Albania Digital Nomad Visa (Unique Permit): Your 2025 Guide for Remote Work in Albania

Albania is a unique country. Located north of Greece and south of Montenegro, it's a place that combines the mountainous backcountry of the Albanian Alps with a long Mediterranean coastline and a rich culture that makes it a fantastic place to explore.

And yet, Albania flies a little bit under the radar. Partly, that's because of its history. For much of the 20th century, Albania was a dictatorship, closed off from the rest of the world. However, in recent decades, Albania has come a long way. Now, it's a candidate for EU membership. And yet, with a relatively low cost of living, at least by European standards, it's also a great place to live and work as a digital nomad.

To live in Albania as a digital nomad, you need to apply for a digital nomad visa, also called the Unique visa. This residence permit allows you to work remotely for a year. The visa can also be extended for as much as five years, so if you fall in love with the place, you can stay in Albania long-term.

If you've always dreamed of working on the beach and beautiful Mediterranean sunshine, being able to live in Albania is a tempting option. Let's take a look at the eligibility requirements, the digital nomad visa application process, and what life is like as a foreigner and remote worker in Albania.

Who can apply for the Albania Unique digital nomad visa?

To apply for Albanian residency, you need:

• A valid passport

• Enough income to afford accommodation and the cost of living in Albania

• Proof that you do not pose a threat to order or national security (in other words, a clean criminal record)

• Earn at least USD$9800 per year

• Have medical insurance to cover you for the length of your stay

• Proof of accommodation in Albania

• 
  

How to apply for a digital nomad visa in Albania

1. Gather your documents

The first thing you need to do is get together all the documents you're going to need. Here's what you should get:

• A copy of a valid passport.

• Two photos of yourself taken within the last six months. The photo should be passport-sized (47X 36 mm).

• Evidence of suitable accommodation in Albania. This means a rental contract or something similar.

• An employment contract with an entity registered outside Albania. This needs to be apostilled, translated, and notarized.

• Proof of relevant professional qualifications according to the provisions in your employment contract.

• Evidence from a bank in Albania that you have opened an account.

• Proof of health insurance.

• A clean criminal record check obtained within the last six months from your country of origin.

  
  

If you are self-employed, you don't need an employment contract. However, it's not a bad idea to get together documents showing payments and bank statements received for at least the last 12 months so that you can demonstrate that you have a stable income that meets the minimum requirements.

2. Apply online

Once you have all your documents together, you can apply for the visa online. 

First, you will need to create an account with your name and email address. Then, select 'digital mobile worker' from the list of visa types.

Enter all the information requested into the online application form and upload the necessary documents.

Once you've done that, you'll need to pay the application fee. The fees vary according to what country you come from. As a rule, though, they are not particularly expensive. They range from €25 to €100, depending on what a visa from your country costs for an Albanian citizen.

Your application to enter Albania as a digital nomad must be made within 90 days of your planned date of travel. You must be outside of Albania itself after you pay the visa fee while you wait for approval. It generally takes 15 working days from the date the visa fee is paid to process your application, but it can take up to 30 working days.

3. Enter Albania

Once you have your Albanian Digital Nomad Visa, you can enter the country and begin your new life in Albania. Sounds easy, right? Well, maybe. But although the Albania digital nomad visa application process is relatively straightforward, there are some tricky issues that may prevent you from enjoying all that Albania offers.

Let's take a look at some of the biggest issues that can stop you working remotely in Albania if you're a digital nomad.

Minimum income requirement

It's pretty common for countries that offer digital member visas to establish a minimum income requirement. The idea is to make sure that you have enough money to live in the country so that you won't need to rely on state aid. Unlike when you enter on a tourist visa, you'll need to prove that you have enough income to live in the country.

Thanks to Albania's relatively affordable cost of living, at least by European standards, the minimum income requirement isn't especially high, especially if you come from a wealthy country. The affordable cost of living here means that the visa requirements only ask for around US$10,000 per year. Many digital nomads can easily afford that.

Plus, when you consider that the average wage in Albania is only around $500 per month, it's easy to see that you can live comfortably in Albania for a lot less than you would spend in most of Europe. 

Albanian bank account requirement

This is where things get a little trickier. Moving to Albania means you will become a tax resident in Albania, and that means you will need a bank account to apply for a visa.

How do you open a bank account before you have permanent residency established? Well, you may have to shop around. Some Albanian banks may be willing to open an account for you before you enter the country, especially if you tell them that you are going to be a digital nomad.

There are also some foreign banks, like Intesa Sanpaolo and the American Bank of Investment, that can help you open an eligible account before you arrive.

One of the most popular options for digital nomads is Tirana Bank. They allow you to open an account online before you're resident in Albania, making you eligible to apply for your visa. 

Accommodation for digital nomads

Another thing that makes this type of visa potentially tricky to get is the need to prove you have accommodation even before you get to the country.

You can search for accommodation on Albanian sites, or use a vacation rental site like VRBO. It's the best way to find a place to rent in Albania that suits your needs and will allow you to apply for your new visa.

Why apply for the Albania digital nomad visa?

Okay, we've covered the hard parts. Now let's look at why Albania might be worth considering for digital nomads seeking a new adventure.

• Easy online visa application. Albania goes out of its way to offer digital nomad visas online.

• Path to permanent residency. Once you've had your visa for five years and established residence in Albania, you can apply for permanent residency. Not only will this let you live in Albania indefinitely and establish it as your country of residence, but if Albania joins the EU in the future, it will also give you the right to live and work in any of the other member states.

• A significant digital nomad community. Albania may not be the first country people think of when they consider life abroad, but many smart nomads have come here, tempted by the low cost of living compared to Western Europe and the incredible scenery. It's easy to find coworking spaces, especially in big cities like Tirana.

• Modern amenities. Albania isn't as wealthy as Western European countries, with a per capita GDP of just under $10,000, compared to $24,000 in neighbouring Greece. 

  Therefore, you shouldn't expect the same level of infrastructure as you would find in a wealthy country. However, Albania does have high Internet speeds, especially in the big cities, and its infrastructure is steadily improving.

  
  

Tax considerations

As tempting as a visa to enter Albania for digital nomads may sound, it's not just the cost of the visa or even the low cost of living you need to think about. There are also tax implications you need to be aware of.

After 183 days of living in the country, you will automatically establish tax residency in Albania. But that's where things get interesting. Under Albanian law, anyone on a Unique Permit is not considered a tax resident for 12 months from the date of the permit being issued. 

Albania also does not charge income tax on anyone earning less than around $142,000 per year. That's an extremely generous allowance, and means most digital nomads won't have to worry about paying taxes, although they will still have to file.

It's also important to know your tax liability in your home country. This is especially true for US citizens, who have a unique tax situation in that they may be liable for US tax even on money they earn abroad.

The digital nomad's guide to Albania

Albania has one of the cheapest costs of living anywhere in Europe. Thanks to that, it also has one of the lowest minimum income requirements. You don't need to make very much money as a digital nomad to live here, and the country allows digital nomads to become permanent residents if they decide to. Plus, the Unique visa allows holders to not pay tax in the country.

Albania has more going for it than just its affordable prices, though. Sunny Mediterranean weather, beautiful beaches, and rich culture all make this a tempting place to make your temporary or even permanent home.

Submit your application, and you could be making a new home in this fascinating country. Or, for a similar Mediterranean vibe in a neighbouring country, check out our guide to the Greece digital nomad visa and see if you can make a new home in the cradle of European civilization.