As of January 1, 2025, vehicles older than 2015 can no longer be cleared through customs in Kosovo. In 2017, the Government of Kosovo approved a law stating that vehicles imported into the country must not be older than 10 years.
Kosovo citizens are facing the impact of this decision early in the new year.
Starting in 2025, no vehicle older than 10 years can be imported and cleared through customs. The Law on Vehicles, which was approved by the Kosovo Assembly, clearly stipulates that vehicles older than 10 years cannot be imported.
“Vehicles older than 10 years cannot be imported into Kosovo. Vehicles that do not meet the Euro 4 standard cannot be imported,” states Article 44 of the Law on Vehicles.
The law also requires that vehicles imported into Kosovo must have a conformity certificate for new vehicles, as well as proof of origin and ownership of the vehicle or individual parts.
“The purpose of this law is to establish the basic conditions for the equipment and installations that vehicles must have, including the maximum allowed dimensions, gross vehicle weight, and axle load, as well as the conditions that must be met for vehicles in traffic, conditions for import, homologation of vehicle types, parts, technical units, technical inspections of vehicles, regularity control on roads, vehicle registration, and the removal of vehicles from use, among other related issues,” the Law on Vehicles outlines.
However, citizens have frequently opposed the existing vehicle law, while experts argue that importing vehicles older than 10 years has negative effects.
For several years now, Mërgim Lushtaku, a member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, has initiated amendments to the Law on Vehicle Imports, seeking the removal of the age limit, but no such decision has been reached yet.
He claims that this law in Kosovo was created with a double standard, noting that such restrictions do not exist in Switzerland, Germany, or other Balkan countries that are part of the European Union. “I believe it is unfair, and as such, I have proposed amendments to the vehicle laws, but unfortunately, I have not found agreement among the majority of deputies to participate in the vote,” Lushtaku said.
Traffic expert Nol Dedaj stated that “vehicles older than 10 years in Kosovo are 80% depreciated, and there needs to be greater oversight by state authorities in this regard,” adding that citizens must choose between a new car with lower maintenance costs and an older one, which is more expensive. “Vehicles that are 10 or 12 years old are considered 80% depreciated. From this perspective, they should receive greater attention from state authorities in terms of technical inspections. We know that in Kosovo, we have periodic technical inspections for official vehicles or those used by third parties, as well as extraordinary inspections.”
According to Dedaj, alongside changes to the Law on Vehicles, there should also be amendments to the Law on Vehicle Customs.
In Kosovo, the law remains in force whereby a vehicle can only be registered and issued license plates with RKS (Republic of Kosovo) if it is from 2015 to 2025, specifically 10 years older than the current year. For many citizens, registering a 2015 vehicle is impossible due to the costs, as the cheapest registration would cost around 3,500 euros, not including the cost of purchasing the vehicle in European countries and importation fees to Kosovo. Article 44 of the Law on Vehicles, which was approved in 2017, states that “vehicles imported into Kosovo must not be older than 10 years.”
Official data shows that around 500,000 vehicles are registered in Kosovo, with an average age of 18 years. More than 144,000 of these vehicles come from Germany and are of the Volkswagen brand.
Source: Monitor.al
