NationalityLaws
Albania flag

Albania.al

Dual Citizenship: Yes Europe

Do I need a visa?

Full visa checker →

Country Snapshot

Passport Power
#54
119 visa-free
Henley Passport Index 2026
Happiness
#85
of 143 countries
World Happiness Report 2024
Global Peace
#54
of 163 countries
Global Peace Index 2024
Human Development
#69
of 193 countries
UNDP HDI 2024
Economic Freedom
65.2
of 100
Heritage Foundation 2024
Corruption Index
36
of 100 (higher = cleaner)
Transparency International 2024
Business Friendliness
4/10
Nationality Index Assessment

Albania

Last Updated: 2026-03-31

Official Portal: Ministry of Interior — Citizenship

Embassy Finder: Albanian Diplomatic Missions

Quick Facts

CategoryDetails
Residency for naturalization5 years continuous lawful residence
Language requirementBasic knowledge of Albanian (no formal exam mandated by statute)
Civics testNone
Processing time6—18 months
Naturalization feeALL 5,000 (approximately EUR 45)
Dual citizenshipFully permitted
Citizenship by birth in AlbaniaNo automatic jus soli; child must have at least one Albanian parent
Citizenship by descentAutomatic for children born to at least one Albanian citizen parent
Governing lawLaw No. 113/2020 “On Citizenship” (replaced Law No. 8389/1998)

Dual Citizenship

Albania fully permits dual and multiple citizenship. The 2020 Law on Citizenship removed all remaining ambiguity on this point. Albanian citizens who acquire a foreign nationality do not lose Albanian citizenship, and foreign nationals who naturalize in Albania are not required to renounce their prior nationality.

This has been the practical position since the 1998 law, but the 2020 revision made the permission explicit and unconditional. There are no notification requirements when acquiring another citizenship.

Diaspora context: Albania’s large diaspora (estimated at over 1.5 million people, primarily in Italy, Greece, the United States, and the United Kingdom) makes the dual citizenship policy particularly important. Many ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Montenegro also hold Albanian citizenship alongside their primary nationality. The Albanian government has actively encouraged diaspora engagement and retention of Albanian nationality.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Sanguinis)

Albania follows a strict jus sanguinis system. A child acquires Albanian citizenship at birth if at least one parent is an Albanian citizen, regardless of where the child is born.

There is no jus soli rule. A child born on Albanian territory to two foreign parents does not acquire Albanian citizenship by birth (see Foundlings exception below).

By Descent

Albanian citizenship by descent has no generational limit. A person born abroad to an Albanian parent (or grandparent, in documented cases) may claim citizenship by filing a declaration with the competent authority. The applicant must provide documentation proving the unbroken chain of descent from an Albanian citizen.

Key documents: Birth certificates of the applicant and Albanian ancestor, marriage certificates establishing the lineage, and any prior Albanian identity documents (passport, ID card, civil registry extract).

Ethnic Albanians abroad: Persons of Albanian ethnic origin living in Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, and other countries may apply for Albanian citizenship through a simplified procedure under the 2020 law. The President has granted citizenship to notable ethnic Albanians from the diaspora, including athletes and cultural figures who compete for Albania internationally. This pathway requires proof of Albanian ethnic identity but not residency in Albania.

By Adoption

A foreign child under 18 adopted by an Albanian citizen acquires Albanian citizenship automatically upon the finalization of the adoption under Albanian law.

By Marriage

Marriage to an Albanian citizen does not confer automatic citizenship. However, a foreign spouse benefits from a reduced residency requirement:

  • 3 years of marriage to an Albanian citizen, AND
  • Lawful residence in Albania (the law does not specify a minimum period for the spousal pathway, but continuous residence is expected).
  • Must meet general naturalization conditions (no criminal record, means of subsistence).
  • The marriage must be legally recognized under Albanian law. Same-sex marriages performed abroad are not recognized by Albania, so this pathway is currently limited to opposite-sex marriages.
  • The marriage must be genuine; sham marriage investigations may be conducted.

By Naturalization

RequirementDetails
Lawful residence5 years continuous residence in Albania
LanguageBasic knowledge of Albanian (assessed informally; no standardized test)
Means of subsistenceMust demonstrate a lawful source of income or financial support
No criminal recordNo serious criminal convictions in Albania or abroad
HealthMust not pose a threat to public health
CivicsNo formal test; general commitment to the constitutional order
FeeALL 5,000 (approximately EUR 45)

Special naturalization: The President of Albania may grant citizenship to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Albania in science, culture, the economy, sports, or national security, without meeting the standard residency requirement. This provision has been used for ethnic Albanian populations in Kosovo, North Macedonia, and the diaspora.

Historical note: Under the former communist regime (1944—1991), Albanian citizenship law was highly restrictive, and emigration was effectively illegal. The 1998 and 2020 laws represent a complete break from that era. Many Albanians who fled the country or were stripped of citizenship during the communist period (or their descendants) have used the current law to recover or confirm their nationality.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

An Albanian citizen may renounce citizenship by application to the Ministry of Interior, provided:

  1. The person holds or has been assured another citizenship (renunciation must not cause statelessness).
  2. The person has no outstanding legal obligations to the Albanian state (taxes, military service).

Involuntary Loss

Albanian citizenship may be revoked if:

  • It was acquired through fraud, false information, or concealment of material facts.
  • The person voluntarily serves in a foreign military or state institution without authorization from Albanian authorities (rarely enforced in practice).

Note: Acquiring a foreign citizenship does not result in loss of Albanian citizenship.

Restoration of Nationality

A person who previously held Albanian citizenship and lost it through renunciation may apply for restoration. The application is submitted to the Ministry of Interior. There is no mandatory waiting period specified in the law, but the applicant must demonstrate a genuine connection to Albania and meet the general conditions for naturalization (no criminal record, means of subsistence).

Former citizens by descent who never formally held Albanian documents but can prove Albanian parentage may apply through the descent pathway rather than restoration.

Communist-era losses: Persons who lost Albanian citizenship during the communist period (1944—1991) — including those who fled the country illegally (which carried severe penalties under the Hoxha regime) — and their descendants may apply for restoration. The current government does not penalize or disadvantage applicants based on communist-era flight or exile.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

  • A child found on Albanian territory whose parents are unknown is presumed to be an Albanian citizen until proven otherwise.
  • Stateless persons lawfully resident in Albania may apply for naturalization after 5 years of continuous residence under the same conditions as other applicants.
  • Albania is party to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
  • Albania is also a party to the 1997 European Convention on Nationality, which sets baseline standards for prevention of statelessness and non-discriminatory citizenship rules.

Document Checklist

  • Completed application form (obtained from the local civil registry office or Albanian embassy/consulate)
  • Valid passport or travel document
  • Birth certificate (apostilled/legalized, with certified Albanian translation)
  • Marriage certificate (if applicable)
  • Proof of continuous lawful residence in Albania (residence permit, registration records)
  • Criminal background check from Albania and country of current/previous residence
  • Proof of income or financial means
  • Medical certificate (no communicable diseases posing public health risk)
  • Proof of Albanian language knowledge (if applicable)
  • Two biometric passport photos
  • Receipt of application fee payment

Sources

  1. Law No. 113/2020 “On Citizenship” — Official Gazette of the Republic of Albania. https://www.mb.gov.al/

  2. Ministry of Interior of Albania — Citizenship services and application information. https://www.mb.gov.al/

  3. Albanian Diplomatic Missions — Consular services for citizenship applications abroad. https://punetejashtme.gov.al/en/diplomatic-missions/

  4. UNHCR — Statelessness in Albania — Information on Albania’s obligations under international conventions. https://www.unhcr.org/

  5. Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) — Comparative citizenship law database, Albania country profile. https://globalcit.eu/

  6. European Convention on Nationality (1997) — Council of Europe treaty ratified by Albania. https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/166

  7. Henley Passport Index — Albanian passport ranking and visa-free access data. https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index

← All Countries