Albania visa and entry requirements

Albania's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs says nationals of countries that may enter and stay visa-free in the Schengen Area enter Albania visa-free, as do holders of a valid multiple-entry Schengen, EU, US or UK visa that has already been used. Those who need a visa apply online in the electronic visa system or in person at an Albanian diplomatic mission or consular post.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 26, 2026· How this site works

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Visas & entry authorisations

Type “C” visa (short stay)

Fee
Not published
Processing
up to 30 business days
Stay per entry
90 days

The fee depends on nationality and the number of entries. The e-Visa portal points to the fee table under Council of Ministers decision no. 329 of 29 May 2024, which lists the C visa fee per country: for example €45 for Afghanistan; €50 for one entry, €75 for two and €100 for multiple entries for Angola; and free for Algeria and Palestine. For countries not listed the table says reciprocity applies, or €35 where there is none. The portal says visa fees for minors aged 6-12 are half the visa fees for adults, and that the visa fee does not apply to children under the age of 6.

When to apply: Apply no more than 90 days before your intended date of travel; an application with a later travel date is refused.

Documents the application asks for

  • Copy of your passport — valid at least 3 months beyond the visa requested, with at least 2 blank pages, plus copies of the pages relevant to the trip
  • Photograph — 47 × 36 mm, taken within the last 6 months, front view on a white background
  • Proof of employment — from your country of birth or residence; otherwise other evidence that you will return there
  • Accommodation booking or invitation from your host
  • Proof of sufficient funds — for the stay and the return journey
  • Full bank statement for the last 12 months — showing money going in and out of the account
  • Round-trip ticket reservation — or proof that you will travel by your own transport
  • Residence permit or previous visa — a residence permit of over 12 months from your country of residence, valid at least 3 months beyond the requested visa, or a previous or current Schengen, US or UK visa, or an Albanian visa
  • Consent of a parent or legal guardian — for a minor's travel
Apply on the official site Verified Oct 9, 2026 · e-visa.al · archived copy

Entry requirements

Passport validity

If you do not need a visa, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your intended departure from Albania and must have been issued within the previous 10 years. If you need a visa, it must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the expiry of the visa and have at least 2 blank pages.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · punetejashtme.gov.al · Law No. 79/2021 “On foreigners”; Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 858 of 29.12.…Compare every country

Vaccinations

Conditional
  • Yellow fever (International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP)) — WHO lists Albania as requiring a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travellers aged one year and over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · cdn.who.int · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 · archived copyCompare every country

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for Albania.

Verified Oct 4, 2026 · gov.uk

Onward or return ticket

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states that a return ticket is required. Albania's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs says that during border checks the authorities may require a foreign national to present, as applicable, documents that include a return ticket or return travel reservation and a document confirming accommodation for the stay.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · punetejashtme.gov.al · Law No. 79/2021 "On foreigners"; Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 858 of 29.12.…

Proof of funds

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states that proof of funds is required. Albania's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs says that during border checks the authorities may require a foreign national to present, as applicable, a document demonstrating sufficient financial means for the stay and the return to the country of origin, or for transit to a third country; the indicative amount is ALL 5,000 for each day of stay for adults and ALL 2,500 for minors.

Verified Oct 7, 2026 · e-visa.al · Law No. 79/2021 "On foreigners"; Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 858 of 29.12.…

Staying past your permitted stay

Fine: 50,000 to 100,000 ALL

Under Law No 79/2021 on Foreigners, a foreigner who exceeds the permitted stay but leaves voluntarily before the authorities order removal is fined 50,000 lek, or 100,000 lek if the overstay is longer than one month. The border and migration authority issues a removal order when a foreigner no longer meets the conditions of stay, and the entry ban that may follow is decided case by case, from 3 months to 5 years. A single-entry visa includes a 15-day period of exemption from the overstay penalty.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · asp.gov.al · Law No 79/2021 'Për të huajt' (as amended by Law 43/2025 of 26.6.2025), Article 141(1)(ç)Compare every country

Other compulsory government charges

  • Hotel stay tax (taksa e fjetjes në hotel) — Set by each municipality, per night of stay. Paid at the accommodation.

    Under Law 9632 on local taxes, a hotel stay tax is owed by the guest for each night, at the level set by the municipality per night multiplied by the number of nights; the hotel withholds it for the municipality and shows it on the invoice above the room price.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · qbz.gov.al · Law No. 9632 of 30.10.2006 'Për sistemin e taksave vendore', Article 26Compare every country

Customs & currency

Cash and other monetary instruments worth EUR 10,000 or more (or the equivalent in other currencies) must be declared to customs on entry and exit.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · dogana.gov.al · Law No. 9917 of 19.5.2008, article 17

Yellow fever certificate

WHO lists Albania as requiring a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travellers aged one year and over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.

The 42 countries WHO lists as a yellow fever risk

Requirements normally count any country you have been in shortly before arrival, not only where you boarded.

  • Angola
  • Argentina — Misiones and Corrientes Provinces
  • Benin
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cameroon
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Colombia
  • Côte d'Ivoire
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Ecuador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Ethiopia
  • French Guiana
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Kenya
  • Liberia
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Togo
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Uganda
  • Venezuela
Compiled Aug 26, 2026 · cdn.who.int · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36

International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Albanian lek (ALL, L)
Cards & payments
The Government of Canada says credit cards are accepted in major cities and cash is required for small purchases and for purchases over 1,000 lek, and advises carrying cash in rural areas.
Safety — Exercise caution
The UK Foreign Office says there is crime and violence in some areas but that reports of crime targeting foreigners are rare, and that driving can be very hazardous, with road deaths amongst the highest in Europe. Australia's Smartraveller advises a high degree of caution because of limited healthcare options.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk · archived copy
Power plugs
C, F · 230V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 112 · Ambulance: 127 · Fire: 128
Languages
Albanian
Time zone
UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)
International Driving Permit

Albania is a party to the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). Albania's Road Code (Article 133) says drivers holding a driving licence or international driving licence issued by a foreign state may drive in Albania provided they have not been resident in Albania for more than one year; a foreign licence that does not conform to the models in the international agreements Albania is party to must be accompanied by an official translation into Albanian or an equivalent document.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · treaties.un.org · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Compare every country
Tap water
not for drinking. Use bottled

Best time to visit

No official source we could read gives seasonal travel guidance. The UK FCDO says that from December to February severe weather may cause flooding, particularly in northern Albania, that heavy snowfall in mountainous areas can disrupt transport and services, and that wildfires are common from April to October.

Tips & warnings

The UK FCDO says road surfaces are poor, especially in rural areas, and tells travellers at night to watch out for unmarked roadworks, potholes and vehicles without lights. Canada says driving conditions may be hazardous during winter, particularly on mountainous roads in northern and southeastern Albania.

Albania's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs says holders of a valid multiple-entry Schengen, EU, US or UK visa that has already been used, or of a valid residence permit from those countries, can enter Albania visa-free. The exemption does not apply to Iranian nationals, who need a visa in all cases.

The Government of Canada says cash is required for small purchases and advises carrying cash in rural areas, while credit cards are accepted in major cities.

Visa requirements by nationality

PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistaneVisa90 days
AlbaniaFree movement—
AlgeriaeVisa90 days
AndorraVisa-free90 days
AngolaeVisa90 days
Antigua and BarbudaVisa-free90 days
ArgentinaVisa-free90 days
ArmeniaVisa-free90 days
AustraliaVisa-free90 days
AustriaVisa-free90 days
AzerbaijanVisa-free90 days
BahamasVisa-free90 days
BahraineVisa90 days
BangladesheVisa90 days
BarbadosVisa-free90 days
BelaruseVisa90 days
BelgiumVisa-free90 days
BelizeeVisa90 days
BenineVisa90 days
BhutaneVisa90 days
BoliviaeVisa90 days
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa-free90 days
BotswanaeVisa90 days
BrazilVisa-free90 days
BruneiVisa-free90 days
BulgariaVisa-free90 days
Burkina FasoeVisa90 days
BurundieVisa90 days
Cabo VerdeeVisa90 days
CambodiaeVisa90 days
CamerooneVisa90 days
CanadaVisa-free90 days
Central African RepubliceVisa90 days
ChadeVisa90 days
ChileVisa-free90 days
ChinaVisa-free90 days
ColombiaVisa-free90 days
ComoroseVisa90 days
Costa RicaVisa-free90 days
Côte d'IvoireeVisa90 days
CroatiaVisa-free90 days
CubaeVisa90 days
CyprusVisa-free90 days
CzechiaVisa-free90 days
Democratic Republic of the CongoeVisa90 days
DenmarkVisa-free90 days
DjiboutieVisa90 days
DominicaVisa-free90 days
Dominican RepubliceVisa90 days
EcuadoreVisa90 days
EgypteVisa90 days
El SalvadorVisa-free90 days
Equatorial GuineaeVisa90 days
EritreaeVisa90 days
EstoniaVisa-free90 days
EswatinieVisa90 days
EthiopiaeVisa90 days
FijieVisa90 days
FinlandVisa-free90 days
FranceVisa-free90 days
GaboneVisa90 days
GambiaeVisa90 days
GeorgiaVisa-free90 days
GermanyVisa-free90 days
GhanaeVisa90 days
GreeceVisa-free90 days
GrenadaVisa-free90 days
GuatemalaVisa-free90 days
GuineaeVisa90 days
Guinea-BissaueVisa90 days
GuyanaeVisa90 days
HaitieVisa90 days
HondurasVisa-free90 days
Hong KongVisa-free90 days
HungaryVisa-free90 days
IcelandVisa-free90 days
IndiaeVisa90 days
IndonesiaeVisa90 days
IraneVisa90 days
IraqeVisa90 days
IrelandVisa-free90 days
IsraelVisa-free90 days
ItalyVisa-free90 days
JamaicaeVisa90 days
JapanVisa-free90 days
JordaneVisa90 days
KazakhstanVisa-free90 days
KenyaeVisa90 days
KiribatiVisa-free90 days
KosovoVisa-free90 days
KuwaitVisa-free90 days
KyrgyzstaneVisa90 days
LaoseVisa90 days
LatviaVisa-free90 days
LebanoneVisa90 days
LesothoeVisa90 days
LiberiaeVisa90 days
LibyaeVisa90 days
LiechtensteinVisa-free90 days
LithuaniaVisa-free90 days
LuxembourgVisa-free90 days
MacauVisa-free90 days
MadagascareVisa90 days
MalawieVisa90 days
MalaysiaVisa-free90 days
MaldiveseVisa90 days
MalieVisa90 days
MaltaVisa-free90 days
Marshall IslandsVisa-free90 days
MauritaniaeVisa90 days
MauritiusVisa-free90 days
MexicoVisa-free90 days
MicronesiaVisa-free90 days
MoldovaVisa-free90 days
MonacoVisa-free90 days
MongoliaeVisa90 days
MontenegroVisa-free90 days
MoroccoeVisa90 days
MozambiqueeVisa90 days
MyanmareVisa90 days
NamibiaeVisa90 days
NauruVisa-free90 days
NepaleVisa90 days
NetherlandsVisa-free90 days
New ZealandVisa-free90 days
NicaraguaVisa-free90 days
NigereVisa90 days
NigeriaeVisa90 days
North KoreaeVisa90 days
North MacedoniaVisa-free90 days
NorwayVisa-free90 days
OmaneVisa90 days
PakistaneVisa90 days
PalauVisa-free90 days
PalestineeVisa90 days
PanamaVisa-free90 days
Papua New GuineaeVisa90 days
ParaguayVisa-free90 days
PeruVisa-free90 days
PhilippineseVisa90 days
PolandVisa-free90 days
PortugalVisa-free90 days
QatarVisa-free90 days
Republic of the CongoeVisa90 days
RomaniaVisa-free90 days
RussiaeVisa90 days
RwandaeVisa90 days
Saint Kitts and NevisVisa-free90 days
Saint LuciaVisa-free90 days
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa-free90 days
SamoaVisa-free90 days
San MarinoVisa-free90 days
São Tomé and PríncipeeVisa90 days
Saudi ArabiaVisa-free90 days
SenegaleVisa90 days
SerbiaVisa-free90 days
SeychellesVisa-free90 days
Sierra LeoneeVisa90 days
SingaporeVisa-free90 days
SlovakiaVisa-free90 days
SloveniaVisa-free90 days
Solomon IslandsVisa-free90 days
SomaliaeVisa90 days
South AfricaeVisa90 days
South KoreaVisa-free90 days
South SudaneVisa90 days
SpainVisa-free90 days
Sri LankaeVisa90 days
SudaneVisa90 days
SurinameeVisa90 days
SwedenVisa-free90 days
SwitzerlandVisa-free90 days
SyriaeVisa90 days
TaiwanVisa-free90 days
TajikistaneVisa90 days
TanzaniaeVisa90 days
ThailandeVisa90 days
Timor-LesteVisa-free90 days
TogoeVisa90 days
TongaVisa-free90 days
Trinidad and TobagoVisa-free90 days
TunisiaeVisa90 days
TurkeyVisa-free90 days
TurkmenistaneVisa90 days
TuvaluVisa-free90 days
UgandaeVisa90 days
UkraineVisa-free90 days
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free90 days
United KingdomVisa-free90 days
United StatesVisa-free—
UruguayVisa-free90 days
UzbekistaneVisa90 days
VanuatueVisa90 days
Vatican CityVisa-free90 days
VenezuelaVisa-free90 days
VietnameVisa90 days
YemeneVisa90 days
ZambiaeVisa90 days
ZimbabweeVisa90 days

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

Montenegro99 of 199 passports visa-freeKosovo109 of 199 passports visa-freeNorth Macedonia81 of 199 passports visa-freeGreece94 of 199 passports visa-freeSerbia90 of 199 passports visa-freeBosnia and Herzegovina98 of 199 passports visa-freeCroatia94 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Albania?

Albania's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs says nationals of countries that may enter and stay visa-free in the Schengen Area do not need a visa, and that if your nationality is not included in its visa-regime table you must obtain a visa before travelling. You apply online in the electronic visa system or in person at an Albanian diplomatic mission or consular post. Holders of a valid, already-used multiple-entry Schengen, EU, US or UK visa may also enter visa-free.

How long can US citizens stay in Albania?

No official source we could read states how long US citizens may stay.

Can I enter Albania with a Schengen visa?

Yes, if it is a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa that you have already used in a Schengen country, or a valid Schengen residence permit; the same applies to a used multiple-entry visa or a residence permit from an EU state, the US or the UK. You must leave Albania no later than 3 days before it expires. The exemption does not apply to Iranian nationals, who need a visa in all cases.

What currency is used in Albania, and can I pay in euros?

The Government of Canada says the currency of Albania is the lek (ALL), that credit cards are accepted in major cities, and that cash is required for small purchases and for purchases over 1,000 lek; it advises carrying cash in rural areas. No official source we could read describes paying in euros.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source