Assistance and protection of citizens in difficulty
In difficult and emergency situations, Albanian citizens and their family members may address themselves at any time to the MFA, Consular Department, and our diplomatic representative offices abroad, to get assistance and hold consultations. Citizens may also request the assistance of our diplomatic missions in case that their rights are violated in their residence country. The assistance and help may be provided in accordance to the international acts, mutual agreements and concrete situations.
Albanian citizens may find complete information in the Albanian section of the following webpage:
Citizenship Issues
Institutions
Citizenship issues are handled by the MIA, the Department of Citizenship. Albanian citizens and foreigners can submit their requirements for obtaining and renouncing citizenship to our missions abroad, but also to the regional police, in the district where they reside in Albania.
When requirements for obtaining and renouncing citizenship are presented to the mission, they are forwarded through the MFA to the MIA, Department of Citizenship. After being checked, the MIA, Department of Citizenship, sends them to the Presidency, the Office of Citizenship, for a final decision.
Obtaining citizenship by naturalization
Application for citizenship by naturalization is done by foreigners only at the local police stations of the State Police. Their further checking is carried out by the Department of Citizenship at the MIA and the final decision is taken by the Presidency, the Office of Citizenship.
For more:
1) Acquisition of citizenship by birth for a child of minor age;
4) Recognition of citizenship by origin;
5) Acquisition of citizenship by origin;
Allowing a second citizenship
Obtaining and renouncing the Albanian nationality is carried out through a decree of the President of the Republic of Albania. The Albanian legislation allows other nationalities, apart from the Albanian citizenship. The Albanian legislation does not allow the renouncement of the Albanian citizenship, when persons requesting it are left stateless.
Identity and travel documents
Application at our Missions abroad for ID cards and biometric passports
Albanian citizens who reside abroad may apply for a biometric passport or identity card in one of our Missions:
Embassy in Athens, General Consulate in Thessaloniki, Embassy in Rome, General Consulate in Milan, EU Mission in Brussels, Embassy in London, Consulate Office in New York, and Embassy in Bern.
With regard to the application at the missions, Albanian citizens may find more details at:
Civil status acts
Our Missions carry out several functions of the Civil Status Office based on the Law No. 10129/09 “On Civil Status”. These functions deal with the registration of the Civil Status acts or the changing of the components in the National Register of the Civil Status.
Accountable Institutions
Diplomatic and Consular Missions perform their services related to the civil status acts in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior Affairs, General Directorate of Civil Status Office.
The acts prepared by the Civil Status Office, based upon which the updates in the National Register are expected to be done, are conducted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate of Consular Affairs, and the General Directorate of the Civil Status Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The updates are carried out by the relevant offices of the Civil Status district where the citizen has a permanent residency.
For more details:
4) Marriage with Albanian citizens;
5) Marriage with foreign citizens;
Consular notarial acts and translation of documents
Consular notarial acts
As long as they are not confined by the legislation, our missions issue at the request of citizens and process notarial acts as records, statements, authorizations, simple proxies, verify signatures, copies or document extracts.
Simple proxies
Consular diplomats are allowed to edit simple proxies, which include certain special proxies. Through them, representation rights for simple administrative actions are passed, which do not aim at the raising, modification or termination of the ownership rights and obligations of the represented person.
For the issuance of proxies, citizens appear in person at our diplomatic and consular missions.
For more:
2) Authentication of signatures;
3) Authentication of copies with the original;
5) Issuance of document extracts;
Visa regime for foreign citizens
Visa regulations
The visa regime for foreign citizens in the Republic of Albania is provided for by Law No. 108/13 “On foreigners” and by the Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 513/13 “On the treatment of foreigners”, amended.
1) Can enter Albania without visa:
a) 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;
b) 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.
2) Can enter without a short-term visa (without a visa Type C) for touristic motives during the period 1 June 2015 – 1 November 2015 citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Belarus, Georgia, Qatar, Oman and Russia;
3) 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;
4) As attached please find the visa regulation table for foreigners: Visa regime for foreign citizens
5) All foreign citizens from countries that are not included in the table are required to have a visa before travelling to Albania. They can apply for a visa in the Albanian embassy that is geographically closest to their country of origin or residency;
Visa procedures
1) Issuing of transit and short-term visas (type C);
2)Issuing long term visas (type D);
3) Issuing of aeroportual transit visas (type A);
Consular Fees
Consular Fees Consular services’ fees are regulated in compliance with Article 11, Law no. 9975, dated 28.7.2008 “On National Taxes” and the instruction of the Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs no 37, dated 31.12.2014, “To determine the fee for Consular Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or our embassies abroad”.
I. Fees for issuing travel documents
1. Biometric Passport
– Greece, Italy: 130 €
2. ID Card
– Greece, Italy: 12 €
3. Permits issued by Missions: 30 €
II. Fees for the issuing, verification and legalization of documents:
1. Any kind of certificate issued for Albanian citizens: 30 €
1a. Any kind of civil status certificate for Albanian citizens (only issued at the missions in Italy): 20 €
2. Any kind of certificate issued for foreign citizens: Reciprocity
3. Any kind of attestation issued for Albanian citizens: 30 €
4. Any kind of attestation issued for foreign citizens: Reciprocity
5. Verification of documents for Albanian citizens: 10 €
6. Legalization of documents for Albanian citizens: 15 €
7. Legalization of documents for foreign citizens: Reciprocity
III. Fees for the issuing of notarial acts and document translation
1. Compilation of statements, authorizations, wills, warranties and special proxies: 20 €/page
2. Certification of duplicates and copies: 20 €/page
3. Translation of documents and certification of the translations: 10 €/page
IV. Visa fees
Visa fees are established by the 513/13 Decision of the Council of Ministers. Visa fees for foreigners;
V. Obtaining and renunciation of Citizenship
1. Obtaining of Citizenship: 30 €
2. Renunciation of Citizenship: 30 €
The fee can be collected in dollars or the country’s currency, taking into account the exchange rate at the time of performing actions. The fee payments are performed in any time through banking transfer, by advance payment.
