Trade Union: Kosovo will lose 150,000 workers to visa liberalization

Azemi said the visa regime liberalization would also affect the private sector, adding that the first half of 2024 will be a test for owners of various companies, that is, their last chance to secure better working conditions before the workforce leaves Kosovo.

“A lack of workforce is already noticeable and I expect more people to leave Kosovo in the second half of the year, providing that they find better jobs. Company owners will have the first six months of this year as a kind of test – they can at least offer the terms that meet the Labor Act and the collective agreement,” Azemi told the media in Pristina.

He said the minimum monthly salary in Kosovo should be 500 euros.

As of January 1, 2024, citizens of Kosovo may travel without visas to 27 countries of the Schengen zone.

The visa liberalization enables the citizens of Kosovo who have biometric passports to stay in any of the 27 Schengen zone countries for up to 90 days within a period of six months.