Kosovo Serbs to be allowed visa-free entry to Switzerland for short stays
Holders of a Serbian biometric passport can travel to the Schengen area without a visa. But this doesn’t applied to those with a passport issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate in Belgrade.
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Listening: Kosovo Serbs to be allowed visa-free entry to Switzerland for short stays
Kosovo Serbs will be able to travel to Switzerland for stays of up to 90 days without a visa.
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The Swiss government announced on Wednesday that it would adopt the new European Union (EU) regulations.
Since December 2009, holders of a Serbian biometric passport have been able to travel to the Schengen area without a visa. However, this exemption has not applied to those with a passport issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate in Belgrade until now.
The Coordination Directorate processes passport applications from Serbs living in Kosovo, as well as members of their diaspora abroad. Holders of these passports are currently the only individuals in the Western Balkans who still require a visa to enter the Schengen area, even for short stays.
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On September 18, the EU decided to exempt these individuals from visa requirements as of October 13. The Swiss government has chosen to follow this decision, as announced in a statement. Switzerland is obligated to implement changes related to the Schengen acquis.
Serbian nationals will still need a visa if they wish to take up paid employment in Switzerland. As nationals of a third country, they can only obtain a work permit if they are highly skilled and if their prospective employer has been unable to find suitable workers in the Swiss labour market or within the EU or EFTA member states.
Translated from French by DeepL/sp
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