Albania residence permit: how the system works

The law distinguishes type A permits, which only allow staying for a set period, renewable type B permits that allow entry and exit, and permanent type C permits, plus the Blue Card AL for highly qualified workers. Article 39 lists the purposes: family reunification, study, unpaid training, au pairs, youth exchanges, scientific research, job search or business start-up by researchers and graduates, humanitarian cases, victims of trafficking, stateless persons, the Unique Permit for work, ship crews, use of owned real estate, pensioners and investors.

Under Article 33, US and Kosovo citizens receive a five-year permit on their first application if they meet the general criteria. EU citizens may live in Albania for more than three months without a permit if they work, study or have sufficient resources and health insurance; they register online within three months and receive a registration certificate.

A foreigner who owns real estate in Albania can obtain a temporary residence permit for the use and enjoyment of that property (Article 84). Co-owners of half of a property also qualify. The permit is issued for up to one year at first and renewed every year while you remain the owner and meet the criteria. e-Albania asks for the ownership certificate or a notarised copy of the purchase contract showing the price has been paid, proof of sufficient funds for the requested period and an individual declaration of the reason for staying. Visa nationals obtain the D/PPP visa first, without an invitation. The law sets no minimum property value for this permit, and it does not give the right to work.

Every application includes the online form with a photo of 47 x 36 mm taken within six months, a copy of the passport used for entry including the D visa and entry stamps, and a self-declaration of suitable accommodation that meets hygiene and sanitary conditions. Documents from your country of origin or of previous residence must be translated into Albanian, issued within the last six months, certified and legalised. The purpose-specific documents are listed by e-Albania for each category. You need a personal email address: all communication runs through it, and errors in the address that cause missed deadlines lead to rejection.

The residence permit application is filed online on e-Albania within 30 days of entering Albania, while you are in the country. The Border and Migration office checks it and, within 10 days, notifies any deficiencies, which you must complete within 30 days. Once the file is accepted you receive an emailed invoice for the permit fee, payable within 24 hours at any second-level bank, and you must post the original documents, two photos, the payment slip and the signed form within 7 days; otherwise the application is rejected. You then receive an electronically signed provisional permit valid for up to two months. The decision follows within 30 days; if approved, you appear at the local migration office to prove your identity and apply for the biometric residence card, and within 30 days of receiving it you register your address at the civil registry office.

Renewals are filed on e-Albania within 60 days before the permit expires, for the same or a different purpose, and require proof that taxes and local taxes for the last calendar year were paid. The renewal service is open to those who stayed in Albania with the permit for more than 180 days in the calendar year. A temporary permit holder may stay abroad for up to 180 days for justified reasons after notifying the police; staying abroad longer without notice bars re-entry on that permit. Changing purpose during a permit's validity means surrendering the current permit and applying anew. A lost or damaged permit must be reported at once in writing to obtain a duplicate.

A permit can be refused or cancelled if you miss deadlines without good reason, cannot prove the conditions, are a threat to public order or security, obtained it with false documents, or stayed more than 180 days outside Albania within one year of the permit. The written refusal states the reasons, your obligations and the appeal route. You can appeal to the authority directly above the one that decided, within the deadlines of the Code of Administrative Procedures; the appeal must be decided within 30 days and the decision can be challenged in the administrative court. A visa D refusal is appealed within 5 working days to the Directorate for Consular Affairs.