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Kosovo

Safety

Safety in Kosovo
What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?

People’s Opinions

  1. Our Team felt super safe walking around in the capital city Pristine. And we felt pretty safe walking around in the village of Brod. Though it is more of a traditional place and it’s always safe to not be walking alone as much as you can because of the cafes/coffee shops that are majority men. But in general it’s very safe in Kosovo.
  2. Our team felt very safe while in Kosovo. There were no concerns/issues within the country.
  3. Kosovo is generally pretty safe. The society here is very traditional, women are expected to be quiet and passive, so when the men see women who are very confident in their identity and independent, it can be very “attractive”. Men can often stare at you, or get a little too close when interacting. For many cultural reasons, it was advised by our contact for women to interact with women, and men to interact with men. Remember to buddy-up when walking and keep your purse close!

Health

CDC Travelers Health | Kosovo

Health in Kosovo
Any special health concerns?

People’s Opinions

  1. No Visa needed. Passport only.
  2. There was no visa necessary.
  3. No visa is needed. They simply stamp your passport at the border

Visa Info

U.S. State Dept Visa Info | Kosovo

Visa Info in Kosovo
Do you need one? Where did you get it? Cost? Resources/sources:

People’s Opinions

  1. US Citizens can enter Albania with no visa and can now stay for up to 12 months without a residence permit.
  2. My team and I are in Mitroviça and it seems to be difficult to find a COVID test online for this city. A local friend took our teammate to a nearby hospital to get his rapid test when he was sick! Here is a photo from his bill with some info.
  3. There were no health concerns in Kosovo.

Currency Info

Currency Info in Kosovo
Name of currency? Where can you exchange money?

People’s Opinions

  1. The currency is Euro. You can find a lot of ATMs in Prishtine, and be aware that not a lot of small shops will take your big bills. (€50+) Overall ATMs can be easily found in Kosovo.
  2. The currency was Euro. There are several ATM’s to exchange money close by where you are staying.
  3. They use the Euro. We exchanged money in the airport in Tirana before we traveled to Kosovo but I’m sure you can exchange at a bank as well.

Communication

Communication in Kosovo
Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?

People’s Opinions

  1. You can find wifi anywhere you go, our initial purchase of the SIM card was €20 for 20 days but when we got to the village area not sur it’s the mountains or what it drained the phones minutes and data really fast. So we have to recharge it. It could use your entire communication budget depending on the size of your team. 
  2. Yes we had cell reception and internet. There was internet in the church and in the apartment we stayed in. There were also many coffee shops within walking distance that had wifi as well! We purchased SIM cards in the square of Kosovo (city) it costed us about $5 for SIM cards (per card) and then we added more minutes as we went throughout the month.

Transportation

Transportation in Kosovo
What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.

People’s Opinions

  1. Taking a marshrutka (minibus) is the cheapest and the biggest local transportation system here. Unless you want to go to the capital city there’s big buses available as well. But transportation system in Kosovo is very easy. And of course taxi, but make sure the price is settled before getting into a taxi.
  2. Our team traveled from Serbia to Kosovo. It was somewhat challenging but we took a taxi from the Serbia airport to the bus station in Serbia. Then we rode on a bus from there into Kosovo. It was about $20 per person from the bus ride in Serbia to get to Kosovo. Be aware though that the SIM card from Serbia does not work to make calls to Kosovo. There was wifi/internet at one coffee shop in the Serbia bus station but it wasn’t very effective. Therefore, it would be wise to make plans as early as possible with a bus ride to Kosovo.
  3. We took a mini bus from Tirana, Albania directly to the town of Gjilan, but there is also a larger bus that goes from Tirana to Pristina, the capital of Kosovo.If you need to travel between Pristina and Gjilan (and vice versa) you can take a bus or “taxi” for 2/euros per person. The taxis are just drivers who stand near the bus station and with their normal (not marked Taxi) cars. We have used them with the help of Kosovaars. They’re legitimate but you should never pay more than 2 euros/person to go between Pristina and Gjilan.

Culture

Culture in Kosovo
Anything Racers need to be aware/respectful of? Suggestions/Recommendations?

People’s Opinions

  1. The culture in Kosovo is 98% Muslims and Serbs 2%. Currently Serbia and Kosovo are not at the greatest terms. When witnessing our doing local outreach, many people will say that they are Muslim but not know much about the Islamic faith. Ask the ministry host to explain the history of Kosovo, he does a great job at clarifying any questions you may have. Serbia also does not accepted Kosovo’s independence so there may be issues if you try to cross a border directly from Kosovo into Serbia. Just be mindful of where you are and what you say when crossing borders.
  2. Kosovo has two main people groups – Albanians (98% – Muslims) and Serbs (2% – primarily Orthodox) – and htey have been fighting since the 15th century. During the war in 1999 “Christian” Serbs killed and mutilated Albanians, sometimes carving crosses into the bodies. They also painted crosses on the homes they burned. The cross is not a symbol of good for ethnic Albanians. Asking an Albanian if they want to become a Christian is equivalent to asking them to become Serbs and will not go over well. Ask your ministry host what terminology they use and stick with that. In fairness, when the Albanians got their chance, there were also atrocities committed by them against the Serbs. Serbia has never accepted Kosovo’s independence so there may be issues if you try to cross a border directly from Kosovo into Serbia.
  3. Kosovo is a very male-dominated society, so women walking the streets confident and independent is something they’re not very used to. Too much interaction between genders can cause a lot of cultural conflict and confusion, so our contact urged us to try and have women only minister to women and men minister to men. This may seem oppressive coming from an American culture, but it’s something that is very important to them and can save you from a lot of misunderstandings. People of the same gender are often very touchy-feely, so don’t be surprised if people wrap their arms around you and give you a big kiss on the cheek or hold your hand/arm as you walk after getting to know you. They do the traditional “hug while pressing your cheeks together and switch sides” thing as you get to know people better, can range from one cheek-press to three. Whenever anybody enters a room or leaves, they give a handshake to everybody in the room – this is not necessary, but shows respect for the culture.

Shipping / Mailing

DHL | Kosovo

Shipping / Mailing in Kosovo
Company used and contact info? How did you get packages to them?

People’s Opinions

  1. There was a place to ship items (postcards, letters, etc.) It is near the church. If you ask the host and they will be able to help you out! There is also a souvenir shop near the church that has postcards to purchase.

Tips

People’s Opinions

  1. As far as lodging our team stayed in an apartment with 6 beds, a kitchen, a dining room and a living room, it was amazing! Really invest in the people and ministries, there are many! We worked with children, youth, women (mercy ministries), at a warehouse, did local outreach and evangelism and much more! It was an amazing month, you will really enjoy it! The host and the people you will work with in the church are AMAZING too!

Additional Info

Additional Info in Kosovo
Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?

People’s Opinions

  1. Overall learn to experience the culture while gaining a understanding of the gospel in different perspectives, and sharing it in a different way than you always box it as how to share the gospel.