Residence, permanent residence and citizenship: key rules

• A visa

  Transit

  Allows you to stay in the international zone of the airport until your next flight.

• C visa

  Short-stay

  Up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Single, double or multiple entry.

• D visa

  For a residence permit

  Issued for 90 days so you can enter and go through the residence permit procedure.

• Bases include: owning property, family reunification, marriage, digital nomad, business, study and others. Guides: property, family reunification, Digital Nomad, business.
• The first residence permit is usually issued for 1 year and then renewed for longer periods.
• Being outside Albania for more than 180 days is one of the grounds on which a residence permit can be refused renewal or revoked (Art. 34 of Law № 79/2021).
• The renewal application is submitted on e-Albania in advance — no earlier than 2 months and no later than 1 day before expiry.

1. 15 years of lawful residence — counted from the date of your first residence permit application.
2. 2Absences from Albania of up to 6 months at a time and no more than 10 months in total over 5 years do not prevent you from getting permanent residence. Longer absences are allowed only for valid reasons and with prior notice to the migration service.
3. 3Lawful income sufficient for you and your family without social assistance.
4. 4Health insurance in the Albanian system, suitable housing for yourself and your family, and taxes and contributions paid regularly.
5. 5The application is filed with the regional border and migration directorate 60 days before your current residence permit expires; processing takes up to 60 days.

Years of study or vocational training count as half.

• Aged 18 or over with full legal capacity.
• At least 7 years of lawful, continuous residence in Albania and a valid permanent residence permit at the time of application.
• Housing that meets Albanian housing standards and lawful income no lower than the subsistence minimum.
• No conviction for a crime punishable under Albanian law by 3 or more years of imprisonment (except politically motivated ones).
• Certified knowledge of Albanian — spoken and written — and basic knowledge of Albanian history.
• Posing no threat to public order or national security.

• Married to an Albanian citizen

  After 3 years of marriage — you can apply on easier terms if you have lived in Albania lawfully and continuously for at least 1 year.

• Your child is an Albanian citizen

  Parents of a minor Albanian citizen can apply after 3 years of lawful, continuous residence.