What applies when hiring from Kosovo
Nationals of Kosovo fall under the Western Balkans Regulation (Westbalkanregelung: section 26(2) of the Employment Ordinance, BeschV, in conjunction with section 19c(1) of the Residence Act, AufenthG). They can obtain approval from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA) for any type of employment; recognition of their qualifications is not required, except in regulated professions.
The first approval is only granted if the visa is applied for at the responsible German mission in one of the six countries – a first application from within Germany is not possible. For applicants in Kosovo, that is the German Embassy in Pristina.
Three points are specific to Kosovo: the long BA queue, the visa at the embassy in Pristina and the driving licence, where the date of issue can matter. The general requirements are explained in our guide to the Western Balkans Regulation.
Visa-free does not mean allowed to work: with a biometric passport, nationals of Kosovo do not need a visa for short stays – no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, and they may not take up employment during that time. Anyone who is to work for you needs a visa for employment.
Visa: German Embassy in Pristina
Visa applications under the Western Balkans Regulation are the responsibility of the German Embassy in Pristina; the decision on the visa is made exclusively by the embassy.
Once the BA pre-approval has been issued, the appointment follows within a few weeks, according to the embassy. The embassy states that processing generally takes several weeks to months – longer if the person has previously spent a longer period in Germany.
The pre-approval is valid for nine months from the date of issue, and the visa must be granted within that period. The fee for a national visa is €75 (section 46(2) no. 1 AufenthV). A Schengen visa is no substitute: according to the embassy in Pristina, it does not allow work (section 95 AufenthG).
Our part of the process:
- Preparing the candidates’ documents in full
- Asking about previous stays in Germany, as they can lengthen processing
- Booking the appointments at the embassy
- Communicating with the authorities
BA processing status: the longest queue of the six countries
For each nationality, the BA publishes the receipt date of the applications it is currently processing. For nationals of Kosovo, these are applications with a receipt date of 9 March 2026 (as of 14 October 2026) – the earliest date of all six Western Balkan countries.
The reason is the quota: approvals are split by month and nationality, and applications can only be processed while the monthly quota for the nationality concerned has not been used up. The BA gives its own example: for workers from Kosovo, you may only receive a pre-approval in December even though you applied in June.
Timelines for countries without a backlog therefore do not apply to candidates from Kosovo: the queue adds months. Start selection and the employment contract early, because the processing status follows the receipt date. The nine-month validity of the pre-approval only starts when it is issued.
The processing status is a snapshot (as of 14 October 2026); the BA publishes the current figure on its Western Balkans Regulation page.
Driving licence: conversion under Annex 11 FeV
Annex 11 of the Driving Licence Ordinance (Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, FeV) lists the classes that can be converted without a theory or practical test. For licences from Kosovo, these are AM, A1, A2, A, B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE – including the truck classes C and CE.
Footnote 20 is important: for Kosovar licences issued before 1 March 2018, additional information on possession and validity is required. For professional drivers, we therefore check the date of issue during selection; in each case the driving licence authority decides.
| Classes | Conversion |
|---|---|
| AM, A1, A2, A, B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE | without a theory or practical test |
| Licence issued before 1 March 2018 | information on possession and validity via the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (footnote 20) |
| Classes not listed | the driving licence authority decides which tests are required (section 31 FeV) |
How we find and assess candidates from Kosovo
Balkan Recruiters is the licensed private employment agency of SSC d.o.o. Jelah-Tešanj, based in Jelah, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and registered with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (decision no. UPI 03-30/12-125/26 EB). This matters, because the BA must refuse approval where unlawful placement is involved (section 40(1) no. 1 AufenthG).
We offer candidates from all six Western Balkan countries and from Croatia. We hold casting events in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; depending on the profile, you get to know candidates from Kosovo in a video interview or through a practical test by arrangement, for example at our assessment centre in Jelah.
We place workers exclusively in direct employment with your company – no temporary agency work (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung). The BA must refuse approval for agency workers in any case (section 40(1) no. 2 AufenthG).
- Practical test by arrangement, for example at the 680 m² assessment centre in Jelah, filmed on 4K cameras; task defined with you on request, results in your CRM portal – no travel needed
- Where possible, at least A1/A2 German or good English; language courses before arrival on request
- Health insurance for every placed worker through our partnership with BARMER
- Success-based: you pay only for a successful placement, and candidates pay nothing
Active since 2021, with more than 400 skilled workers placed. Not every candidate takes a practical test.
Quota from 2027: what it means for nationals of Kosovo
Under section 26(2) BeschV, the BA can grant up to 50,000 first-time approvals per calendar year (wording as of 8 November 2026), split by month and nationality.
According to the BA, the 2026 quota will be used up before the end of the year; already in 2025 it was not enough for all applications. The Federal Government intends to halve it to 25,000 from January 2027. On 4 November 2026, the Bundestag rejected motion 21/2248 to keep it at 50,000. The halving is not yet in force.
For your planning, this means that the backlog for Kosovar nationals is already the longest of the six countries (receipt date 9 March 2026, as of 14 October 2026); how a smaller quota from 2027 would play out is open. Depending on the profile, there are routes that are not subject to the quota; we check early which one fits your vacancy.