Everything you need to know about Albania
Visa
Citizens of the United Kingdom do not
require a visa to enter Albania. As per current Albanian law, British citizens
can enter and remain in Albania for a maximum of 90 days in every 6-month
period without holding a visa. However, if the UK citizen wish to spend more
days in Albania, he or she should visit the local police station, and should
apply for a residence permit.
Even though visas are not required for UK
citizens to enter Albania, they should have a passport valid for at least three
months to visit the country. The traveler should also hold proof of sufficient
funds, and he should also have onward and return flight tickets. It is also
recommended to hold all kinds of documents that detail the purpose of the trip.
Special note: UK citizens can enter
Albania without a visa for tourist, business and official purposes. If you are
a UK citizen planning to visit Albania as a student, humanitarian, worker or
for medical needs, it is necessary to obtain a visa.
Please find below the different types of
visas offered by Albania for foreign nationals.
Albania Tourist visa
Citizens of the United Kingdom do not need a visa to visit Albania for tourism-related activities. However, UK is a country where people from several other nations reside, and the most common being citizens of countries like India, China and Mexico.
Even though these people reside in the UK, they need a visa to enter Albania.
Citizens of these nations living in the United Kingdom can apply for an Albanian tourist visa either through online or by visiting the Albanian embassy. Please note down the documents which should be submitted by a foreign national who resides in UK to get an Albanian tourist visa.
- The passport should have six months validity with two blank pages.
- Should submit a recently taken photograph.
- The traveler should produce proof of travel arrangements that include onward and return flight tickets.
- It is also necessary to provide proof of health insurance policy that covers international travel.
- Proof of hotel reservation along with the dates of entry and exit should be provided.
- If the applicant has visited any yellow fever countries in the past 90 days, he or she should provide the yellow fever certificate.
- The applicant should also provide his or her bank statement to prove that sufficient fund is there in the account to support the journey.
- Employment letter should be submitted, and it should be issued by the applicant’s UK employer. The employment letter should state that the company has granted leave for the applicant, and it should also detail the purpose of the visit.
- The visa application form should be filled correctly, and should be signed by the foreign national. To complete this process, you can avail the service of entrusted agencies like Visa Genie.
Documents to be carried if traveling with children under 18 years
For children under the age of 18, a travel consent letter should be submitted either by the parent or legal guardian. If the child under the age of 18 does not have a passport, a visa can be issued on the passport of the parent or legal guardian in the name of the child traveler.
How long it will take to get a tourist visa to Albania?
In usual cases, it will take nearly 15 days to get a visa to Albania. However, in some cases, the application submit by the foreign national will be thoroughly checked by the authorities, and if it happens, the visa granting process may take at least 30 days.
Albania business visa
Albania business visas are issued to foreign nationals who intend to visit the country for business related purposes and commercial trading activities. However, using this visa, the foreign nationals are not supposed to work in Albania.
Citizens of the United Kingdom need not take a business visa to Albania, but citizens of India, Mexico and China should take these visas to enter the country.
Documents required for foreign nationals residing in the UK to obtain Albanian business visa
- The passport submitted should have six months validity. The applicant is also required to provide his photograph along with a completed visa application form.
- The foreign national residing in the United Kingdom should provide proof of health insurance that covers international travel.
- An employment letter from the traveler’s UK employer should be submitted, and it should be addressed to the High Commission of Albania.
- If the foreign national is self-employed, he or she should provide the business license along with the proof of tax returns.
- An invitation letter from the Albanian entity should be submitted. This business invitation letter should detail all the details including purpose of the trip and dates of travel.
- The applicant should also submit the legal status of the inviting company.
Albania official visa
If you are a British citizen, there is no need to obtain an official visa to visit Albania. However, if you are an Indian, Chinese or Mexican citizen living in the United Kingdom, you should submit certain documents to obtain an Albanian official visa.
Please find below the documents required for getting an official visa.
- The foreign national should submit his or her passport which has six months validity.
- A passport photo taken within the last six months should be submitted, and it should have a clear white background.
- Copy of travel documents along with yellow fever certificate if needed should be submitted.
- The foreign national should provide the financial statement to prove that he or she has enough funds to support the travel.
- An employment letter should be submitted, and it should be written in the letter head of the applicant’s UK employer. This employment letter should be addressed to the High Commission of Albania.
- The applicant should also submit an original Appendix B/Note Verbale certifying the purpose of travel from the relevant Government Agency/Embassy in the destination country.
Albania student visa
Albania student visas are issued for all foreign nationals who wish to study in the country. Interestingly, UK citizens should also apply for a student visa, and they are not exempted from the visa process.
Apart from the passport copy, visa application form and photographs, the foreign national should also submit a letter from a recognized educational institution in Albania. This letter of admission should also describe details about the course including study duration.
Apart from these usual documents, the foreign national should also submit supporting documents mentioned below.
- The applicant is entitled to submit all the documents that prove and cover all the living costs and tuition fee during his stay in Albania.
- Should provide documents that prove accommodation in Albania.
- You should submit documents that prove your versatility in Albanian language, so that studies can be carried out effectively while in the country.
Albania Humanitarian visa
Albania humanitarian visas are issued to foreign nationals to protect the country’s international obligation to protecting refugees from persecution. All foreign nationals including citizens of the United Kingdom need a visa to enter Albania for this purpose.
Please find below the documents required to obtain Albania humanitarian visa.
- The UK citizen should submit the passport which should have six months validity and adequate blank pages.
- Planned route of the journey along with the booked flight tickets should be submitted.
- The applicant should submit the bank statement to prove the financial security.
- A letter of invitation from the Albanian host should be submitted. The invitation letter should contain the contact, address and other details including accommodation, signature and date. If sent by a non-Albanian citizen, a copy of the passport, that includes work visa or residence permit.
Albania work visa
If any foreign national want to visit Albania to engage in a work, then he or she should take a work visa. Please find below the necessary details to obtain a work visa.
- Passport with six months validity, photograph, travel proof and a completed visa application form.
- The applicant should submit the work contract between the host and visitor.
- A letter of invitation should be submitted, and it should detail purpose of visit, duration of the visit, and accommodation details.
- Legal status of the inviting company should be proved, and it includes documents that prove their professional, commercial and business activity.
- It is also recommended to submit photocopy of the company’s certificate of registration.
Albania Medical visa
Albania medical visas are issued to foreign nationals who wish to visit the country for medical purposes. UK citizens should also take this visa to enter the country for medical needs.
Apart from submitting the usual documents that includes passport, visa application form, and photograph, the applicant should also provide the below mentioned supporting documents.
- The applicant should submit an invitation from the Albanian host institution.
- The foreign national should submit a medical diagnosis report issued by the doctor in Albania.
- The Albanian hospital should give a declaration, and it should detail who will cover the medical expenses.
- Health insurance policy of the patient should be submitted.