Kosovo

Is Kosovo safe to visit?

Yes, for most travellers. Kosovo has little crime aimed at visitors, Prizren and Pristina are easy to explore on foot, and road deaths are the lowest in the Western Balkans. We score it 72, close to Albania (73) and below Serbia (78).

The risks are political. The US State Department rates Kosovo Level 2, "exercise increased caution", for unrest and terrorism, and advises reconsidering travel to North Kosovo. Pristina has seen weeks of protests since September 2026. And the public hospitals are the weakest in the region, so insurance matters more here than in most of Europe.

What is the situation in North Kosovo?

About 50,000 Serbs in the north do not recognise Kosovo's institutions and look to Belgrade, according to Al Jazeera. Tension there peaked on 24 September 2023, when an armed Serb group clashed with police in the village of Banjska, near the Serbian border. One Kosovo police officer and three gunmen were killed. In April 2026 a Pristina court sentenced two attackers to life and a third to 30 years for terrorism. Milan Radoičić, a Kosovo Serb politician living in Serbia, admitted organising the attack and has not been tried.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says conditions in the north have improved since 2024 but remain politically sensitive and can change quickly. Protests in North Mitrovica, Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić have turned violent at times. NATO's KFOR peacekeepers still patrol. If you visit the north, go by day, keep away from gatherings and do not drive a car with Serbian plates.

Protests in Pristina in 2026

On 16 September 2026 the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague found former president Hashim Thaçi guilty of war crimes from the 1998–99 conflict, one of four former Kosovo Liberation Army commanders convicted. Thousands had gathered in Pristina expecting an acquittal, and some clashed with riot police outside the EU mission later that day. Protests continued for weeks.

On 5 October, after parliament gave a first reading to amendments that would limit the court's powers, demonstrators blocked the exits of parliament and government buildings. Police used tear gas and water cannon, and several people were detained, according to Euronews. A second reading is still due. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises allowing extra time for travel and keeping away from crowds, especially in the evenings.

Crossing into Serbia: the stamp problem

Serbia does not recognise Kosovo and does not treat its crossings with Kosovo as international borders. You can travel from Serbia into Kosovo and back. But if you entered Kosovo from Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro or by air, the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says you are likely to be refused entry to Serbia from Kosovo without a Serbian entry stamp. Route through North Macedonia or Montenegro instead.

Many Serbian car hire firms will not let their cars into Kosovo, and Serbian-registered hire cars have been targeted in isolated areas. Green card insurance is not valid in Kosovo; buy local third-party cover at the border, in euros.

Health care and hazards

This is Kosovo's weakest factor. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says the public system is poorly funded, hospitals lack specialist equipment and medicines are often short. Private clinics are better and relatively affordable; carry insurance that covers evacuation. Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, spread by ticks, is endemic around Malisheva and can occur in other rural areas in summer, so use repellent and check for ticks after walks. The FCDO warns of high air pollution at times, particularly in Pristina. CDC recommends hepatitis A and B vaccines.

Earth tremors are common, though the last significant quake, magnitude 4.5, was in 2010. Old mines remain in a few high, wooded border areas and around the Dulje Pass; keep to roads and tracks there.

Roads and petty crime

The Transport Community counted 112 road deaths in 2025 (provisional), 62 per million people, the lowest rate in the Western Balkans but still above the EU average of 43. Rural roads are poor, particularly after bad weather, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises avoiding night driving.

Pickpockets work the airport and public transport. Use ATMs inside banks because of card skimming, and avoid taxis that approach you; ride-hailing apps do not operate, so order a registered firm by phone or through your hotel. Thieves target four-wheel-drive and luxury cars.

How to stay safe in Kosovo

• Plan any onward trip to Serbia so you do not have to cross directly from Kosovo.
• Avoid protests in Pristina and gatherings in the north.
• Carry insurance with evacuation cover and use private clinics.
• Check for ticks after countryside walks in summer.
• Call 112 for any emergency, 192 for police, 194 for an ambulance.

How we scored it

Violent crime (82) is the strongest factor, with about 1.9 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary in 2021, though the data are old. Health (58) is the weakest, reflecting the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's description of public hospitals. Conflict (62) covers the north, the Banjska attack and the 2026 protests. Confidence is medium because crime data stop in 2021.