Visa policy of Albania

Entry stamp of Albania

The visa policy of Albania allows citizens of certain countries to enter Albania without a visa. Citizens of certain other countries must obtain a visa from one of the Albanian diplomatic missions. Alternatively, they may obtain an electronic visa.

All visitors must have a passport valid for at least 3 months. However, citizens of certain countries or territories are entitled to visa-free entry with an ID card in lieu of a passport.

The visa policy of Albania is based on the by Law Nr. 108/2013 On foreign citizens, amended and the Decision of the Council of Ministers Nr. 513/2013 On criteria and procedures for entry, stay and treatment of foreign citizens, amended.

The visa policy of Albania is similar to the visa policy of the Schengen Area. It grants 90-day visa-free entry to all Schengen Annex II nationalities, except for Dominica, East Timor, Grenada, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. It also grants visa-free entry to 8 additional countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Guyana, Kazakhstan, Kuwait and Turkey.

Visa policy map

Visa policy of Albania

Visa exemption

Ordinary passports

Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries and territories may enter Albania without a visa for the following period: ^{[1] [2]}

1 year   United States 90 days within any 180 days All European Union countries ID   Andorra   Antigua and Barbuda 34   Argentina   Armenia 3   Australia   Azerbaijan 3   Bahamas 34   Barbados 34   Bosnia and Herzegovina ID   Brazil   Brunei 34   Canada   Chile   China   Colombia 34   Costa Rica 34   El Salvador 34   Georgia 34   Guatemala 34   Guyana   Honduras 34   Hong Kong ID23   Iceland ID   Israel   Japan   Kazakhstan ID5   Kosovo ID   Kuwait 3   Liechtenstein ID   Macao 34   Malaysia   Mauritius 34   Mexico 34   Moldova 34   Monaco ID   Montenegro ID   New Zealand   Nicaragua 34   North Macedonia ID   Norway ID   Panama 34   Paraguay 34   Peru 34   Saint Kitts and Nevis 3   San Marino ID   Serbia ID1   Seychelles 34   Singapore ID   South Korea ID    Switzerland ID   Taiwan   Trinidad and Tobago 34   Turkey 3   Ukraine 3   United Arab Emirates 3   United Kingdom ID   Uruguay 34   Vatican City ID   Venezuela 34 30 days, 90 days within any 1 year   Belarus

_{ID - May enter Albania using a national ID card or an Irish passport card in lieu of a passport.
ID¹ - May enter Albania using a biometric national ID card in lieu of a passport.
ID² - May enter Albania using a permanent identity card in lieu of a passport.
3 - Citizens of these countries or territories staying for more than 90 days within any 180-day period are required to obtain a type "D" visa.
4 - Countries whose citizens can enter without visas due to the "visa liberalization with the Schengen area".
5 - Countries whose citizens can enter without visas the 90 days within any 365-day period.}

Temporary visa-free access

Until 31 December 2024, nationals of the following 5 countries may also enter without a visa for tourist purposes, for a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180 days, provided they present a valid passport.

Bahrain   Oman   Qatar   Saudi Arabia   Thailand

Substitute visa

Any visitor who holds a valid, multiple-entry and previously used visa or a residence permit issued by a Schengen area country, United States, or the United Kingdom can enter Albania without a visa for 90 days.

Visa must have been used at least once before arrival to Albania. The visa exemption also applies to valid Green Card holders, holders of resident permits issued by a Schengen country, or holders of refugee and stateless travel documents issued by an EU or EFTA member state. (And there are some more visa exemptions.) ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Visitors of Albanian ethnicity do not require a visa to enter Albania for a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period.

Non-ordinary passports

In addition to countries whose citizens are visa-exempt, holders of diplomatic, official or service passports from Algeria, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Mongolia, Morocco, Oman, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam and holders of diplomatic passports of Tunisia do not require a visa to visit Albania.

Reciprocity

Main article: Visa requirements for Albanian citizens

Albanian citizens may enter without a visa some of the countries whose citizens are granted visa-free access to Albania but require a visa for Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Brunei, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Japan, Kuwait, Mauritius (grants visa on arrival), Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Future changes

Albania has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet entered into force:

Country	Passports	Agreement signed on
Azerbaijan [7]	Ordinary	March 2024

Electronic Visa (e-Visa)

Citizens of other countries may obtain an e-Visa. ^[8]

See also

• Visa requirements for Albanian citizens
• Visa policy of the Schengen Area

References

1. "VISA REGIME FOR FOREIGN CITIZENS" (PDF).
2. "Visa and passport". Timatic . International Air Transport Association through Emirates . Retrieved 1 April 2017.
3. "Visa regime for foreign citizens". punetejashtme.gov.al. Retrieved 2022-10-23. CAN ENTER ALBANIA WITHOUT A VISA: — Foreign citizens who have a valid, multiple-entry Schengen visa, which has been previously used in one of the Schengen states, or foreign citizens who have a valid permit of stay in one of the Schengen states; — Foreign citizens who have a valid, multiple-entry US or UK visa, which has been previously used in the respective country of issuance, or have valid permit of stay in the US or UK.
4. "Regjimi i vizave për të huajt". punetejashtme.gov.al (in Albanian). Retrieved 2022-10-23.
5. "VISA REGIME FOR FOREIGN CITIZENS" (PDF). punetejashtme.gov.al. 2022-10-11. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
6. "REGJIMI I VIZAVE PËR SHTETASIT E HUAJ" (PDF). punetejashtme.gov.al (in Albanian). 2022-10-11. p. 5. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
7. "Visa-free ordinary passports".
8. "Albania eVisa".

External links

• Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs