Kosovo passport stamp - problem for Serbia?

Here is a reference from a 'serious' newspaper, The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/30/serbia-kosovo-historic-agreement-brussels

I am refering to that quoted statement that can possibly lead this thread into discussion that is not releated to the topic. It is very hard to maintain neutral sided and objective on this board, so please let's keep out of this kind of political statements. That was my point.

Hi Zircon,

I want to go to both Pristina then Prizren. So, originally, I wanted to go to Skopje then in and out of Kosovo, back to Macedonia and then on to Albania.

I guess if I go on to Prizren, then on to Albania, I will be missing Lake Ohrid.

Thanks for all that info too, mpetrovic, very useful

I guess I just hear such varying reports...I'm not sure if I should change that flight out of Belgrade??

Also, I guess my worry is that i will be on a bus where I will hand over my passport with everyone else on the bus and won't have the chance to say no to the stamp.... or the Macedonia entry/exit stamps.

It's confusing as I seem to get opposite bits of information (that all seem valid)

Thanks for all taking the time to write.

On April 30, 2013, Serbia and kosovo have signed an agreement. Serbia now recognizes Kosovo,

Better to read your newspapers a bit better Willemspie. They reached an agreement on some points, but of course Serbia did not recognize Kosovo, just like multiple European countries and lots of others in the world didn't recognize Kosovo as an independent country.

Matthijs

Hi Zircon,

I think I missed your post 16.

So it would be fine to go in and out of Albania? I'm still starting in Sofia and ending in Belgrade

I am most likely going to be traveling on my UK passport, not my Canadian one.

So if I go to Sofia - Macedonia - Albania (on the super duper highway) then into Montenegro, up to Bosnia, then to Belgrade, that should be fine?

When I checked on the www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ site I found this..

Kosovo/Serbia Border

The authorities in Serbia don’t consider the designated crossing points from Kosovo to be official ‘international’ border crossing points.

Foreign nationals have been denied entry to Serbia if they have Republic of Kosovo stamps in their passports and the Serbian authorities may not allow you to travel into Serbia if you hold these stamps. We are also aware of isolated incidents where Serbian authorities have cancelled Kosovo stamps in passports of foreign nationals.

Foreign nationals are less likely to experience entry problems if they travelled into Kosovo from Serbia and are returning, or are travelling via Albania, Macedonia or Montenegro

However, I'm wondering what other options are there? You can travel from Serbia or all the other countries? Isn't that all of the options anyway?

I won't have been into Serbia at all before I get to Belgrade.

Carafa, i think you make the problem bigger than it actually is. Just don't enter Serbia for the first time via Kosovo, like you already cited from the foreign affairs webpage. That's it. With none of the other countries you will have difficulties. Just enter Serbia via one of its neighbours as long as it is not via Kosovo (you can of course go to Serbia, travel to Kosovo and get back to Serbia).

Have a good trip.
Matthijs

Yes, you could go up from Albania to Prizren, then return to Albania. I was suggesting this from a logistics, not a passport stamp, viewpoint. As I said, Pristina doesn't offer much unless you're a EU bureaucrat, and the new highway from Albania to Prizren is super fast.

Hello!!
Wow! lots of information!! excuse, I went to Belgrade for my holidays, from there I travelled to Sarajevo, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia,
tomorrow I got to Skopje, and from there I plan on going to Pristina-Kosovo, on a day trip.

Until now I'm reading about the issues that creates to have a stamp from Kosovo in your passport and then heading to Serbia, (I have the return flight to my home country from Belgrade airport )

..Since I have to catch my flight in Belgrade I'm not sure anymore if it is a good idea for me to travel from Skopje to Pristina anymore!
any advise? any information that can help me out make up my mind, I would really appreciate your comments.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Please dont post something you don't know, or youre not sure, because I have been turned away last week from the border..Was going to enter Srbija from Kosovo and came into Kosovo from Macedonia..So ppl you still could have problem.Is not out of date thing!