Min Monthly Income
$389
Application Fee
$55
Processing Time
3-6 wks
Difficulty
Moderate
Duration
12 months
Path to Citizenship
5 years
Overview
The Type D long-stay visa is Albania’s entry document for stays of more than 90 days within any 180 days. Digital mobile workers use it to enter the country and then apply for a Unique Permit, the residence status that allows remote work for an employer or clients based outside Albania. The same visa category also serves employment, study and family reunification.
Proof of funds is either a bank deposit certificate or a monthly income certificate, both set in lek. The first permit costs 4,500 lek (about $55), and the permit application must be filed within 30 days of arrival. Permanent residence and naturalisation both depend on five years of lawful residence, so the route works as a medium-term base rather than a short stay.
The visa does not guarantee the permit. They are two applications handled by different offices, and the permit decision determines whether you can stay.
Eligibility Requirements
Albania lists the nationalities that need a Type D visa in the annex to Government Decision 858/2021, and the visa route applies to those nationals. Citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and EU member states enter without a visa and file the permit application in Albania instead. US citizens can stay 365 days without a permit, and staying longer needs one.
Min Income
$389
Min Savings
$3,651
Application Fee
$55
Duration
12 months
Remote Work / Freelance
Requirements Checklist
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How and where to apply
Apply for the Type D visa online at e-visa.al while outside Albania, or in person at an Albanian embassy or consulate. Citizens of visa-exempt countries enter without a visa. Everyone then files the permit application on the e-Albania portal within 30 days of arrival.
Tax Information
How Albania taxes residents
You are a tax resident if you have a permanent home in Albania or spend more than 183 days there in a calendar year, in one stay or several. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, so remote salary and foreign investment income fall inside the Albanian tax base once the test is met. Non-residents are taxed only on income from Albanian sources. A residence permit does not set tax status either way.
Employment income is taxed at 13% on annual income up to ALL 2,040,000 and 23% above that. Dividends are taxed at 8% and other investment income at 15%.
Treaty position
The United States has no income tax treaty with Albania, so relief from double taxation rests on the US foreign tax credit and Albanian domestic rules rather than treaty articles.
What US citizens and green card holders still file
US persons report worldwide income to the IRS wherever they live. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, claimed on Form 2555, covers earned income only, up to $132,900 for 2026. It does not cover dividends, interest, rental income or capital gains. The Foreign Tax Credit, claimed on Form 1116, applies when you pay Albanian income tax on income the US also taxes, and it is limited by the foreign tax paid and the credit rules.
Foreign accounts bring two more filings. The FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) is due once the combined balance of all foreign accounts exceeds $10,000 on any day of the year, with a non-willful penalty of up to $16,536 per report for 2026. Form 8938 under FATCA runs on its own thresholds. An Albanian account opened to pay rent or hold a permit deposit counts toward the FBAR total.
Living in Albania
COL Index vs NYC
45.8
Monthly Cost (excl. rent)
$712
1BR Rent (City Center)
$561
Safety Index
55.3
Healthcare Index
48.2
Quality of Life Index
104.3
Time Zone
UTC+01:00
Capital
Tirana
Population
2.8M
Official Languages
Albanian
Avg Internet Speed
181 Mbps
Public Transit Quality
Fair
With a budget covering rent and living costs, you'd need roughly $1,273/mo for a comfortable single-person lifestyle in Albania.See how far your money goes →
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✦ 88Two stages, two applications
The Type D visa is issued to a foreigner who intends to stay more than 90 days within any 180 days, and it entitles the holder to apply for a residence or unique permit after entering Albania. The visa is the entry document and the permit is the residence status. You apply for the visa online at e-visa.al while outside Albania, or in person at an Albanian embassy or consulate. The decision arrives within 15 working days after the fee is paid, and in exceptional cases within 30.
Nationals who enter without a visa skip the first stage and file the permit application in Albania.
The permit application in Albania
File on the e-Albania portal within 30 days of arrival. Once the application is accepted, the border and migration authority issues an electronic provisional permit within 5 days. After approval you have 30 days to register your address at the civil registry office, pay the biometric card fee at a second-tier bank in Albania, post the original documents and the signed application to the regional migration office, and appear there in person for fingerprints. The card is ready for collection within two weeks of the email notice.
Unique Permit applications are reviewed within 4 to 12 weeks, and the electronic provisional permit is issued while the review runs.
Financial proof
The test is either a bank deposit certificate of at least 300,000 lek per person from an Albanian second-tier bank, or a certificate of monthly income of at least 32,000 lek per person. The deposit route requires an Albanian bank account. The income route does not. Digital mobile workers also document their professional activity with an employer or clients outside Albania, and every applicant shows accommodation in Albania.
Documents from abroad
Foreign documents must be translated into Albanian, issued within the last six months, and certified and legalised under the applicable international agreements. Photos are 47 mm by 36 mm on a white background and taken no more than six months before the application. Health insurance valid in Albania for the whole permit period is required.
Permanent residence and citizenship
Law 79/2021 provides a permanent permit for foreigners who have resided in Albania for more than five consecutive years and have strong ties and activity there. Gaps in lawful residence can defeat that test, so renewals need to be filed on time. Naturalisation requires age 18 and at least five years of legal residence, and dual citizenship is allowed. Albania is an EU candidate rather than a member, so an Albanian passport does not carry EU citizenship.
The catch
The Type D visa does not grant long-term status by itself. The permit review is a separate decision that can end in refusal, and the initial term is 12 months, so the route depends on timely renewals.
Work Permissions
Application Steps
- 1
📋 Work out whether you need the visa
- 2
📄 Prepare and legalise your documents
- 3
📬 Apply for the Type D visa
- 4
⏳ Wait for the visa decision
15 working days, up to 30 in exceptional cases
- 5
🏛️ Enter Albania
- 6
📬 File the permit application on e-Albania
Within 5 days of acceptance
- 7
⏳ Wait for the permit decision
4 to 12 weeks
- 8
🏛️ Register your address and pay the biometric card fee
Within 30 days of approval
- 9
📅 Give fingerprints and collect the card
Within 2 weeks of the email notice
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