Overview
Article 68 of Law No. 79/2021 “On Aliens” lets the border and migration authority issue a one-year single permit to a foreigner legally in Albania who proves, with an employment or service contract with an employer or client based abroad, that they work without a physical headquarters using information technology. Applications go through the e-Albania portal.
Article 77 lists digital mobile workers among the categories whose permits are issued without regard to the labour market or quotas, and the law's general rules allow one-year permits to be renewed repeatedly, with permanent residence after five consecutive years.
Editor's note — The law requires “sufficient income to provide for himself/herself and his/her dependants” but sets no figure. Practitioners commonly cite €800–1,000 a month as the working benchmark; treat that as guidance, not a rule.
Who is eligible
- Foreign national working for an employer or clients based abroad, mainly mobile and using IT tools (“digital mobile worker”, Art. 3(39)).
- Valid employment or service contract with the foreign employer, contractor or client.
- Sufficient income for yourself and any dependants during the stay.
- Proof of accommodation and a home address in Albania.
- Health insurance valid for at least one year and a criminal-record certificate from your country of origin.
Income & financial requirements
No statutory amount; practitioners cite ~€800–1,000/month.
Health policy valid for at least one year.
Employer, contractor or client based abroad.
From the country of origin.
Unlike most European schemes, Albania does not publish a monthly minimum. Case officers look for a coherent picture: contracts, invoices and bank statements showing regular foreign-source income that comfortably covers Albanian living costs — which are among the lowest in Europe.
Bring more than the minimum if you include dependants; the law expressly requires income “for himself/herself and his/her dependants”.
Costs & fees
- A modest state fee for the unique permit set by the annual fee schedule (practitioners quote roughly €45–100) — confirm on the e-Albania service page before paying.
- Notarised Albanian translations of foreign documents and the one-year health policy.
- No consular visa fee for the many nationalities that enter Albania visa-free (including EU, UK and US citizens).
Taxes
Albanian practitioners report a 12-month exemption from Albanian tax on foreign-source income for digital mobile workers, regardless of days spent in the country. After that, ordinary residence rules apply: more than 183 days makes you resident, with progressive personal income tax up to 23%.
Confirm the exemption's current wording with an Albanian adviser before relying on it — the tax code has been amended several times since 2022.
How to apply
Enter Albania
Most nationalities arrive visa-free; others obtain a Type D visa first.
Apply on e-Albania
Submit the unique-permit application (“digital mobile worker” category) with contract, income proof, insurance, address and criminal record.
Wait for the decision
Reported processing is four to twelve weeks; you remain legally in Albania while it is pending.
Collect the permit
Pick up the card at the regional migration office and register your address.
Duration & renewal
The first permit is issued for one year. Under the law's general rules, one-year permits are renewable at least five consecutive times, and a foreigner legally resident for five consecutive years may apply for a permanent permit. US, EU and Kosovo citizens who meet the general criteria can be granted a five-year permit on first application under Article 33(5).
Bringing family
Dependants are covered by the income test, and family members can apply for their own permits under the family-reunification provisions of the same law.
Pros & cons
Advantages
- One of Europe's lowest costs of living
- No statutory income floor
- Real path to permanent residence
- Visa-free entry for most Western passports
Considerations
- No published figures means less predictability
- Not EU, not Schengen
- Processing times vary by office
- Tax exemption details should be verified locally