Our Albania Visa Guide will teach you everything you need to know about Albania’s visa policy for people from all over the world, including different types of visas, particular requirements, visa sponsorships, visa fees, and more. It is critical to have a scheduled flight ticket in hand before applying for a visa to Albania.
Is a Visa Required for Travel to Albania?
Albania is a non-member state that maintains its own visa policy, while being in membership negotiations with the European Union since 2009 and an official candidate since 2014.
Albania has a number of bilateral and multilateral visa arrangements with countries all over the world, which avoid the need for long visa applications. Citizens of these countries are allowed to stay in Albania for 90 days within a 180-day period beginning on the date of their first admission, as long as they do not work.
Individuals holding a permit of stay in Schengen states or multiple-entry Schengen visas, permit of stay or multiple-entry USA or UK visas, and family members of EU nationals whose status in the residence permit is indicated as “family member” are all eligible to enter Albania without a visa.
Types of Albania Visa
Visas of Type C (Short-Term)
You can obtain one of the following visa classes depending on your purpose of visit to Albania, which is limited to 90 days or less in 180 days.
Albania Visa for Tourists
Individuals or groups wishing to visit Albania for sightseeing will be awarded an Albania tourist visa. Many nationalities from around the world can enter the country without a visa for a period of up to 90 days. If your nationality does not qualify you for visa-free entrance to Albania, you must present extra documents such as proof of sufficient financial means, proof of lodging, and travel insurance that is valid for the duration of your stay, as well as a return airline ticket.
Albanian Visa for Business or Fair Participation
Individuals wishing to visit Albania for business-related purposes such as meetings, events, business fairs, or unpaid trainings without labour or gainful employment are given an Albania business or fair participation visa. The application must include invitation documents from professional chambers and organisations.
Albanian must:
A month or two prior to your intended departure date is the ideal time to apply for your Albanian visa. At the Embassy’s discretion, they might be able to process your visa more quickly if you’re in a hurry.
Hold a passport valid at least six months on entry with one blank visa page.
Hold proof of sufficient funds.
Hold proof of onward/return airline tickets.
Hold documents showing proof of purpose of trip
Hold all documents required for the next destination.
Visas for cultural, sporting, or conference visits to Albania are available.
Visas for cultural, sporting, or conference visits to Albania are available.
Individuals or groups planning to attend a cultural event or activity in Albania are awarded an Albania cultural, sports, or conference visit visa. The application must include an invitation from the receiving organisation and confirmation documentation from the sending organisation, evidence of lodging, and appropriate financial resources.
Albania Visa for Short-Term Study or Internship
For overseas students who intend to study in Albania for less than three months for university projects or special occasions, an Albania short-term education or internship visa is given. The applicant must submit proof of sufficient means of subsistence, proof of lodging, and a letter of admission from the receiving institution.
Visa Type D (Long-Term)
Foreign residents who seek to stay in Albania for more than 90 days in a 180-day period or who intend to apply for a residence permit after entering the country are awarded long-term type D visas.
Non-Europeans must obtain a visa to enter Albania.
Non-Europeans must obtain a visa to enter Albania.
If they have multiple entry visas to Schengen area countries, the United States, or the United Kingdom, foreign people whose nationality is not qualified for visa-free entry to Albania can visit the country freely.
Visa Fees in Albania
Albania has a reciprocity-based visa fee policy, which means that visa applicants pay the same amount as an Albanian person would pay in their own country. An adult Belgian person, for example, would pay 80 EUR for an Albania visa, while an Albanian citizen would pay 80 EUR for a Belgium visa valid until March 2020.
Who Can Visit Albania Without a Visa?
1) Entry to Albania not requiring a visa:
a) Foreign nationals with a current, multiple-entry Schengen visa who have previously visited one of the Schengen member states, or foreign nationals with a current authorization to stay in one of the Schengen member states;
b) Foreign nationals who possess a valid, multiple-entry US or UK visa that has already been utilised in the respective country of issuance or who possess a valid US or UK entry permit.
2) Citizens of Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Georgia, Qatar, Trinidad Tobacco, Oman, Ukraine, Russia, and China are permitted entry during the period of 15 May 2017–1 November 2017 without a short-term visa (without a visa Type C);
Types of Albanian Visas
Albania offers the following categories of visas:
Type of Short-Term Visa (C)
You are permitted a 90-day stay in Albania within a 180-day period with a short-term visa. This visa is mostly issued for the following uses:
- visa for travel.
- Visa for therapeutic reasons.
- Visa for humanitarian, sporting, cultural, and scientific purposes.
- for official visits, a visa.
Type of Long-Term Visa (D)
You can stay in Albania for a whole year if you have a long-term visa. It is also given out if you want to apply for a residence permit once you are in Albania. This type of visa is granted for the following purposes, depending on the duration of your stay:
- pupil visa.
- Visa for family reunion.
- Work permit.
- A service visa or a diplomatic visa.
- Religious or humanitarian activities.
- visa for seasonal employment.
- retirement visa.
People Also Asked
If the applicant cannot fund his or her own expenses for educational or tourism purposes for the term of the stay, a visa sponsorship is necessary in Albania. A parent, sibling, other relative, or acquaintance could be a sponsor. If the sponsor is a first-degree relative with a permanent residence permit or citizenship in Albania or a Schengen state, however, the odds of obtaining a visa improve.
Citizens of the United States may stay in the Republic of Albania without a residence permit for up to one year. A border and migration official stamps your passport with the entry date when you enter the nation.
Visitors from Albania are permitted numerous entrances into the Schengen zone as long as their total stay does not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.