Albania work permit: the Unique Permit for employees

A foreigner with a valid travel document, a real job offer that complies with the Albanian Labour Code, suitable accommodation and no risk to public order or health can obtain the permit once AKPA has approved the employment. AKPA approves if wages, hours and conditions meet Albanian law and no suitable candidate from the priority groups is available: Albanian jobseekers, foreign family members of Albanians, citizens of the US, the EU and the Schengen area and their families, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia, family members of foreign residents and nationals of countries with labour agreements.

The employer must have published the vacancy on the public employment services portal for at least five calendar days and announced it online no later than 90 days before the approval request. Nationals of the US, the EU, Schengen states and the Western Balkan states listed above, when lawfully present, need no AKPA approval; their employment is simply declared on e-Albania.

For an employee permit e-Albania lists a copy of the valid travel document, a photo of 47 x 36 mm taken within six months, proof of accommodation that meets Albanian housing standards (ownership certificate or lease), an employment contract drawn up under the Albanian Labour Code that states the period, position, profession and salary, and proof of professional skills matching the contract. For the D/PM visa the e-Visa system also asks for an invitation signed by the employer and, where candidates were selected by a licensed agency, the contract with that agency. Documents from abroad must be translated into Albanian or English, certified and legalised.

The Unique Permit and visa are paid together, online or at a bank, before the application is filed; e-Albania generates the payment order according to the permit type. The D visa fee follows the nationality table of Decision No. 858; where no specific amount is set it is EUR 35. Payments are not refunded if the application is refused.

Employers who plan to hire foreigners first request a preliminary assessment on e-Albania at least 15 working days before the permit application; the police and security agencies check the company's record with foreign staff and the living conditions offered. The answer comes within 10 working days, 15 in special cases, and a rejected company can reapply after three months.

The application itself is a single e-Albania form, filed by the foreigner, the employer or a licensed agency after paying the non-refundable fee. Missing documents are notified within 5 days and must be completed within 30 days. AKPA reviews the job online, then the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs approves the D/PM visa for visa nationals, and the Border and Migration authority decides on the permit. Once the file is accepted you post the documents uploaded, two recent photos, the payment order, a passport copy and the signed form within 8 days.

Holders of a D/PM or seasonal D/PS visa are registered at the border crossing and automatically receive a provisional residence permit by email. Within two months the Regional Directorate for Border and Migration tells you whether the Unique Permit is approved; you then apply in person for the biometric residence card at the Identitek office of that directorate. The employer declares the start of employment in the tax system, which notifies the police and AKPA automatically. Within 30 days of receiving the card you must register your address at the civil registry office, or the permit is cancelled.

Renewal is filed on e-Albania through the renewal service, as a rule within 60 days before the permit expires. The permit can be cancelled if you are absent from Albania for more than 180 days in a year, work in a job other than the one approved or leave the job; the employer must report a termination within two weeks. Unemployment alone leads to cancellation only after more than three months within 12 months, or six months for those who have worked lawfully in Albania for three years or more. Seasonal workers receive a Unique Permit of up to six months per calendar year and must return home after the contract; the same employer can apply again after a six-month break.

AKPA refuses approval when the contract breaches Albanian labour standards, documents are incomplete, the employer has not registered or published vacancies, wages were below collective agreements, the employer refused a suitable unemployed jobseeker, is bankrupt or inactive, owes social security contributions, or the foreigner is a security risk. Against a refusal or cancellation of the Unique Permit you can file an administrative appeal with 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; after that you can go to the administrative court.