Do EU nationals need visa to stay in Albania longer than 90 days?

Do EU nationals need visa to stay in Albania longer than 90 days? - Silver Macbook on Brown Wooden Table

According to the latest official rules (as of June 2021), EU nationals do not require type D visas to stay longer than 90 days. I found the PDF on this MFA webpage. Besides this, the second column (called "DIPLOMATIC MISSION THAT DEALS WITH YOUR VISA APPLICATION") for all EU countries is empty. The last column but one says that visa type D is not required for EU, Canadian and US citizens.

Am I right, that this table means that we may stay up to 1 year in Albania? Or that we should apply for visa, when already in the country?

In case I am wrong, is a border-run possible to reset the 90-days limit?



Best Answer

There is a footnote regarding this column:

(***)Type D Visas are required for foreign citizens that intend to stay in Albania for more than 90 days during a six month period (90/180 days) and intend to apply for a Residence Permit at the relevant institution for migration.

Neither the website nor the document are explicit about this but it seems to imply that this column is about the requirement to secure a visa before entering the country and not about what you may need to do after entering. If you don't need a visa to enter, you may still need to apply for a residence permit to stay longer than 90 days. By contrast, citizens from other countries would not even be allowed to apply for that permit if they didn't secure the necessary visa beforehand.

In other words, EU citizens may not need a visa but they are still not necessarily allowed to stay indefinitely without any formality whatsoever. Beyond that, the US embassy does suggest that stays up to one year are in fact possible without a residence permit but it doesn't say where that limit is defined. In any case, this also confirms that the fact a D visa might not be required doesn't mean that anything goes.

Additionally, every discussion of short stays in these documents makes reference to a Schengen-style 90-days-in-any-180-days limit so I would assume that “border runs” are not supposed to be allowed. I have no idea how strictly this is enforced but the intent is clear.

Generally speaking, if Albania was keen on attracting extended stays or even residence from EU citizens and staying for one year or more was allowed without any formalities, I would expect official websites to state that in a straightforward way or even advertise it. Actively looking for some loophole or ambiguity in the rules because you really wished it were the case is not a good way to understand them.




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Do EU nationals need visa to stay in Albania longer than 90 days? - National Flag of Albania
Do EU nationals need visa to stay in Albania longer than 90 days? - Flags waving on old ornate city building on fine day



How long can EU citizen stay in Albania?

They have to present their valid passports or other valid traveling documents at a border checkpoint and are granted a stay permit of 90 days. Foreign citizens must have the necessary currency to sustain themselves during their stay in Albania.

Do EU citizens need visa for Albania?

Albania has applied for EU membership, but even if the accession of Albania to the European Union does not come to pass, European countries will remain on the list of Albanian visa-free countries.

How long can you stay in Albania without a visa?

You may enter the Republic of Albania as a tourist without a visa. You may stay up to 90 days within a six-month period in Albania without applying for a residency permit. If you wish to stay in Albania longer than 90 days you may apply for a residency permit once you enter the country.

Can I enter Albania with EU residence permit?

Substitute visas Any visitor who holds a valid, multiple-entry and previously used visa or a residence permit issued by a Schengen area country, United States, or the United Kingdom can enter Albania without a visa for 90 days. Visa must have been used at least once before arrival to Albania.



How to Stay in Europe More than 90 Days as a Tourist




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