Are you considering Kosovo or North Macedonia on your Balkans itinerary? Here is everything you need to know about the Kosovo North Macedonia border crossing from Pristina to Skopje.
We really enjoyed visiting both cities on our trip around Europe. Kosovar hospitality is outstanding. And despite the adversely low number of tourists that visit Kosovo there is no shortage of things to do and sights to see.
Skopje is a bustling capital city in North Macedonia and is considered one of the cheapest cities to visit in Europe. From accommodation to transport and even dining out – which is unusual for a capital city!
So, in case you are considering whether to add Kosovo and North Macedonia to your road trip itinerary; definitely do.
- About the Kosovo North Macedonia border
- Options for border crossings
- Pristina to Skopje
- Documentation
- Exiting Kosovo
- Entering North Macedonia
- Driving in North Macedonia
- Parking in Skopje
- More about motorhome travel in Europe
About the Kosovo North Macedonia border
North Macedonia has 158.7 km (98.6 mi) long border with Kosovo.
In general – and for the purpose of travel between the two countries – Kosovo and North Macedonia had good bilateral relations.
Though it is worth noting that North Macedonian and Kosovo relations have existed for only couple of years, because earlier Kosovo did not have status of an independent state.
Since April 2016, Kosovo and North Macedonia citizens have been able to cross borders with only their ID cards, after an agreement was hatched to facilitate travel between the two countries.
However, for non-local travellers it is required to show your passport at the border crossing between Pristina and Skopje.
What about travel from Serbia to Kosovo and North Macedonia?
The borders of Kosovo within Europe are slightly more complicated due to the independence status of the country.
It is not advisable (or doable) to enter Kosovo via the Serbian border and continue on towards North Macedonia, Albania or Montenegro. Similarly, you cannot enter Kosovo from these countries and continue through to Serbia.
Ultimately, we suggest that if you enter Kosovo via the Kosovo-Serbia border, you also exit Kosovo via the same Kosovo-Serbia border.
If you want to visit Kosovo without continuing to Serbia, entering Kosovo through Montenegro, Albania or North Macedonia is your best option. Or at the airport in Pristina!
Options for crossing the Kosovo North Macedonia border
Today there are four land border crossings between Kosovo and North Macedonia.
- Elez Han – Blace
This is the border crossing we used from Pristina to Skopje.
The primary border crossing point used for travel from Pristina to Skopje is located at Eliz Han (Kosovo) and Blace (North Macedonia).
Though there are three other border crossing points:
- Drenas – Gostivar
- Gllobocica – Jazhince
- Stanciq – Bellanoc
Note that there have been some changes in 2025 with the two larger checkpoints. Border control at the Hani i Elezit-Blace and Glloboqice-Jazhince checkpoints will soon be carried out at a single office at Elez Han. Check for updates before you cross as border information can change quickly.
The following is all the information you need to know for the Kosovo North Macedonia border crossing from Elez Han – Blace connecting the capital cities of Pristina to Skopje.
Travel options from Pristina to Skopje
Using the Eliz Han – Blace border crossing there are several ways to travel from Pristina to Skopje:
- Buses: Buses are a common and affordable way to travel between the two cities, with multiple daily departures.
- Taxis: Taxis are also an option, though potentially more expensive than buses.
- Private Cars: You can also drive your own car across the border.
We travelled with our EU registered motorhome (Netherlands) over the Eliz Han – Blace border.
Documents needed for the border crossing from Pristina to Skopje
Crossing the border from Kosovo to North Macedonia with a private vehicle you will need to provide:
- Passport
- Driver Licence or International Driving Permit
- Green Card
You will also need to check you have vehicle insurance for North Macedonia. Note that vehicle insurance for Kosovo is not included in your valid Green Card insurance for Europe.
The drive from Pristina to the Kosovo North Macedonia crossing
Elez Han (or Hani I Elezit) is a municipality located in southern Kosovo on the border with North Macedonia. It has historically served as a gateway for travellers passing through the Kacanik Gorge from Pristina to Skopje.
The drive to Elez Han from Pristina is fast and smooth along the new highway.
- Pristina to Elez Han: 51 min (70.3 km) via R6
Once in Elez Han you are pretty much right on the entry to the border crossing terminal.
The Kosovan border town of Elez Han
There is a small bakery and service station on the left hand side that was great for a coffee and Burek before we crossed.
Exiting Kosovo to North Macedonia – Pristina to Skopje
Drive forward to the Kosovan border terminal. There are two lanes for private vehicles and EU registrations plus one lane for trucks and passenger buses.
There was just a few cars in the queue when we crossed. We exited from Kosovo in less than 10 minutes.
Documents requested on exiting from Kosovo to North Macedonia:
- Passport
- Driver Licence or International Driving Permit
- Green Card
Both the Kosovo side and the North Macedonia side of the border were friendly and swift.
Entering North Macedonia – Pristina to Skopje
Entering North Macedonia also took less than 10 minutes on the other side. This too was an easy and friendly process.
Is a vignette required for North Macedonia?
No, North Macedonia does not use a vignette system for its motorways. Instead, you pay tolls at toll booths based on the vehicle category and distance travelled.
Driving from the Pristina Border Crossing at Blace to Skopje
It is only a short drive from the border terminal to Skopje.
- Blace to Skopje: 34 min (25.2 km) via E65
The drive is smooth on the main highway though the traffic is notably congested on entering Skopje.
Parking and motorhome parking in Skopje
Albeit the dirving is much more chaotic (compared to Pristina) on entering urban Skopje. But we were fairly set on heading straight into the city centre to find a park for the night.
We ended up staying the night at an unusual restaurant carpark. Which I might add has limited reviews on Park4Night and from what I could see they were actually reviews by random North Macedonians. The names of the people reviewing the place didn’t have any other reviews on Park4Night which did raise a few suspicions as we arrived.
Though it actually turned out to be fine for the night. Plus it was in easy walking distance to all the things to do in Skopje city centre.
SKOPJE – Mirche Acev
- Location: Mirche Acev Car Wash & Restaurant
- Type: Paid Carpark
- Park4Night: #159004
- Cost: 25 EUR
- Facilities: Parking plus toilets inside restaurant
This was a shock for the cost compared to previous guarded carparks in Kosovo. However I do admit it was a safe place to leave the van and we had a decent night of sleep outside the restaurant.
The verdict? Thoughts on the border crossing Pristina to Skopje?
Well there you have it. It was a smooth and pretty darn quick border crossing and a nice drive from Pristina to Skopje.
Read more about travel in Europe by motorhome
- 18 Things To Do In Belgrade, Serbia.
- 20 Things To do In Podgorica, Montenegro.
- Border Crossing: Serbia To Bosnia At Kotromon – Vardiste.
- Border Crossing: Bosnia Montenegro At Hum.
- Taking Your Motorhome On The Ferry Spain To Morocco.
- Finding Free Campsites In Germany.
- Border Crossing: F’nideq (Morocco) to Ceuta (Spain).
- Finding Free Camping In France By Motorhome.
More about planning for travel in Europe and beyond
These are the companies we use and can recommend for planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. It is easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere online.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have insurance before crossing the Kosovo North Macedonia border from Pristina to Skopje!
