Albania tourist visa and visa-free entry rules

Decision No. 858 lists the states whose citizens enter Albania visa-free with an ordinary passport or, for some European states, an ID card. Türkiye, the EU states, the United States and many others are on that list. In addition, the decision exempts nationals of every country whose citizens may enter the Schengen area without a visa, holders of a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa already used in a Schengen state, holders of a Schengen residence permit, holders of used multiple-entry visas or residence permits of an EU state, the US or the UK, and holders of a 10-year UAE residence permit with at least one year of validity left. Those using another country's visa or permit must leave Albania no later than three days before it expires. Iranian nationals need an Albanian visa in every case.

Nationals of Saudi Arabia and Qatar are allowed in visa-free for tourism only between 15 April and 31 December 2026. Holders of EU-issued travel documents for refugees, stateless persons, persons with subsidiary protection and aliens are also exempt. Everyone else needs a visa C entered in their passport or issued electronically.

Your passport must have been issued within the last ten years. For visa-free travellers it must be valid at least three months beyond the planned departure; for visa applicants at least three months beyond the end of the requested visa, with two blank pages. A tourist visa C application in e-Visa needs a photo of 47 x 36 mm taken within six months on a white background, a passport copy, a hotel booking or invitation, a return ticket or proof of own transport, proof of funds and, where available, proof of stable employment at home. A full bank statement for the last 12 months and a copy of a previous Schengen, US, UK or Albanian visa can be uploaded as optional evidence. Tourist applicants do not need an invitation.

At the border any foreign visitor, visa-free or not, may be asked for an invitation from a host, a return ticket, proof of accommodation, means of payment in lek or convertible currency and, when arriving from an area affected by an epidemic, an international vaccination certificate.

The indicative amount of funds is ALL 5,000 per day of stay for adults and ALL 2,500 per day for minors. The e-Visa system equates ALL 5,000 to about EUR 44.44. A ten-day trip therefore calls for roughly ALL 50,000 in documented funds, shown with bank statements or a savings book. Funds may also be guaranteed by the host in Albania.

Visa fees are set per nationality in the annex to Decision No. 858, last revised by Decision No. 329 of 29 May 2024, and largely follow reciprocity. For nationalities not listed separately the fee is EUR 35 when no reciprocal amount applies; several countries pay EUR 25, others up to EUR 100 for multiple entries. Children aged 6 to 12 pay half and children under 6 are exempt. The fee is paid by bank transfer after the first check of the application, and the e-Visa system asks for a stamped and signed bank receipt; screenshots of mobile payments are not accepted. Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused.

As a rule, foreigners register with the local Border and Migration authority where they stay within 10 days of entry, and report a change of address within 10 days. The notification may be made by you or by your employer, host or accommodation provider, and must contain your identity and passport details, your address in Albania and the planned end of the stay. Failing to report the address is an administrative offence punished with a fine.

The Border and Migration authority can extend the period in a visa or a visa-free stay only for serious personal reasons, force majeure or humanitarian reasons that prevent you from leaving in time. You must ask before the permitted stay ends; the extension is free, lasts only as long as the reason requires, and is decided within three days, during which you may stay. Anyone who has used 90 days within 180 may re-enter only when the 180-day period has run. A different purpose, such as work or study, requires a permit, not an extension.

A visa can be refused for forged documents, an unjustified purpose, lack of funds, earlier overstays, an exhausted 90-in-180 allowance, an entry ban, a security or public health risk or doubts that you will leave on time. The decision is sent through e-Visa with its legal grounds. Within 5 working days you can appeal by email to the Directorate for Consular Affairs of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, with the subject line "Visa Refusal Appeal" followed by your name and application code. After an unsuccessful appeal you may reapply three months after the refusal, declaring it in the new application. Holding a visa does not guarantee entry.