New measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus that entered into force at 05:00 on Wednesday require all Kosovo citizens to present a certificate confirming a negative PCR test, no less than 72 hours old, on entry to the country. Those that fail to provide a negative test will be required to self-isolate for seven days, with the only exceptions applying to citizens that left the country in the previous 24 hours.  

BIRN sources at the National Centre for Border Management told Prishtina Insight on Wednesday that the measures had already started to be applied, adding that citizens of all countries are required to produce a negative PCR test, with the exception of Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, and Montenegro.

The Centre stated that due to principles of reciprocity being applied, Serbian, Albanian and North Macedonian citizens do not require any test to enter Kosovo, while Montenegrin citizens are required to provide a serological test.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health also took the decision to suspend all flights between the UK and Prishtina International Airport, following the announcement of a new strain of coronavirus in Britain. The decision also states that all citizens arriving from the UK by land should self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

The measures have been introduced during a busy time for travel to Kosovo, with many members of the diaspora returning home for the end of year holidays. According to reports provided by the Kosovo Police on Monday, over 70,000 people entered Kosovo during the weekend of December 19-20.

While travel restrictions have been tightened, hours that businesses are permitted to operate have been extended. Businesses in all three tiers of municipalities are now permitted to open between 05:00 and 20:00, while in the high risk tier, curfews and restrictions on entry and exit now apply from 20:00 until 05:00.