Kosovo

Country Fact Sheet

2017

DisclaimerIOM has carried out the gathering of information with great care. IOM provides information

at its best knowledge and in all conscience. Nevertheless, IOM cannot assume to be held accountable for the correctness of the information provided. Furthermore, IOM shall not be

liable for any conclusions made or any results, which are drawn from the information provided by IOM.

Credit: Nathalie Kasparek 2017

I. CHECKLIST FOR VOLUNTARY RETURN

II. HEALTH CARE1. General Information2. Medical treatment and medication

III. LABOR MARKET AND EMPLOYMENT1. General Information2. Ways/assistance to find employment3. Unemployment assistance4. Further education possibilities and vocational trainings

IV. HOUSING1. Housing situation2. Way/assistance to find accommodation3. Social grants for housing

V. SOCIAL WELFARE1. Social welfare system2. Pension system3. Vulnerable Groups

VI. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM1. General Information2. Costs, loans, and stipends3. Approval and verification of foreign diplomas

VII. CONCRETE SUPPORT FOR RETURENEES1. Reintegration assistance programs2. Support to start income generating activities

VIII. CONTACT INFORMATION AND USEFUL LINKS

2You can find further information here:

https://www.returningfromgermany.de/en/countries/kosovo

Before Return

✓ request documents from German authoritiesthat might be needed later.

• required: birth certificates of childrenborn in Germany (without these, seriousproblems may arise when entering thecountry or during the registrationprocedure), school diplomas andcertificates of attended vocationalcourses and trainings.

• recommended: becommendation lettersfrom employers, EU driving licenses,proof of affiliation with any type ofbusiness, cultural or sport association isof high importance.

✓ acquire information concerning the arrival at theairport and the onward journey. There is nopart of the country which is not accessible,except during certain periods in winter thatexperience heavy snowfalls.

✓ check vaccinations (especially for children).

✓ find a temporary accommodation: Directly afterreturn, returnees often do not have anywhereto go. Accommodation up to seven days atgovernmental reception centers, which is hostedand covered by the government, is possible.

I. Checklist for Voluntary Return

After Return

✓ register with relevant authorities

• first registration is conducted by theReintegration Department of Ministry ofInternal Affairs right after passing bordercontrols at the airport or land bordercrossings

• register at the Civil MattersAdministration Office in order to applyfor IDs and to be recorded in the CivilRegistration Books of Kosovo (if notalready done).

✓ after obtaining ID cards an employment centershould be visited.

✓ apply for social welfare. Social assistance officesare well-established in every town across thecountry. Criteria required to benefit from socialassistance are strict and only persons inextreme need will be supported.

✓ contact services assisting with the search forjobs and housing. Employment Offices arelocated in each town throughout Kosovo, andreturnees should visit them in order to registeras job seekers.

✓ apply for child care, schools or othereducational institutions.

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Credit: V. Brandjolica 1999

II. Health Care

1. General information

The health care system in Kosovo is organizedon three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary.

Primary health care (PHC) is provided by theMain Family Medicine Centers, which operate inmore than 30 municipalities across Kosovo withvery limited diagnostic capabilities. FamilyMedicine Centers and health service ambulancesoffer basic primary care services.Secondary health care services are provided bysix regional hospitals located in the main cities inKosovo. All the hospitals are operational but thecapacity of their laboratories and X-raydepartments is limited. Regional hospitals have450-550 beds each.Tertiary health care is provided by the UniversityClinical Center, located in Pristina. 2,500 beds areavailable.

Kosovo vaccination program:Upon birth, BCG and Hepatitis B vaccines shouldbe injected first, whereas DTP, Poliomyelitis,Hepatitis B and Hib 1 vaccines should be injectedduring the second month of a child’s life.

In the third month of life the child receives DTP,Poliomyelitis and Hib 2 vaccines in order tocontinue with DTP, poliomyelitis, Hepatitis B andHib 3 vaccines in the fourth month of life. Thecycle is completed with an MMR vaccinationwhich is due between the 12th and 18th monthof life.

At the age of 6-7, children receive DT,Poliomyelitis, and MMR vaccine orally. Theprocess is finished within a period of 12-18 yearswhen children/teenagers receive Poliomyelitis,DTP, and TT (Tetanus) Vaccines. If this circle isnot completed vaccination should be continuewhere it was formerly interrupted.

Access:Health care services are provided free of chargeby public health institutions for specific groups ofpeople, and returnees have good access in allsituations. There is no health insurance systemestablished in Kosovo yet. Private companiesoffer health insurance however these schemesare very expensive.

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2. Medical treatment and andavailability and costs of medication

Medical facilities and doctors:✓ QKUK-KUCC (Kosovo University Clinical

Center) is the main public healthestablishment located in Prishtina. KUCC is anumbrella organisation with 15 clinics operatingunder its supervision. Following clinics areoperating under UCC: Anesthetic andIntensive Care Unit, Dermatology and Sexuallytransmitted diseases, Emergency Care Center,Gynecology and Obstetrics, Neurology,Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pediatrics,Pediatric surgery, Psychiatry, Pulmonary,Surgery, Urology, Central Pharmacy, NationalInstitute of Public Health.

✓ Consolidated private health sector, coveringmany health fields: The services are of higherquality compared to the UCC but prices aremostly not affordable for the widerpopulation. Independent clinics in Kosovo asfollows: American Hospital, Aloka Clinic,Bahceci, Euromed and Rezonanca Hospital,Royal Hospital, Lindja Hospital.

Procedure of admission:Persons must first contact institutions on theprimary level of the health system, Family HealthCenters or Main Family Health Centers. If follow-ups are needed, regional hospitals established inthe main regions of Kosovo should be visited. Ifservices are not available at institutions of thesecondary level of the health system, patientsreceive a written recommendation to enter thetertiary level, the QKUK-KUCC clinic inPrishtina

Availability and costs of medication:Essential medicines are supposed to be availablefree of charge in every public health care center,but are often out of supply and not available inpublic clinics. Independent pharmacies may beable to import drugs needed, but they are likelyto be expensive and the supply thereof may beuncertain. There are possibilities to importmedicaments from neighboring regions andcountries.

I. General information

The official number of employed people inKosovo in both the private and the public sectorsis 331,761(Source: Kosovo Agency of Statistics).The employment rate in Kosovo by the end ofyear 2016 was 28%. However, these numbers arenot good indicators due to the large informallabor market. The legal working age in Kosovo is18, and the pension age is 65. The reportpublished by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics in2017 concerning the labour force survey of 2016,found that unemployment rate in Kosovo duringyear 2016 was 28%. According to this reportKosovars are mostly employed in trade and autorepairs, followed by production, construction andeducation. According to KAS, the average incomeranges in between 300-400€ per month, whereasthe minimal wage is 200€. According to theWorld Bank the GNI per capita PPP in year 2016was 10,000.00$. Referring to the KSA report onthe labour force in 2016, the unemployment rateis 27.5%, wherein the unemployment rate amongmen is 26.2% while among women it is 31.8%.The unemployment rate of the youth accordingto this report is 52.4%.

Important figures on the economic situation:• GDP per capita: 3,850.00€ (source: World

Bank 2016)• Economic growth: 3.6% in 2016 (source: World

Bank)• Poverty rate: 29.7% (source: UNDP)

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III. Labor Market and Employment2. Ways/Assistance to find employment

Kosovo doesn’t offer any form of unemploymentsupport schemes. Public sector jobs arepublished on websites and in nationalnewspapers, but also physically on informationboards of the institution or agency publishing thevacancy.In the private sector the informal channel (wordof mouth) is much more widespread.Employment in the private sector isunderdeveloped. Herewith some of the majorwebsites for job-seekers:www.appk.org, www.ofertapune.com, www.portalpune.com, www.shkabaj.net, gjirafa.com, www.kosovajob.com

3. Further education possibilities and vocational trainings

• VTC Trainings are available to: unemployed persons and registered jobseekers belonging to ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups.

• Available vocational trainings: accounting, arc and gas welding, hairdressing, car-electricians, electricians, IT training, hydraulics, soldering, construction, carpentry, tailoring etc.

• VTC locations: Prishtina, Mitrovica, Dolane, Peja, Gjakova, Prizren, Ferizaj and Gjilan. Two Centers of Competence in Skenderaj and Malisheva, for Building and Construction, Commerce, Administration and Trade.

Credit Shermet Kukaj 2005

1. Housing Situation

Apartments in towns are largely available and thedemand for them remains high due to themigratory movements from the rural population.This demand keeps prices of rent high. As forrent in rural areas, they are very rare so as not tosay nonexistent. Approximate monthly rents inPrishtina are:Studio/flat:150-200 EUR; Apartmentwith one bedroom: 200-250 EUR; Apartmentwith two bedrooms: 250-350 EUR; Appartmentwith three bedrooms: 300-500 EUR. Rents inother cities in Kosovo (e.g., Peja, Mitrovica,Ferizaj) are approximately 50-80 EUR cheaperthan in Prishtina. Price for electricity per KWh is0.055 EUR, whereas price for 1 m³ of householdwater is 0.350 EUR.

Housing facilities for returnees / social housingThere are no special housing facilities forreturnees, except for the refugee receptioncenter which is hosting asylum seekers inKosovo. Returnees are mostly accommodated inrented premises with the maximum duration fortheir stay being one year.

V. Social Welfare

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IV. Housing

2. Ways/Assistance to findaccommodation

Apartments can be found through estateagencies throughout the country, or throughone’s own research. Inside the town ofPrishtina the price to buy 1 m² of anapartment or house is between 700 and 800EUR, whereas prices in other towns arelower, between 500 and 600 EUR.Main websites:www.kosova-immobilien.com ; http://kosova-estate.com ; www.prona.nethttp://www.merrjep.com|http://www.peshkuiarte.com

3. Social grants for housing

Social Work Centers are the main providersof social grants for housing, beyondoccasional support offered by some NGOs.However, these centers only assist thosepersons who participate in the social aidscheme, and in particular cases, those beingaffected by natural disasters like fire,earthquakes, flooding, etc.

1. Social Welfare System

In order to obtain social assistance applicantsshould visit Social Work Centres and check ifthey fall under criteria determined by theMinistry for Labor and Social Welfare.

Benefits:The person must visit the nearest Center forSocial Welfare for further information andsubmission of their documents. The maximumamount of support granted to single parentsis 90 EUR per month. There are no furthergrants. The social scheme is inflexible thus noother form of assistance (e.g. child allowance)is available.

Eligibility and requirements:• Category one: persons over 18 years,

with permanent disabilities who are notcapable to work; persons over 65 years;permanent care givers for persons withdisabilities and over 65 years

persons up to 14 years old; persons between15 and 18 years old, attending regulareducation; and single parents with at least one(1) child under the age of 15• Category two: Families with one person

capable of working AND at least onechild under the age of five (5) or a persontaking permanent care of an orphanunder the age of 15.

The same criteria are applied to returnees.

Registration procedure for social security and insurance: Centers are located in every municipality ofKosovo. Applicants must present thedocument of nonprofessional engagement(their unemployment status) which is issuedby Employment Offices in each respectivemunicipality.

V. Social Welfare

Required documents:• ID of the Republic of Kosovo• birth certificates of all family members,• death/divorce certificate and a

declaration of family unit

2. Pension System

Public pension insurance fund: 10% of theworkers’ gross salary has to be paid into thisfund, 5% by the employer and 5% by theemployee. Three types of pensions are worthmentioning: The base (or elderly) pension isone of the mandatory forms of pension and isgiven to every permanent citizen of Kosovoover 65 years of age, without any otherpreconditions. The monthly basic schemepension is 75 EUR. The monthly contributionscheme pension is 158 EUR. It should benoted that medical issues are covered by theindividual. There are also pensions fordisabled persons.

Eligibility and requirements Anyone who is a resident of Kosovo is eligibleto access the basic pension fund of Kosovo,whereas the contribution pension schemecan be accessed by those who havepreviously worked and contributed to thepension fund.

Required documents:• basic pension scheme: ID of the Republic of

Kosovo, verification document issued by thecivic office proving that he is a permanentresident in a specific address. Apart fromthese, the applicant should provide theapplication paper and bank accountstatement from a bank that operates inKosovo.

• contribution pension scheme: copy of ID,certificate or diploma of education level andbirth certificate

• pensions for the disabled: the disabledperson should have an ID from Kosovo, bebetween 18 and 65 years of age, and providemedical evidence proving that he/she ispermanently disabled

3. Vulnerable Groups

Recognized categories: self-subsistent mothers,unaccompanied minors, victims of trafficking,disabled persons (autism). Access to socialservices is very limited and strictly evaluated withtough eligibility criteria as a result of thegovernments’ limited financial resources.

Assistance for vulnerable personsSocial Work Centers are the main contributorsto the wellbeing of vulnerable groups. SomeNGOs and international organizations supportspecific vulnerable groups in Kosovo, such asvictims of trafficking and unaccompanied minors.

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VI. Educational System

1. General Information

General information regarding the system

• compulsory education: age 6 to 11

• upon completion of secondary school,students must take a national test

• studies are available at Bachelor, Master andPhD level. Students may choose full-time orpart-time studies. The University of Pristina(UP) is the only public university in Kosovo.

2. Access and registration procedure for returnees

School enrollment procedures are rather simpleand very open and inclusive. Parents shouldconsult the school representatives closest to theplace of residence in order to register theirchildren. They need to present the birthcertificates for children who are registered withthe school for the first time.

VI. Educational System

2. Cost, loans and stipends

There are no tuitions fees in primary andsecondary public schools. However, there aretuition fees at higher educational levels, as well asin private institutions on all levels.

Access and requirements to stipends and/orloans for covering tuition:Neither governmental stipends nor study loansare available. However there are scholarshipsoffered by the University of Prishtina (UP) and byKosovo’s various municipalities. The scholarshipsfrom the UP are around 700-800 € while themunicipality scholarship is 500€. The criteria forthe UP scholarship are: to have an average grade9.0 and above, be a student of the UP, and nothave profited from any other scholarship. Whilethe criteria for the municipality scholarship differfrom municipality to municipality, they usuallyinclude: the individual must not be a beneficiaryof another scholarship and must be a resident ofthat municipality for 10 years.

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Usually, during the process of choosing thebeneficiaries of the scholarship, priority will begiven to those with poor economic conditionsand those with better grades. Sometimesinternational and local organizations, foreignEmbassies, charitable funds and, occasionally,governmental institutions, provide assistance tostudents.

3. Approval and verification of foreign diplomas

The National Qualifications Authority is in chargeof recognizing foreign diplomas. Its mainresponsibilities in cooperation with the Ministryof Education, Science and Technology, the Agencyfor Accreditation and other approvedprofessional bodies, are: the oversight of nationalqualifications as well as the acknowledgement ofprofessional qualifications and foreign diplomas.

VII. Concrete Support for Returnees

1. Reintegration assistance programs

The Government of Kosovo budgeted a 3.5million EUR reintegration fund to assist Kosovanreturnees.

Support is granted in the following areas: foodand non-food items, hygienic items,accommodation, business startups, houserenovation as well as construction. Returnees canaccess most of the reintegration schemes, likeemployment, business startups, food and non-food items, or hygienic packages.

However, returnees cannot benefit from houserenovation and construction schemes unless theydemonstrate a real need for housing and havebeen abroad for a longer period of time.

Applications need to be submitted at MunicipalReturn Offices (MRO) which is based in everymunicipality. Business-startup assistance canamount up to 3000 EUR in-kind. Employmentcenters and the UNDP support returnees withsalary subsidies.

2. Support to start income generating activities

Beside bank loans which are available at any time,offers are limited to occasional projects by theInternational Organization for Migration and civilsociety organizations.

Credit: Jean Philippe Chauzy 1999

United Nations Development Programme

Address: UNDP Kosovo Office, Zagrebi Str. Nr. 39,

10 000 Priština

Email: registry.ks@undp.org

Website: www.ks.undp.org

Phone: +381 (0) 38 249066

Fax: +381 (0) 38 24906

UNHCR

Address: Lorenc Antoni Str. Nr. 26, Pejton,

10 000 Priština

Email: Shpend Halili / halilis@unhcr.org

Website: www.unhcr.org

Phone: +381 (0) 38 241 509

Department for Reintegration – MoI

10 000 Priština

Email: Fahrije Ternava / Fahrije.Ternava@rks-gov.net

Phone: +381 38 521 266

Website: www.mpb-ks.org

Department of Employment

10 000 Priština

E-mail: Ylber Aliu / Ylber.A.Aliu@rks-gov.net

Phone: +381 38 200 26 112

Website: https://mpms.rks-gov.net

University Clinical Centre

Address: Str. Rrethi i Spitalit nn, Priština

Phone: +381385 00 600

Property Agency

Address: “Perandori Justinian”, St. Nr. 5,

Qyteza Pejton, 10 000 Priština

Phone: +381 38 249 918

Fax: + 381 38 249 919

Website: http://kpaonline.org

Agency of Statistics

Address: ”Zenel Salihu”, Nr. 4, 10 000 Priština

Email: economic@rks-gov.net

Website: http://ask.rks-gov.net

Phone: +381 (0) 38 200 31 129

Fax: +381 (0) 38 235 033

APPK (Reintegration - NGO)

Adresse: Andrea Gropa p.n, 10 000 Priština

Contact: Bedri Xhafa

Website: http://appk.org

Phone: +381 (0)38 24 34 74

Fax: +381 (0)38 24 34 75

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VIII. Contact Information and Useful Links

You can find further information here:

https://www.returningfromgermany.de/en/countries/kosovo