Elementary school students from Kosovo will soon be eligible to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina without valid travel documents for study purposes or excursion under specific conditions.
The decision came during BIH’s 28th Extraordinary Phone Session of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during which the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina approved the proposal of the Ministry of Security, VisaGuide.World reports.
Under the new proposal, citizens of Serbia and elementary school students from the Republic of Kosovo will be eligible to travel for study or excursion without valid travel documents.
The children will stay in Gradiška, Trebinje, Bijeljina, Vlasenica, Šamac, Brod, Zvornik, Prijedor, Bratunac, East Novi Sarajevo, Prnjavor, Celinac, Teslić, Banja Luka and East Ilidža.
Visa Requirements Stand Firm
In spite of geographical proximity, citizens of Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina are required to apply for visas when planning to visit each other’s territories.
In November 2022, representatives of Western Balkan countries signed an agreement in Berlin, among them abolishing visa requirements between these two Balkan states.
Back then German Foreign Minister, Anna Baerbock, said that nationals from these two countries would benefit the most from the agreement, stressing that such a decision would put to an end the last remaining visa wall in this territory.
Kosovo is Still Waiting for Bosnia and Herzegovina to Ratify the Agreement
Confirming that the deal was signed on November 3, 2022, in Berlin, Qendresa Fazliu Senior Communication Officer in Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously told VisaGuide.World that the implementation is foreseen in its final provision with the following text:
The Agreement shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the deposit of the third formal notification of ratification, acceptance or approval for the Parties that have deposited their formal notification of ratification, acceptance or approval.”
Fazliu emphasized that the deal between the three countries, the Republic of Kosovo, Macedonia of the North and Albania will be considered effective from June 3, 2023.
According to Fazliu North Macedonia is a depositary state and “in the following days”, it will notify all parties of any notification received in accordance with the final provisions of this agreement.
Therefore, we, as the Republic of Kosovo, are waiting for the announcement about the ratification process from the side of Bosnia as well, but this announcement will be made by North Macedonia as the depository state.
However, citizens of both countries will have to wait until they are eligible to travel visa-free to each other’s countries.