Kosovo Passport Gains 90 Positions in Passport Power Index due to Visa Liberalisation

Kosovo Passport in Schengen Visa-Free List

Exciting news for Kosovo passport holders as they gained visa-free access to the Schengen Area member states as of January 1, 2024. This move has propelled the Kosovo passport from the 188th position to the 98th in the Visa Guide Passport Index. Now, Kosovo passport holders can visit a total of 48 world countries completely visa-free, including the 27 Schengen Area member states, Romania and Bulgaria (which will join Schengen on March 31), as well as Cyprus.

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However, it’s worth noting that despite this new visa-free access, Kosovo citizens still need a visa to visit Ireland for tourist and business purposes, as Ireland is not part of the Schengen Zone. Prior to this, Kosovo citizens could travel visa-free to only 11 countries. As of today, they can travel to a total of 49 visa-free countries. In addition, Kosovo citizens can also travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visa-free.

The founder of SchengenVisaInfo.com, Besart Bajrami, commented on this significant development, noting that the EU is the only governing institution with the authority to grant such power to a single passport overnight.

Despite this positive move, Kosovo passport holders still need a traditional visa to travel to 97 world countries, a visa on arrival to visit 32, and an eVisa to another 32 countries. Additionally, the Kosovo passport is banned in 14 countries, as their governments do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

Interestingly, Spain was previously among the list of countries that banned the Kosovo passport. However, Spanish authorities have now recognized Kosovo passports, allowing holders to visit the country without any issues. According to Bajrami, Spain’s move was influenced by its inability to fully enforce a ban on Kosovo passports.

The Visa Guide Passport Index for January 2024 ranks Spain as the country with the most powerful passport, followed by Germany in second place and Singapore in third. This new visa-free access is an important milestone for Kosovo and its citizens, marking a significant improvement in international travel opportunities for passport holders.