Switzerland The Federal Council decided in the spring. However, Kosovo residents who want to work in Switzerland still need a work visa.
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