How is the process of changing Serbian license plates going?

In a statement to Radio Free Europe (REL), it also explains that it is changing KM plates even though it has not expired with the census, because it fears that Kosovo authorities could interrupt the re-registering process at the end of March.

I heard that the procedure is too simple for vehicles that are already registered and that KM license has not expired from”, Srgjan says.

The KM plates, issued by Serbian authorities, which are illegal for Kosovo, were a trigger for tensions in the north during 2022. Initially, barricades were established on July 31st for this reason, and later in November, Serbs left Kosovo's institutions in the country's north, due to the police director's suspension for the northern region, Nenad Djurovic, who refused to implement the Kosovo Government's decision to reregister vehicles in RKS plates.

After the Western countries' strong commitment, Kosovo and Serbia agreed on this issue in late November last year, within the dialogue on normalising relations. Kosovo agreed to suspend the reregistering process, which envisioned specific deadlines. Meanwhile, Serbia agreed not to issue new license plates to Kosovo cities.

Meanwhile, mid-January, Kosovo authorities have banned the flow of vehicles with KM license plates, which were registered after reaching agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.

Following the initial reactions that Kosovo is violating the “agreement, Serbian officials have no longer issued statements regarding the issue.

Has the interest in RKS plates increased?

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has declared, on March 22nd, that according to his information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more and more citizens from the north are receiving RKS license plates.

Free Europe has been addressed to the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs with the question of how many vehicles, since the beginning of the year, have been reregistered from Serbia's license plates to Kosovo's, but the answer has not returned.

This ministry has not even answered the question of whether it is expected that by November of this year, when it has spent a year reaching agreement with Serbia, all vehicles with KM license plates will be reregistered to those in Kosovo.

An estimated 10,000 cars registered with KM license plates are north of Kosovo.

An employee of the car registration agency in the Serbian system, headquartered in northern Mitrovica, who wants to remain anonymous, says they no longer identify the continuation of the census for KM license plates, even though the government of Serbia has regulated this in December last year.

Under that regulation, KM license plates are allowed to move without registration labels, respectively, Serbian authorities should be shown only the security police and the technical control certificate.

In that regulation it notes that the label of the “continues” validity until reaching the final agreement with Kosovo for license plates.

But Kosovo does not accept this kind of continued registration.

The car registration agency, which Radio Free Europe has been talking to, says he and he, in January, continued recording KM license plates. But, according to him, this was “just a waste of money”.

No one wants to teach us what to expect... Then it means paying from one euro per cubic metre, plus registration for the passage of vehicles from KM to RKS. I'm waiting until Friday, maybe someone will talk, this Serbian List (Kosovo Serb Serb Party) or I don't know”, he says.

Kosovo has offered financial relief to those who decide that KM plates change to RKS. On the basis of the first decision, those benefits should be applied by 31 March, while the Kosovo MPB has not specified whether they will continue.

Is there another option?

Those who insist on refusing to receive RKS plates re-register their vehicles in one of Serbia's cities. Among them is Zoran from Northern Mitrovica, who is a taxi driver by profession. KM plates have been replaced by NP.

Something like that is possible in Serbia, with the contract for a gift, or at least, the vehicle is registered in the name of someone else and is then authorized.

Zoran has another car that is still registered with KM license plates, but says he will not personally receive Kosovo plates.

In my case, no. I'm out (registering for KM plates) in June, and I have no idea what will happen next”, he tells Radio Free Europe.

He adds that in northern Mitrovica, there are fewer and fewer vehicles registered under the Serbian system, as well as stressing that more and more of its fellow citizens are deciding to receive RKS license plates.

But Mirko from North Mitrovica says “would previously sell the car rather than switch to RKS” license plates.

Targets in Agreements Between Kosovo, Serbia

The issue of plates has had to be resolved with the Brussels Agreement on Freedom of Movement, 2011. Official Belgrade, with this agreement, has accepted the removal of Serbian license plates to Kosovo cities.

However, unlike other Serb facilities south of the Iber River, KM plates have been used all the time in northern Kosovo, until official Pristina decided to discontinue this practice in 2021.

At the time, Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government decided that for all Serbian plates to deploy the so-called license plates “provative”, which was a past practice in Serbia for RKS license plates.

Even then, local Serbs protested and placed barricades in northern municipalities. Then, with the help of the EU, agreement was reached to establish white sticky letters on state symbols, both for Serbia's plates and those of Kosovo.

“Contagion of sticky cards” is still in force, including KM signs.
Symbols on the license plates are also mentioned in the recent agreement between Kosovo and Serbia on normalising relations.

The two sides will mutually recognise national documents and symbols, including passports, diplomas, license plates and customs stamps”, said at the first point of the basic Agreement.

It is not specified what will happen to KM license plates.

On this issue, Radio Free Europe has been addressed to the Government of Kosovo, as well as to the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, but until publishing this text, no response has been reached.