Albania Work Visa: Types, Requirements & Application Process

Albania is one of the best countries for employment. The country has a low cost of living, and it’s known for its hospitality. Albania work visa is a D visa. A D visa is issued for stays that is longer than 90 days within any 180 days. You can apply for an Albanian work visa online. However, before sending an application you must know in detail about the work visa types, documentation requirements, application process, fees, and processing time. This blog covers everything you need to know about the Albania employment visa. 

Do I Need to Apply for an Albania Work Visa?

Yes. Anyone who is not a citizen of Albania, and wants to work in the country needs to apply for a work visa. However, citizens of EU/Schengen countries may be exempt from the visa requirement. There are different types of work visas, depending on the purpose of your stay you can apply for a relevant work visa. The visa exemptions are also applicable to: 

• Citizens from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bahrein, Oman, Thailand, and Qatar (till 31st December 2024)
• Applicants with a UAE 10-year residence permit.
• Those with a  multiple-entry US or UK visa, or have a permit to stay in UK or USA.
• Those who do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area.

Types of Albania Work Visas

An Albanian work visa is a D visa. This visa is granted for different types of work. The following are the types of Albania work visas.

• Visa for au pairs 
• Visa as an employee. 
• Diplomatic visa or visa service 
• Visa for youth exchanges. 
• Visa for humanitarian/religious activities
• Visa for seasonal employment purposes 
• Visa for research. 
• Visa for the unpaid trainee. 
• Visas for in-house transferees.
• Visa for athletes 
• Visa for vocational training. 
• Visa for highly qualified employees 
• Visa for voluntary service 
• Visa for digital mobile workers 
• Visa for self-employed people 
• Visa for contracting services 
• Visa for use of owned immovable property 
• Visa for the crew of vessels 
• Visa for pensioners (retired) 
• Visa for Investors 

Learn about the Top Universities to Study in Albania

Albania Work Visa Requirements

To apply for a work visa, you must meet the visa requirements. The requirements can vary depending on the visa you are applying for. We have provided the general requirements for a work visa below:

• Completed visa application form 
• A passport size (47 mm x 36 mm) photograph
• A passport/valid travel document
• Proof of accommodation in the territory of the Republic of Albania.
• A document that proves the legal status of the inviting entity.
• Proof of sufficient funds in your bank account. That is, submit bank statements of the last 12 months 
• Proof of educational qualifications, and work experience
• Get a valid employment contract, if applicable
• Residence permit of more than 12 months. This must be issued from the country of residence and must be valid for 3 months beyond the duration of your stay. (if applicable)
• Minors need to provide statements from their parents/guardians as per legal provisions. The statement must provide consent to the mirror to travel to Albania 
• As per laws, get a certificate of approval of employment from the National Employment and Skills Agency (if required)

When to Apply for an Albania Work Visa?

The application for an Albania work visa can be made up to 90 days before the date of travel. If you send a visa application before that it is not considered. Therefore all applications must be made within 90 days. Foreigners can apply online.

How to Apply for an Albania Work Visa?

To apply for an Albania work visa follow the steps below. Foreign nationals can apply for this visa completely online by visiting the official website of the Republic of Albania.

• Visit the offical website-Republic of Albania, and view the page for the D visa application
• Select the type of Albania work visa you want to apply
• Ensure that you meet the documentation requirements 
• Click on apply. You will be redirected to the visa application page
• You can now create an account/log in to an existing account
• Fill the application form, and upload the relevant documents
• Your application would be pre-verified by the consular officer. If you have submitted accurate information, a notification will be sent to you
• At this stage, you are required to pay the visa application fee. 
• In case, any irregularities in your documents have been found you are required to submit the correct documents, as per the instructions/
• You will  be notified by email that your application for the ‘evaluation stage’
• You will be notified of the results. If your application is accepted, then you will receive an Albania e-visa. The e-visa will be sent to you by email. 
• You are informed of the visa rejection via email. The legal arguments for the visa rejection is generally included in the rejection letter.

Note: Parents/guardians can fill the application form of those who are below the age of 18.

Albania Work Visa Processing Time 

The Albanian work visa processing times are as follows:

Visa	Processing Time
Albania D visa (for work) normal processing time	15 working days
D visa processing (for work) for exceptional cases	30 working days

Albania Work Visa Fee for Indians 

The Albania work visa is not free for Indians. You need to pay a visa application fee. The visa application fees are as follows:

Visa	Fee
Albania D visa (for work)	EUR 30– EUR 50 (vary depending on the embassy/consulate)

Learn about the cost of living in Albania

What Happens if an Albania Work Visa Application is Rejected?

An Albania work visa application can be rejected. In such as case, you are left with two options. That is, reapplication, or filing an appeal.

• Reapply: Identify the reason for the visa rejection, and rectify it. For example, if your visa application has been rejected due to lack for funds, ensure that you have funds available before reapplying.
• Appeal: As per Law 79/2021 – On Foreigners, you can file an appeal within 5 working days. However, this option is only for those who feel that their visa application has been unfairly rejected. Proof of the same must also be provided.

Five Tips to Apply for an Albania Work Visa

Here are some tips that will be useful while filing the visa application

• The Albanian government manages the e-visa applications. Therefore, you can apply for an Albanian visa completely online. For the application process, you must submit your biometric information. If you are a person with dual nationality you must select the nationality based on the passport you are using. Moreover, travel authorisation is needed by children.
• You are required to translate all documents into English/Albanian language (if it is not in these languages)
• You cannot under any circumstances contact the visa authorities during the application processing period.
• The visa fee is not returned even if your application is rejected.
• If you don’t pay the visa fee within 15 days your application is rejected
• You can choose to reapply for a visa after 3 months or visa rejection. You also have the right to appeal against the visa rejection decision.

Applying for Albania Residence Permit & Work Permit

Anyone applying for an Albania work visa must know that they need to apply for a residence permit. A residence permit must be applied before applying for a work visa. It is one of the mandatory work visa requirements. 

Apart from a residence permit, you need an Albanian work permit to be legally employed in the country. A work permit application must be submitted within 8 days of signing the employment contract.

A work permit and a residence permit application can also be filled simultaneously. That is, you can send in a unique permit application. This combines the work permit and residence permit applications. The Unique permit application is mainly meant for US, and EU citizens, and Western Balkans. However, Indians can also apply for it if they meet the requirements. 

To learn about the Albania work permit, watch this video:

FAQs

We hope you now understand what are the Albania Work Visa. Want to apply for a Visa for your study abroad journey? Drop us a comment in the section below, or you can connect with a visa expert at Leverage Edu, and we will guide you on your dream journey!