馃 Albania

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 46% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

Which visa rules apply depends on your passport, so look at the official site below. People who need a visa are reported to apply online for an e-Visa, and exemptions are reported for people holding certain valid visas for Schengen countries, the UK, the US or the UAE. Albania sits outside the Schengen Area and runs its own border check. Ask the Albanian foreign ministry before booking, and apply early. The portal for the official e-Visa can be found at e-visa.al; it could not be opened when this was written, so type the address in yourself and steer clear of look-alike sites. Travellers should carry hotel details, proof of funds, a return ticket and a passport that is valid for 6 months.

Culture and practical - take note

Muslim and Christian communities live side by side in Albania, and hospitality runs deep: guests are welcomed with coffee and raki. Wear modest clothing in mosques and churches. Body language can mislead, since Albanians often shake the head to say 'yes' and nod to say 'no'; back up gestures with spoken words. Narrow roads wind through the mountains and along the coast, where drivers can be bold; drive carefully and do not get behind the wheel after dark. Payment is in the lek, although some tourist spots take euros. July and August fill the beaches, so book ahead. Summer can bring wildfires. Tap water quality is uneven and bottled water is the safer choice. Halal food can be found in Muslim towns and in Tirana.

Emergency

112. Police 129. Ambulance 127. Fire 128.

Good to know

Tap water

UK government health advice for Albania is direct: tap water should not be drunk because it may cause illness, and only bottled water should be used for drinking. Canadian advice adds general food precautions, suggesting that food be boiled, cooked or peeled, or else left alone, and that only safely prepared food be eaten.

Cards, cash and cash machines

The lek is Albania's currency. Canadian advice says credit cards are accepted in major cities, while cash is needed for small purchases, for bigger purchases above a set threshold, and in rural areas. Cash machines call for extra care, preferably those in public areas or inside a bank or business. Cash and similar assets above a set value must be declared when entering or leaving.

Local laws and customs

Drugs, wildfires and ID

Possessing illegal drugs could mean a prison sentence of five to ten years, UK advice says, with supplying carrying up to fifteen, and the baggage of transit passengers is scanned too. Causing a wildfire is a criminal offence. Canadian advice says officials may ask to see ID at any time, a passport is needed for hotel check-in and car rental, and drivers should wait for police after any accident, however minor. Same-sex relationships are legal, both governments report.

Taxis and scams

Officially marked taxis

Drivers in Albania may overcharge, so Canadian travel advice recommends sticking to taxis that carry official markings. It also suggests settling the price before departure or asking the driver to run the meter. Deal with this when the trip begins, not when you reach your destination.

Card and ATM fraud

Fraud involving credit cards and ATMs happens in Albania, according to Canadian advice. Its tips: skip card readers that look odd or have unusual parts, choose cash machines in public places or inside a bank or business, shield the keypad when typing your PIN, and look through your statements for any transactions you do not recognise.

Who can help

local government

State Police (Policia e Shtetit)

Helps with: Albania's national police. Its website lists 129 and 112 as the numbers to call, and an email address. The pages found show no separate tourist police unit.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Albania who needs the police, including visitors.

Phone: 129

Email: policiaeshtetit@asp.gov.al

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

National Tourism Agency (AKT)

Helps with: Albania's national tourism agency, based in Tirana. Contact it by email or at its office for tourism information. Its contact page shows no usable phone number.

Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Albania or planning a trip there.

Email: info@akt.gov.al

Address: Gjergj Fishta Boulevard, Shallvaret Palace A12, 1010 Tirana

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

ngo

Albanian Red Cross (Kryqi i Kuq Shqiptar)

Helps with: Albania's national Red Cross society. Its programmes include disaster response, first aid training, psychosocial support, blood donation and help for vulnerable people. Contact its Tirana headquarters.

Who qualifies: People in Albania who need its disaster, first aid, social or health support.

Phone: +355 4 22 22 037

Email: info@kksh.org.al

Address: Rruga Pjeter Budi, Building 19, Entrance 10, Tirana

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Albania

Helps with: The UN migration agency. Its Albania office works on migration management, crisis response and migration policy, and has worked in the country since 1992.

Who qualifies: Migrants and authorities working on migration in Albania. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Email: infotirana@iom.int

Address: Rr. Brigada VIII, P. LID, Kati III, Ap. 303, Tirana

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

embassy

Foreign embassies in Albania (official diplomatic list)

Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The Albanian foreign ministry's State Protocol diplomatic list (January 2026) lists the missions in Tirana with contact details.

Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

National Civil Protection Agency (AKMC)

Helps with: Albania's civil defence agency, which leads disaster risk reduction and emergency response. Its page gives 112 as the emergency number, plus an office address and email in Tirana.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Albania affected by an emergency or disaster.

Phone: 112

Email: info@akmc.gov.al

Address: Ministria e Mbrojtjes, Rruga e Dibres, Garnizoni Skenderbej, Building 36, Tirana

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

Cities and places

Tirana TiranaBunker museums from the Cold War, Skanderbeg Square, brightly painted buildings and a cable car running up Mount Dajti fill this lively capital.Photo: Photo: Chris Walts, CC BY-SA 2.0 Sarand毛 and Ksamil Sarand毛 and KsamilBeach clubs, small islands and clear turquoise water mark these Southern Riviera towns, near the ancient ruins of Butrint.Photo: Cannm01, CC BY-SA 4.0 Durr毛s Durr毛sEasy to reach from Tirana and the airport, this busy port city has a Roman amphitheatre and long sandy beaches.Photo: Attila Terb贸cs, CC BY-SA 3.0 Gjirokast毛r Gjirokast毛rStone-roofed Ottoman houses cover this UNESCO-listed hillside town, which is topped by a large castle with views of the mountains.Photo: Name: Armin Flickr: flickr.com/octopuzz/, CC BY-SA 2.0 Berat BeratA hilltop castle where people still live overlooks the white Ottoman houses of this UNESCO town, nicknamed 'city of a thousand windows'.Photo: Arianit, CC BY-SA 4.0 Shkod毛r Shkod毛rRozafa Castle stands in this historic lakeside city, which is also the starting point for the villages of Theth and Valbona in the Albanian Alps.Photo: Ivan Koev, CC BY-SA 4.0

City selection based on: Albanian Ministry of Tourism and cultural-site visitor figures, national news reports, Wikipedia tourism article.

Festivals and events

culture

Summer Day (14 March)

14 Mar 2027 路 Tirana

Ballokume cakes feature in this spring festival, above all in Elbasan.