Kosovo Key personnel permit

Residence and work permit outside the annual quota for managers and specialists performing key functions in a trading company, association or representation. ^{1 2 3 4}

What you must show and pay

• Savings of at least EUR 5,000 a year (≈ $5,590) · Means of subsistence in the employment category: the Ministry of Internal Affairs guidance says an annual financial turnover of EUR 5,000 (≈ $5,590) must be shown; a bank statement or an employment contract is accepted. ⁴
• A fee of EUR 50 (≈ $56) · Fee for a temporary residence permit for the purpose of employment. ³

Requirements

• Applicant holds a senior post, manages a department or has special professional skills needed by the company. ¹
• The company employs at least three Kosovo citizens in different jobs, or five for each foreigner when several foreigners hold key posts. ¹
• Applicant meets the general conditions of Art. 48: purpose of stay, valid travel document, sufficient means of subsistence, health insurance, no entry ban and no security threat. ^{1 5}
• The applicant's gross pay is at least the average wage paid in Kosovo in the previous year. ¹
• Means of living of EUR 5,000 (≈ $5,590) a year are shown, for example by a bank statement or an employment contract. ⁴
• Employment contract, evidence of qualifications, and company registration and turnover evidence. ^{1 2}
• Travel document valid at least three months beyond the requested residence period. ^{1 2}
• Health insurance. ²
• Proof of no criminal conviction or investigation, issued by the authority of the country of citizenship or last residence and translated into an official language of Kosovo. ²
• Apply in person at a Kosovo diplomatic or consular mission; a visa-exempt foreigner can apply at the Department for Citizenship, Asylum and Migration. ¹
• The Department decides within 30 days of receiving the application; a refusal can be appealed within eight days. ¹
• The permit is issued for the period needed, at most one year. ¹

Stay

• Permit issued for the contract period, at most one year, and extendable.
• First stay: up to 12 months, decided case by case.
• Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

Nationality

Open to foreigners generally; nationals who need a visa for entry apply through a Kosovo diplomatic or consular mission.

Work

Work in the key post for the employer named in the permit.

Family

Close family can apply for family reunification.

Fine print

Law No. 08/L-262, published on 8 August 2024, amended the Law on Foreigners to bring its procedures in line with the Law on General Administrative Procedure. Its text could not be read on 12 October 2026, so the decision and appeal deadlines given here follow the law as amended in 2018.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

1. Law No. 04/L-219 on Foreigners (Official Gazette 35/2013), amended by Law No. 06/L-036 (2018) and Law No. 08/L-262 (2024) · Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo No. 35/2013 · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2013-09-05
2. Administrative Instruction (MIA) No. 09/2019 on the procedure and criteria for issuing residence permits for foreigners · Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2019
3. Temporary residence permit for foreigners: criteria, required documents and fees · Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo · checked 2026-10-11
4. Amount of sufficient means of subsistence for foreigners · Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo · checked 2026-10-11
5. Law No. 06/L-036 amending and supplementing the Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette 6/2018) · Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo No. 6/2018 · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2018-05-03
6. Permanent residence permit for foreigners (criteria) · Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo · checked 2026-10-11