General Information - Into Albania

General Information

General Knowledge

• International telephone prefix+355
• CapitalTirana
• Language: Albanian-Shqip
• Currency: Albanian Lekë

Emergency numbers

Road police: 126
Police: 129
Emergency: 112
Ambulance: 127
Fire Brigade: 128

Visa regulations: What you need to know

  • The visa policy of Albania grants 90 day visa-free entry to all Schengen Annex II nationalities, except for Dominica, East Timor, Georgia, Grenada, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
  • Other countries which are not part of the Schengen Annex II nationalities but can travel in Albania without Visa are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Turkey.
  • All European Union citizens, or citizens coming from Australia, Canada, Iceland, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Vatican City, USA,  may enter using a national ID card, although we recommend taking your passport as well.
  • Citizens from United States are allowed to stay for one year without a visa.

More information about the visa regime for foreign citizens and can be found on the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website by clicking here.

Other possibilities to enter in 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 a valid permit of stay in the US or UK.
  • Can enter without a short-term visa (without a visa Type C) for touristic motives during the period 15 May 2018 – 1 November 2018 citizens of Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Georgia, Qatar, Oman and Russia.

Long-term visa (Type D) is required for all foreign citizens that will stay in Albania for more than 90 days during a six month period (90/180 days) and will apply for a residency permit from the migration office.

Visa Procedures:

  • If you want to know more about the issuing of transit and short-term visas (type C), click here.
  • If you want to know more about the issuing long-term visas (type D), click here.
  • If you want to know more about the issuing of airport transit visas (type A), click here.
  • For the Visa application form click here.

 

Foreign Embassies and Consulates in Albania

If you want to contact one of the foreign embassies in Albania, click here.

Time Zone 

CEST (Central European Summer Time). Tirana is currently 2 hours ahead of UTC/GMT (Greenwich Mean Time +2 Hours).

Speak like a Local

"Hello" - Përshëndetje

"Excuse me." – Më fal

“Yes” – Po

“No” - Jo

"Where is the…?" – Ku ndodhet …?

"How much is it ?" – Sa kushton?

"Thank you" - Faleminderit

"Goodbye" - Mirupafshim

Directions (left, right, straight) – Majtas, Djathtas, Drejt