Albania Residence Permit for Pensioners

Who qualifies

Article 85 of the Law on Foreigners allows foreign nationals who receive a pension in their home country to apply for a pensioner permit with the authority responsible for border and migration. The applicant must be in Albania lawfully when the first application is filed, either after a visa-free entry or on a Type D visa.

The law asks for five things: documents showing the right to the pension, proof of sufficient funds for the applicant and any dependants, a valid bank account in Albania for regular pension transfers, a health insurance policy valid for at least one year and covering all risks, and a criminal record certificate from the country of origin. The permit does not authorise any economic or professional activity in Albania.

Financial requirements

The income floor is 1,200,000 lek a year, which works out to 100,000 lek each month. The figure is set in lek, so its value in dollars or euros moves with the exchange rate. Documents from the home country must be translated into Albanian, issued within the last six months and legalised under the applicable international agreements.

Application route

Applications go through the e-Albania residence permit service. Foreign nationals who enter without a visa file within 30 days of entry, and holders of a Type D visa file online after arriving. Once the application is accepted, the border and migration authority issues a provisional electronic permit within 5 days. If documents are incomplete, the regional office emails a list of gaps and the applicant has 30 days to fill them. The Ministry of Internal Affairs residence permit procedures set out the steps for every permit category.

After approval the applicant has 30 days to register the residential address at the civil registry office, pay the biometric card fee at a second-tier bank in Albania, post the original documents and the signed application form to the regional migration office, and appear in person for fingerprints. The biometric card is collected at the same office within two weeks of the email notice.

Costs

The ministry fee schedule lists 4,500 lek for a first application and 2,250 lek for a renewal. The biometric card is charged separately through a second-tier bank, using the payment details that the regional migration office emails to the applicant.

Permit duration and renewal

A first pensioner permit is issued for up to one year. Renewal is annual for as long as the income, insurance, bank account and housing conditions still hold, and Article 33 allows a one-year permit to be renewed up to five consecutive times. A renewal application is filed within the 60 days before the current permit expires.

Time abroad is limited. Permit holders may stay outside Albania for up to 180 days for justified reasons if they notify the police beforehand, and more than 180 days outside the country within one year of the permit is a ground for cancelling it.

Family members

A permit holder whose permit lasts at least one year and can be renewed may apply for family reunification under Article 41. Family members must be outside Albania when the application is filed. The sponsor needs housing that meets normal standards, health insurance for the whole family and stable income that does not depend on social assistance. A family reunification permit is first issued for one year and renewed annually, and its holder may pursue economic activity without prior approval from the national employment agency.

Tax residency

Tax residence is a separate test from the permit. Under Law No. 29/2023, a person with a stable residence in Albania, with 183 days or more of presence in a tax year, or with the centre of vital interests in the country is a tax resident and is taxed on income from all sources. The tax section covers pensions and the United States side.

Permanent residence and citizenship

Article 33 provides for a permanent permit after five consecutive years of lawful residence in Albania, provided the person has stable ties or activity in the country. The five years are counted from the first residence permit application. Naturalisation under the citizenship law requires seven years of legal residence.