The Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Skopje has announced that the new border control regime between Kosovo and North Macedonia will become operational in mid-April. Under this system, only entry checks will be conducted by the respective country's border police.
The new regime, implemented under the "entry-entry" model, will be enforced at the Hani i Elezit/Bllacë and Glloboqiqë/Jazhincë border crossings. Border police officers from both countries will work in a shared facility to streamline operations.
"The brief postponement was made to finalize technical and logistical preparations, with teams working intensively on the implementation of this important interstate agreement," the Kosovo Embassy in Skopje stated, as reported by albinfo.ch.
Authorities have highlighted that this model is expected to reduce waiting times and facilitate smoother movement for citizens of both countries.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia has confirmed that the joint border control system, known as the "One Stop Shop," will officially commence operations at the Bllacë e Poshtme – Hani i Elezit checkpoint on April 14.
This marks the fourth announcement from the North Macedonian Ministry regarding the One Stop Shop system with Kosovo, following previous launch dates of January 1, March 1, and April 1, before being set for April 14.
Kosovar citizens will need to present a biometric ID card or a passport to cross into North Macedonia under this system.
Unlike this border regime, Kosovo and its other neighboring country, Albania, operate shared border checkpoints. For most of the year, citizens of both countries travel across their respective territories without undergoing any border controls.