Starting today, May 5, nationals of Kosovo will be eligible to travel to Israel without visas for tourism purposes.
Kosovars will be able to travel without visas to Israel for short-term stays, provided they hold a valid Kosovo passport and apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA-IL) in advance, VisaGuide.World reports.
Kosovo and Israel ratified the visa waiver agreement in February this year, in the week that marked four years of diplomatic relations between both countries.
The decision was confirmed by the ambassador of Israel to Kosovo, Tammy Ziv.
In the week in which we celebrate the fourth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries, Israel and Kosovo ratified an agreement on the abolition of visas. From May 5, citizens of Kosovo can travel to Israel as tourists without the need for a visa.
Kosovo’s President Confirms Visa-Free Travel with Israel
Attempts to facilitate the travel process between both territories have been intensified in the past few years.
In January 2024, the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that its country’s citizens holding valid passports would be able to travel without visas to Israel for tourism purposes.
Osmani said the decision comes in a bid to make the travel process easier. Her comments came following a meeting held with the Ambassador to Kosovo, Ziv Nevo Kulman.
In addition, in January last year, it was also confirmed that the Ministries started the procedures for the formalization of the Agreement that would permit Kosovars to visit Israel without visas for tourism purposes.
Ambassador Ziv informed President Osmani that after the President’s request to Israel’s institutions, the government of Israel has expressed compliance with the approval of the visa waiver agreement for citizens of Kosovo.
A mutual visa waiver agreement between both territories was signed in June 2024. The decision was confirmed through a statement published by the Embassy of Israel in Kosovo.
Kosovo’s passport is ranked in the 99th position in the Passport Index of the VisaGuide.World, which ranks passports of 199 countries in terms of the strength of their passport.
The same source shows that holders of Kosovo’s passports are able to travel without visas to a total of 47 countries and passport-free to four countries.
Recently, Malaysia lifted visa requirements for Kosovars for stays up to 30 days. The decision was confirmed by the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani.