Moving to Albania
3 routes for people from the US, Canada and the UK, each checked against official sources. Find the one that fits, then check it with the source before you apply.
Keep your job, work remotely Rules need confirming
Albania digital nomad permit
Leje Unike (Unique Permit) for digital mobile workers, Law No. 79/2021 'On foreigners'
Remote employees and freelancers with foreign clients who want legal residence in a low-cost country outside the EU, including Americans who want to stay beyond the one-year visa-free allowance.
- What you need
- Employment or service contract with an employer or clients outside Albania for location-independent work.
- Sufficient income for the applicant and dependants. No official figure found. Secondary sources conflict: about EUR 9,800 a year (about EUR 817 a month) is the most cited; others cite about EUR 400-450 a month. Treat as unverified.
- Health insurance valid in Albania.
- Clean criminal record (for US citizens, an FBI Identity History Summary with a federal apostille).
- Local accommodation (lease or property). An Albanian bank account is also reported as required.
- Not for
- Working for Albanian employers or Albanian clients
- People without documented remote income
- Where you apply
- From home or inside the country. Applied for online through the e-Albania portal (Unique Permit service). Visa-free nationals (US, UK, Canada, Australia) apply after entry; nationals who need a visa get a type D visa first.
- How long it takes
- e-Albania states decisions within up to 12 weeks (Fragomen: 4-12 weeks).
- First permit
- 1 year.
- Renewal
- Renewable; Fragomen describes renewals of 2 years, then 5 years, then permanent residence.
- Longer term
- Permanent residence after about 5 years.
- Family
- Family members can apply for family reunification permits; income must cover dependants (no official amount found).
The e-Albania service page and the implementing decision could not be read. Income threshold, fee and permit length come from secondary sources that conflict.
Retire or live on savings Rules need confirming
Albania retirement residence
Residence permit for pensioners (Law No. 79/2021 'On foreigners', Article 85 as reported)
Retirees with a foreign pension of about EUR 10,000 a year or more who want a low cost of living on the Adriatic.
- What you need
- Proof of a pension paid from abroad of at least ALL 1,200,000 a year (about EUR 9,700-12,000 depending on the exchange rate), paid into an Albanian bank account. Figure is from secondary sources citing Article 85 of Law 79/2021; one news report cites EUR 1,000 a month instead. (ALL 1,200,000 a year)
- Notarised lease or property deed in Albania.
- Health insurance valid in Albania.
- Clean criminal record, legalised/apostilled and translated.
- Not for
- Anyone who wants to work or run a business in Albania (not allowed on this permit)
- People without a pension in payment
- Where you apply
- From inside the country. Through the e-Albania portal after entry; the application is handled by the regional border and migration directorate.
- How long it takes
- Not officially stated for this category; Unique Permit decisions are stated as up to 12 weeks.
- First permit
- 1 year (reported).
- Renewal
- Renewable annually (reported).
- Longer term
- Permanent residence after about 5 years.
- Family
- Spouse can usually be included via family reunification; extra income per dependant not found.
No official Albanian page or the text of Article 85 was read. The ALL 1,200,000 figure is consistent across secondary sources but one report cites EUR 1,000 a month.
Treaties and special cases
Albania's one-year visa-free stay for Americans
Visa-free stay of up to one year for US citizens (Law No. 79/2021 'On foreigners' and Council of Ministers Decision No. 858 of 29.12.2021, as amended)
US citizens who want to try living in Albania for up to a year before committing to a residence permit; it does not apply to Canadians, Britons or Australians.
- What you need
- Valid US passport. US citizens may stay up to one year without a residence permit; after a full year they must leave and stay outside Albania for more than 90 days before a new one-year stay can start. Applies to US citizens only; Canadian, UK and Australian citizens get the standard 90 days in any 180.
- Longer stays or work for Albanian employers need a residence permit (Unique Permit) applied for inside Albania.
- Not for
- Non-US passport holders
- Anyone who needs a document proving legal residence (bank accounts, leases, tax residence certificates usually need a residence permit)
- Taking up local employment
- Where you apply
- From inside the country. Nothing to apply for: the stay is granted at the border. Border officers sometimes apply the general 90/180 rule by mistake; carry proof of the rule and of entry dates.
- How long it takes
- Not applicable (granted on entry).
- First permit
- Up to 1 year from entry.
- Renewal
- No extension. To restart, leave Albania and stay out for more than 90 days.
- Family
- Each US citizen family member gets the same allowance in their own right; non-US family members follow their own nationality's rules.