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I read:

The biggest problem is that Serbia does not admit 3rd party nationals who are entering from Kosovo if their passport bears evidence (stamps) of having first entered Kosovo from outside of Serbia (i.e. from Albania, Montenegro or North Macedonia.

This makes me wonder: If a French citizen enters Kosovo from Montenegro, Albania or North Macedonia using their French passport, will their passport bear evidence (e.g., stamps) of having entered Kosovo? If that depends on the mode of entry, I'm interest in entry by car, bus or foot.

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    Yes, see comment: Passport choice for travel to states of the former Yugoslavia - Travel Stack Exchange
    – Mark Johnson
    Commented Jan 11, 2023 at 20:56
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    I've never been to Kosovo nor Serbia, so I can't say whether they'd stamp your passport, but Bosnia certainly stamps my EU passport in the airport, and I don't think they've ever stamped my EU or my non-EU passport at any land crossing. This may have been influenced by the fact that I was always in a car with some number of Bosnians. Still, I'd say there's probably a realistic possibility of their not stamping your passport. But why take the risk? Use your ID card, or maybe work out some strategy of using your French passport in Kosovo and your US passport in Serbia, or vice versa.
    – phoog
    Commented Jan 11, 2023 at 22:56
  • @phoog Thanks for the info! Expired French ID + waiting for US passport.
    – Franck Dernoncourt
    Commented Jan 12, 2023 at 18:33
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    Yes, they'll see it, but will it matter? If you try to go from Albania to Kosovo to Serbia they will deny you entry. If you go Albania-Kosovo-Montenegro-Serbia they'll see it but won't care. If you want to go from Kosovo to Serbia you have to enter Serbia first. For example, you can go from North Macedonia to Serbia to Kosovo to Serbia.
    – cbw
    Commented Jan 13, 2023 at 21:04
  • @cbw got it, thanks! Just trying to prepare the route accordingly
    – Franck Dernoncourt
    Commented Jan 13, 2023 at 21:05

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Yes, Serbian border officials will look at your passport and if they find a stamp from a border checkpoint between Kosovo and Albania / Montenegro / North Macedonia, they can refuse your entry into Serbia. The stamp can be either an entry stamp from Kosovo, or it can be an exit stamp from Albania / Montenegro / North Macedonia. Every passport stamp anywhere in the world displays the name of the border checkpoint (and sometimes also a mode of transport: road, rail, air, sea...). Serbian officials of course know the names of all Kosovo border checkpoints. They will see that you entered Kosovo from another country, which is a violation of a Serbian law.

I could go on and explain in great details things such as Balkan rule-bending mentality, probability of passing through a border checkpoint without getting any stamps to your passport, countries that do not stamp passports at all and instead use only computer databases to record arrivals and departures of foreigners, but it's not necessary.

My advice: leave your passport at home and take your plastic ID card only. Problem solved.

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