Albania Digital Nomad Visa

Albania's digital nomad route is the unique permit for digital mobile workers, a combined residence and work permit under Article 68 of Law 79/2021 on foreigners. It's for people who work remotely with IT tools for an employer or clients based abroad, without a fixed office.

• Income: at least the minimum wage of ALL 50,000 a month. A bank deposit of ALL 300,000 per person also qualifies.
• First permit: 1 year, renewable.
• Processing: up to 12 weeks.

The income rule changed on April 15, 2026, when a Council of Ministers decision replaced a fixed monthly amount with the national minimum wage. Pages that still show a lower fixed figure are out of date.

The Albania guide covers living costs and the other residence routes.

Article 68 has no nationality limit. It sets these conditions:

• Remote work: an employment contract or service contract with an employer, contractor or client based abroad, for tasks done with IT tools and without a fixed workplace.
• Income: enough to support the applicant and any dependents. Council of Ministers rules set this as monthly income of at least ALL 50,000 or a deposit of at least ALL 300,000 per person in an Albanian bank.
• Accommodation: proof of housing and a home address in Albania.
• Health insurance: a policy valid for at least one year.
• Criminal record: a criminal record certificate.
• Work for Albanian employers: No. Local jobs need a different unique permit under the same law.

Documents follow the Article 68 conditions and the list set by Council of Ministers decision (Article 33):

• Passport: a valid travel document.
• Contract: the employment or service contract with the employer or client abroad.
• Proof of means: an income certificate at or above the minimum wage or a bank deposit certificate.
• Accommodation: proof of an address in Albania.
• Health insurance: valid for at least one year.
• Criminal record: a criminal record certificate.

• First application: ALL 4,500 government service fee, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Renewal: a lower fee, listed with the renewal rules below.
• D visa: visa-required nationals also pay the visa fee.

• Where: Online on e-Albania ('Aplikim për Leje Unike', motive 'Lëvizës Digital'), from the country of residence or from inside Albania when lawfully present; visa nationals get a D/LD visa through the same filing; the permit is issued by the border and migration authority.
• Timing: applicants who enter Albania first apply within 30 days of entry. Visa-free entrants must also apply before their permitted stay ends (Article 37).
• Approval: the border and migration authority approves the permit after consulting the State Intelligence Service and the police (Article 33).
• Processing: up to 12 weeks from the application date, according to e-Albania.

Nationals of visa-exempt countries can stay 90 days in any 180-day period without a permit. Longer stays need a residence permit (Article 2). US citizens should confirm their visa-free allowance with Albania's Border and Migration Police.

• First permit: 1 year (Article 68).
• Renewal terms: Renewable; apply within the 60 days before expiry; one-year permits can be renewed no more than 5 consecutive times; renewal fee ALL 2,250.
• Longer term: Permanent residence possible after 5 consecutive years of lawful stay with lasting ties or activity in Albania.

Renewal can be refused if the holder no longer meets the permit's conditions, such as the remote-work contract, income or insurance (Article 34).

• Tax residency: a permanent home in Albania during the tax year makes a person tax resident, as does a stay of 183 days or more in the tax year (Law 29/2023 on income tax, Article 8).

The permit rules in Law 79/2021 contain no tax exemption for digital mobile workers. Nomads who meet either residency test should get advice on how Albania taxes their foreign income and whether a tax treaty with their home country applies.