Peaks of the Balkans | Border Crossing Application

THIS IS AN OUTDATED FORM

An updated and simplified application has been published. Please use the new form instead.
Open the new application.
29.07.2023 Norovirus outbreak: Norovirus is the leading cause of gastroenteritis and accounts for half of the worldwide cases. It's highly contagious and spreads quickly when a larger number of travelers shares facilities. It's known for outbreaks on cruiseships and mountains huts and is now prevelant on the Peaks of the Balkans. The Center for Disease Control and Robert Koch Institute (German) provide more details.
- Awareness: Familiarize yourself with how the virus spreads and adapt your own behavior. Think of smear infection via door knobs, sinks etc.
- Hand hygiene: Wash hands frequently with soap for 10-20s. Do so at least before every meal and after using the bathroom.
- Disinfectant: Where water or soap are not available use an antimicrobial disinfectant. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is not effective.
- Hosts: Avoid crowded hosts with a large capaciy. The risk of exposure increases the more guests and fewer facilities there are.

Organized guided and self-guided tours

English-speaking guides, luggage transport, transfers to skip road sections and more
Advertisement. :) If you're not interested in an organized tour, where permits are included, please use the next button to continue.

Guided group tours: Zbulo runs a small group tour every weekend.
- 8-day Peaks of the Balkans in Albania and Montengro.
- 12-day Peaks of the Balkans including more walks and Kosovo.
- 8-day High Scardus Trail Albanian segment of the trail.
- 7-day Hidden Valley Trek in Southern Albania (spring/autumn)
Self-guided tours: Pick any date to start your individual adventure.
- 8-day Albanian Alps Explorer in Northern Albania (Jun to Oct)
- 8-day Hidden Valley Trek in Southern Albania (Mar-Jun, Sept-Nov)
- 11-day Peaks of the Balkans 🆕
- 8-day Peaks of the Balkans 🆕
- 8-day High Scardus Trail 🆕
- 8-day Albanian Coastal Trail 🆕
Ask us for more details or a quote at welcome@zbulo.org.

FAQ

Please read the below carefully and notify us about technical issues at permits@zbulo.org.
How does this work?
1. Enter the details of all border crossings and travel documents.
2. Upload your travel document(s), passports or biometic ID cards (RKS only)
3. Complete payment via PayPal or credit card. If payment fails, try from another device.
4. Receive confirmation by email, usually within 5-7 business days.
What do I need?
- The dates on which you're crossing the border.
- The valid travel documents of all partcipants.
- A PayPal account or credit card.
Please note
- A permit is not required if you transit through a regular border checkpoint. This is special application system for hikers and cyclists crossings the "green borders" in the mountains.
- The best time to apply is two to eight weeks prior to the crossings. Please apply no more than eight weeks in advance.
- You can apply for any start and end point in Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo or North Macedonia.
- You can apply for up to 20 persons.
- You don't need to apply for routes only "straddling" the border, for example:
  - Valbona - Persllopit Pass - Cerem
  - Cerem - Doberdol
  - Grbaja Valley (start & finish in the same country within a day)
- The date is fixed. The police shows understanding should weather, exhaustion, sickness or loosing the way cause you to cross two days earlier/later than the applied date.
- Once submitted the application cannot be changed or updated.
- Your documents must be valid at least 3 months beyond the last crossing.
- For crossings out of Kosovo a biometric EU ID card or your passport are required.
- Minors who're not traveling with a legal guardian require written permission from one.
Pricing & payment
- Per person and permit there's a €5 fee.
- Montenegro charges fees for crossings from Montenegro to Albania or Kosovo. They're calculated as follows:
  €2/application
  €3/person
  €5 banking fee
- Our fees are capped at a maximum of €50 (+ fees in Montenegro.)
- Completing the full Peaks of the Balkans circuit requires three permits. 3 permits x 2 persons x €5 = €30 + €13 police fees in Montenegro.
- Completing the entire High Scardus Trail trail requires eight permits. 8 permits x 2 persons x €5 = €80 cap at €50 applies.
- Payment via PayPal or credit card is required to complete this form.
Important hints
- Enter names in order first/last name or as shown in your travel documents.
- Enter dates in the format dd.mm.yyyy, for example "25.04.2022".
- Always double check the dates and locations of your crossings.
- Beware of typos when entering your details as they cannot be changed.
Questions on the Peaks of the Balkans unrelated to this application are answered here. Importantly, snow is certainly present until the end of May and can still pose danger in early June, especially on the Valbona and Persllopit Pass. From mid-September night time temperatures on altitude also start dropping.
YesNo
Your application is expedited. You understand and accept that the confirmation email may not be received in time for your departure. Nonetheless, your crossings will be logged in the electronic border system and you will receive hard copy permits via email.
Today

DayMonthYear
Date

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Confirmation EmailTwice to avoid typos
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Emergency Contact
Optional, for your own safety
Peaks of the BalkansHigh Scardus Trail

High Scardus Trail

The High Scardus Trail's main route includes 22 stages. The 8 border crossings required to complete them are list by stage S2/5/7/8/10/14/17/18 below. Due to a lack of implementation on the Northern Macedonian side, we can't provide permits for crossing out of Macedonia, those indicated with "🛑❌". (Added in July 2022, this application is new, please let us know if you spot any irregularities)
🛑❌ S2: Macedonia > Kosovo

DayMonthYear
Ljuboten-Brezovica
S2:MKD-RKD
S5: Kosovo > Macedonia

DayMonthYear
Lubinje-Vejce
Departure at

:HourMinutes
S5:RKS-MKD
🛑❌ S7: Macedonia > Kosovo

DayMonthYear
Leshnica-Brod
S7:MKD-RKS
S8: Kosovo > Macedonia

DayMonthYear
Brod-Radika
Departure at

:HourMinutes
S8:RKS-MKD
🛑❌ S10: Macedonia > Albania

DayMonthYear
Strezimir-Radomire
S10:MKD-ALB
S14: Albania > Macedonia

DayMonthYear
Hinoske-Bitushe
S14:ALB-MKD
🛑❌ S17: Macedonia > Albania

DayMonthYear
Jablanica-Stebleve
S17:MKD-ALB
S18: Albania > Macedonia

DayMonthYear
Qafa Kryqit - Vevchani
S18:ALB-MKD

Double check

Please confirm that the dates are correct. Use the back button to go to the previous page and makes changes as necessary.

1. Person

Fill in one group member per page. If you participate in this walk it's crucial to start with yourself.
Name and Surname*
Date of Birth*

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10. Person
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Person 11

12. Person
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Person 16

17. Person
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19. Person
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Person 19

20. Person - almost there!
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Last check

Please ascertain that
- Dates are entered in the format dd.mm.yyyy
- Dates and locations of the border crossings are final
- Traveler's details are complete and free of typos
You may use the back and next buttons to navigate through the form for a quick check. Once submitted, no changes can be made and a second application is required.

Upload your travel documents

Required for all crossings
Please upload the passport/identication of all participants.
- Photo ID page only (no backside etc.)
- Image (jpg/png) or PDF file
- File size is limited to 5 MB
Ascertain that all file names are listed below the upload button before hitting next.
Upload travel documents
Maximum 20 files, max size 5 mb, jpg, png or pdf Cancelof
Proof of vaccination / recovery

Only for crossing out of / from Kosovo into Albania or Montenegro
It's mandatory to submit one of the following two documents for each person listed on the permit to receive approval for a crossing out of Kosovo to Albania or Montenego. Note that if one person is missing, all others will be refused, too.
- Proof of completed vaccination at least 14 days prior to the crossing.
- Proof of recovery from COVID-19, between 21-180 days old.
Info: This is a new requirements in effect since August 30th, 2021. EU vaccination certificates appear to be generally accepted but we cannot provide information about what types of documents are recognized or not. For futher detials please contact your respective embassy in Kosovo.
Upload vaccination ceritifcate
Maximum 12 files, max size 5 mb, jpg, png or pdf Cancelof

Payment

Please contact permits@zbulo.org if you're experiencing technical issues.
You may complete your application with a secure PayPal payment below.

The fees for {pax} person(s) and {permits} crossing(s) are €{pricetotal}.
- Total: €{pricepermits} Fees + €{pricemnetax} Montenegro = €{pricetotal}
- Fees: €5 (permit fee) x {permits} permit(s) x {pax} person(s)= €{pricepermitscalc} (capped at max of €50)
- Montenegrin police: €{pricemnetax1} x {crossingsmne} permit(s) = €{pricemnetax}
  - Application: €2
  - Persons: €3 x {pax} person(s)
  - Bank: €5
Please complete theapplication with a secure PayPal payment below.

Fees: €5 fee x {permits} permit(s) x {pax} person(s) = {pricetotal} (capped at a maxium of €50)
HIDDEN FIELDS BELOW

Crossings {permits}

Crossing MNE {crossingsmne}

Price MNE {pricemnetax}

Price Permits {pricepermits}

Price Total {pricetotal}

Price Pers {priceperson}
Pax
Crossings
Crossings-MNE
Price-MNEtax
Price-MNEtax1
Price-PermitsCalc
Price-Permits
Price-Person
Price-Total
total
Final Words

You will receive a receipt from PayPal and confirmation email from Zbulo after completing the payment. If that's not the case, please check your spam folder before contacting permits@zbulo.org with the applicant's name and email address.
Total*

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EURBorder Crossing Permits

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Date	From	To
{albania}	Albania: {ALB-RKS-from}	Kosovo: {ALB-RKS-to}
{kosovo}	Kosovo: {RKS-MNE-from}	Montenegro: {RKS-MNE-to}
{montenegro}	Montenegro: {MNE-ALBfrom}	Albania: {MNE-ALBto}
{albaniaEast}	Albania: {departAlbania}	Montenegro: {arriveMontenegro}
{albaniaWest}	Albania: {departAlbania186}	Montenegro:{arriveMontenegro187}
{kosovo18}	Kosovo: {departKosovo}	Albania: {arriveAlbania}
{montenegro21}	Montenegro: {departMontenegro}	Kosovo: {arriveKosovo}

Date	Stage	From	To
{S2-MKD-RKS}	2	Macedonia: Ljuboten	Kosovo: Brezovica
{S5-RKS-MKD}	5	Kosovo: Lubinje	Macedonia: Vejce
{S7-MKD-RKS}	7	Macedonia: Leshnica	Kosovo: Brod
{S8-RKS-MKD}	8	Kosovo: Brod	Macedonia: Radika
{S10-MKD-ALB}	10	Macedonia: Strezimir	Albania: Radomire
{S14-ALB-MKD}	14	Albania: Hinoske	Macedonia: Bitushe
{S17-MKD-ALB}	17	Macedonia: Jablanica	Albania: Stebleve
{S18-ALB-MKD}	18	Albania:Qafa Kryqit	Macedonia: Vevchani

Date	From	To
{albania}	Albania: {ALB-RKS-from}	Kosovo: {ALB-RKS-to}
{kosovo}	Kosovo: {RKS-MNE-from}	Montenegro: {RKS-MNE-to}
{montenegro}	Montenegro: {MNE-ALBfrom}	Albania: {MNE-ALBto}
{albaniaEast}	Albania: {departAlbania}	Montenegro: {arriveMontenegro}
{albaniaWest}	Albania: {departAlbania186}	Montenegro:{arriveMontenegro187}
{kosovo18}	Kosovo: {departKosovo}	Albania: {arriveAlbania}
{montenegro21}	Montenegro: {departMontenegro}	Kosovo: {arriveKosovo}

Date	Stage	From	To
{S2-MKD-RKS}	2	Macedonia: Ljuboten	Kosovo: Brezovica
{S5-RKS-MKD}	5	Kosovo: Lubinje	Macedonia: Vejce
{S7-MKD-RKS}	7	Macedonia: Leshnica	Kosovo: Brod
{S8-RKS-MKD}	8	Kosovo: Brod	Macedonia: Radika
{S10-MKD-ALB}	10	Macedonia: Strezimir	Albania: Radomire
{S14-ALB-MKD}	14	Albania: Hinoske	Macedonia: Bitushe
{S17-MKD-ALB}	17	Macedonia: Jablanica	Albania: Stebleve
{S18-ALB-MKD}	18	Albania:Qafa Kryqit	Macedonia: Vevchani

THIS IS AN OUTDATED FORM

Open the new application.

Organized guided and self-guided tours

FAQ

Let's get started!

Peaks of the Balkans: Examples

Peaks of the Balkans: Regular (anti-clockwise)

Peaks of the Balkans: "Irregular" (adapted routes)

High Scardus Trail

Double check

1. Person

2. Person

3. Person

4. Person

5. Person

6. Person

7. Person

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9. Person

10. Person

11. Person

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13. Person

14. Person

15. Person

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17. Person

18. Person

19. Person

20. Person - almost there!

Last check

Upload your travel documents

Proof of vaccination / recovery

Payment

Final Words