Travellers from the six Western Balkan countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia – will be the first third-country citizens eligible to travel to the Schengen Area, on July 1, after over three months of a total border closure of the block for non-EU/EEA travellers.
The European Commission has presented its recommendation to the Schengen Area Member States and the Schengen Associated States to prolong the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU until June 30, 2020, and at the same time to lift travel restrictions partially and gradually depending on set objective criteria per each third-country.
As a result, the Commission has recommended lifting the entry ban on Western Balkan citizens on July 1, given that the situation related to the virus in these countries is similar or better than in the EU.
“The Commission also recommends lifting travel restrictions for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia as of July 1, given that their epidemiological situation is similar or better than that of the EU. This also follows on the Commission’s readiness to closely associate the Western Balkans region with the implementation of the roadmap towards lifting containment measures,” a press release issued today by the Commission explains.
