- Country Description
- Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)/Embassy Location
- Entry/Exit Requirements for U.S. Citizens
- Threats to Safety and Security
- Crime
- Victims of Crime
- Criminal Penalties
- Special Circumstances
- Medical Facilities and Health Information
- Medical Insurance
- Traffic Safety and Road Conditions
- Aviation Safety Oversight
- Children's Issues
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: Kosovo declared independence in February 2008. While Kosovo’s government and institutions have sole responsibility for administration of the state, the international presence remains active, including police and NATO military forces. The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) transferred rule of law functions to the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) on December 9, 2008. Civilian institutions, including the criminal justice system, are not presently functioning at a level consistent with Western standards. Kosovo is a cash economy. The currency used throughout Kosovo is the euro. Tourist facilities are very limited in Kosovo. Read the Department of State’s Background Notes on Kosovo for additional information.
SMART TRAVELER ENROLLMENT PROGRAM (STEP)/ EMBASSY LOCATION: If you are going to live or visit Kosovo, please take the time to tell our Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia about your trip. If you enroll, we can keep you up to date with important safety and security announcements. It will also help your friends and family get in touch with you in an emergency. Here’s the link to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
Local embassy information is available below and at the Department of State’s list of embassies and consulates.
U.S. Embassy Pristina
30 Nazim Hikmet Street (Dragodan area)
Pristina, Kosovo
Telephone: (381) 38-5959-3000
Facsimile: (381) 38-548-614 or (381) 38-549-890
Email address : consularpristina@state.gov
At this time U.S. Embassy Pristina provides only emergency services to U.S. citizens. U.S. Embassy Skopje, Macedonia, provides all routine consular services such as passport and visa processing.
U.S. Embassy Skopje
Samoilova 21, 1000 Skopje, Macedonia
Telephone: (389) (2) 310-2000
Emergency after-hours telephone: (389) (2) 310-2000
Facsimile: (389) (2) 310-2299
Email address : ConsularSkopje@state.gov
ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS: Contact the Embassy of Kosovo for additional information about visa types. Visit the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for updates on general visa information.
U.S. citizens need a passport to enter Kosovo. No visa is required, but visitors might need documentation stating the purpose of their visit. Generally, visitors entering Kosovo are permitted to stay for up to 90 days. Persons who wish to stay beyond 90 days will need to register with the Directorate for Migration and Foreigners located in the Main Police Headquarters in Pristina. If you intend to work, study, or remain longer than 90 days in Kosovo, you should contact the Directorate for Migration and Foreigners prior to your arrival in Kosovo to obtain information about requirements for visitors in these categories. The telephone numbers are (381) 38-5080-1224; (381) 38-5080-1422; (381) 38-5080-1296; Fax is (381) 38-5080-1419 and by email. The Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs website includes contact information for the Kosovo Embassy, which can help you with additional information on how to apply for a residency permit. You can also visit the Kosovo Embassy’s website at: http://ambasada-ks.net/us.
Kosovo is an independent, sovereign country, but Serbia still considers Kosovo to be part of Serbia. As a consequence, Serbian border officials will prevent U.S. citizens from entering Serbia from Kosovo without first having entered Serbia and obtaining a Serbian entry stamp from a border crossing point that is not a border crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia. For example, if travelers enter Serbia from Belgrade airport or neighboring Macedonia or Montenegro, and receive a Serbian entry stamp upon entry, they may travel through Serbia to Kosovo, and then back into Serbia from Kosovo without a problem. If they first enter Kosovo from a country other than Serbia, and then try to cross into Serbia from Kosovo, the Serbian authorities will not allow the traveler to enter Serbia. Serbia does not recognize entry stamps by Kosovo border authorities at Kosovo ports of entry, including Pristina Airport.
The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Kosovo.
Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.
SAFETY AND SECURITY: The NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR), along with local police and assisted by EULEX police, are responsible for security and stability in Kosovo. Although the overall security situation has improved, inter-ethnic tensions and sporadic incidents of violence continue to occur.
Per standing security instructions, U.S. Government officials assigned to Kosovo may only travel to parts of northern Kosovo for official business; these restrictions will remain in place for the foreseeable future. U.S. citizens should avoid demonstrations and other sites, such as roadblocks, where large crowds are gathered. U.S. citizens should particularly try to avoid events involving political/ethnic causes. Even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can become violent and unpredictable.
While de-mining programs have proven effective, unexploded ordnance and mines remain in some areas. Telecommunications, electric, and water systems remain unpredictable.
Stay up to date by bookmarking our Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which contains the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well.
You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free within the United States and Canada, or call a regular toll line, 1-202-501-4444, from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Take some time before travel to improve your personal security—things are not the same everywhere as they are in the United States. Here are some useful tips for traveling safely abroad.
CRIME: High unemployment and other economic factors encourage criminal activity. Street crimes, in particular theft and purse snatchings, are serious problems in Kosovo, especially in Pristina. Criminals often commit crimes while armed, often with handguns. Foreigners can be targets of crime, as criminals assume that they carry cash. Likewise, foreigners’ homes, vehicles and international non-governmental organization (NGO) offices can be targeted for burglaries.
The Kosovo Police carry out normal police functions and are helped in this work by EULEX officers and advisors. The judicial system is still developing under international oversight. In December 2008, EULEX assumed rule of law responsibilities from the UN. EULEX is providing monitoring, mentoring and advice to local authorities and institutions and EULEX police have a limited policing role on certain issues.
Do not buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. It is illegal to bring counterfeit items into the United States, and if you purchase such items in Kosovo, you may also be breaking local law.
INFORMATION FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME: If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime abroad, you should contact the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate (see the Department of State’s list of embassies and consulates ). If your passport is stolen, we can help you replace it. For violent crimes such as assault and rape, we can help you find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends, and help them send you money if you need it. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime are solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if you need one.
The local equivalents to the “911” emergency line in Kosovo are: Police: 92 from a landline; 192 from VALA (044) cellular carrier, 922 from IPKO (049) cellular carrier; Fire Department: 93 from a landline, 193 from VALA, 933 from IPKO; and Ambulance: 94 from a landline, 194 from VALA, and 944 from IPKO.
Please see our information on victims of crime, including possible victim compensation programs in the United States.
CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Kosovo, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Kosovo, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going.
Persons violating Kosovo’s laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Kosovo are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.
Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Kosovo, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Banking services are available in Pristina and other major towns, although they are not fully developed. There are now a number of banks with international ties that offer limited banking services, including Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), in Pristina and other major towns. If you need emergency funds from abroad, Western Union and MoneyGram have offices throughout Kosovo. While credit cards are accepted in larger stores and in some restaurants, we recommend having cash in local currency for purchases in small establishments.
Travelers entering Kosovo by air or land with more than 10,000 Euros in cash must declare all currency upon entry. Travelers must also obtain and complete a declaration form from the customs officials at the port of entry. This declaration form must be presented upon departure from Kosovo. Failure to comply may result in the confiscation of all funds.
Accessibility: While in Kosovo, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. The Kosovar constitution and legislation prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, and in the provision of other state services; however, the situation for persons with disabilities remains difficult. Although the relevant law mandates access to official buildings, it is not enforced and such access is rarely available in practice.
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: Health facilities in Kosovo are limited, and medications are in short supply. KFOR cannot provide basic health care to non-military personnel, nor can they provide medical evacuation out of Kosovo.
You can find good information on vaccinations and other health precautions on the CDC website. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO) website. The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.
MEDICAL INSURANCE: You cannot assume your insurance will go with you when you travel. It’s very important to find out BEFORE you leave whether or not your medical insurance will cover you overseas. You need to ask your insurance company two questions:
- Does my policy apply when I am out of the United States?
- Will it cover emergencies like a trip to a foreign hospital or a medical evacuation?
In many places, doctors and hospitals still expect payment in cash at the time of service. Your regular U.S. health insurance may not cover doctors’ and hospital visits in other countries. If your policy doesn’t go with you when you travel, it’s a very good idea to take out another one for your trip. For more information, please see our medical insurance overseas page.
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in Kosovo, you may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. In Kosovo, road conditions can be extremely hazardous because roads are narrow, crowded, and used by a variety of vehicles, from KFOR armored personnel carriers to horse-drawn carts. Many vehicles are old and lack standard front or rear lights. Mountain roads can be narrow and poorly marked, and lack guardrails, quickly becoming dangerous in inclement weather. During winter months, fog can obscure visibility while driving.
Driving safely in Kosovo requires excellent defensive driving skills. Many drivers routinely ignore speed limits and other traffic regulations, such as stopping for red lights and stop signs. Drivers routinely make illegal left turns from the far right lane, or drive into oncoming lanes of traffic. The combination of speeding, unsafe driving practices, poor vehicle maintenance, the mixture of new and old vehicles on the roads, and poor lighting contributes to unsafe driving conditions. Pedestrians should exercise extreme caution when crossing the street, even when using crosswalks, as local drivers sometimes do not slow down or stop for pedestrians.
A valid U.S. driver’s license is required for U.S. citizens driving in Kosovo. The use of seat belts is mandatory, as is the use of headlights, at all times. A driver with a blood alcohol level higher than 0.05 is considered intoxicated. Travelers entering Kosovo by road must purchase local third-party insurance.
Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information. We also suggest that you visit Kosovo’s website on tourism.
AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Kosovo, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the government of Kosovo’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page.
CHILDREN’S ISSUES: Please see our Office of Children’s Issues web pages on intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction.
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This replaces the Country Specific Information for Kosovo dated May 10, 2010, to update sections on Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)/Embassy Location, Threats to Safety and Security, Criminal Penalties, Special Circumstances. Medical Insurance, Traffic Safety and Road Conditions.
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