Staying in Albania as a pensioner: the rules

In short

To stay in Albania for more than three months, the route people hear about most is the residence permit for pensioners. It still exists. But since 2025 the Albanian law on foreigners also has a rule for citizens of the European Union, and so for Italians: the right to stay more than three months without a permit, on certain conditions, by registering online within three months of arrival.

These rules are recent, and the decision that puts them into practice says itself that the online procedure will start once the portal is updated. So this guide does two things: it sets out what the texts say, and it points to what to ask the competent office before you move.

Why this is the first step

Everything else rests on it. The Albanian document that shows where you live is the one you will need for AIRE: for the Italian Embassy in Tirana, your address in Albania must match exactly the one on your residence permit, residence certificate or lease. Your tax residence rests on the same documents, and one of the two routes asks for health insurance valid in Albania, which ties in with your health cover.

A wrong detail at this step carries through to every step after it.

The rules changed twice in just over a year

The first time was Law no. 43/2025, which amended Law no. 79/2021 on foreigners. It was published in the Fletorja Zyrtare, the gazette of the Republic of Albania, on 10 July 2025, and came into force 15 days later. It added article 33/1, on EU citizens, and took the list of requirements for the pensioner permit out of article 85. The 2021 text set them out in the law itself: documented pension income, an account at an Albanian bank to receive the pension, proof of accommodation, health insurance for at least a year and a criminal record certificate from the home country. Today the documents are set by a decision of the Council of Ministers.

The second was decision no. 240 of 1 April 2026, in force from its publication on 15 April 2026. It amended decision no. 858/2021, the one that lists documents and procedures: it added a chapter on the registration of EU citizens, added a self-declaration on criminal record to the general permit documents and removed the certificate of annual pension income from the list for the pensioner permit.

If you read about this route some time ago, you may have in mind requirements that today's texts no longer ask for, or ask for in a different place. It is worth starting again from the text in force.

First route: registration for EU citizens

Under article 33/1, citizens of EU countries have the right to stay in Albania for more than three months without a residence permit if, among other cases, they have sufficient resources for themselves and their family members so as not to become a burden on social assistance, and a health insurance policy in Albania. They must register online with the border and migration authority for the place where they stay, no later than three months after arrival, and they receive a registration certificate. They become temporary residents only after also registering at the civil status office of the municipality where they live. After five continuous years of lawful residence, the right of residence becomes permanent.

Decision no. 858/2021 (chapter III/1) says what is submitted: a valid passport or identity card, a document proving entry into Albania, a declaration of your address, a photo and a declaration of responsibility for the accuracy of the details. Anyone registering as a person with sufficient resources declares and proves those resources, and holds a health insurance policy valid in Albania. The authority checks within 2 working days; if something is missing, there are 5 days to complete it. The certificate is electronic and carries no service fee.

If your spouse or partner is not a citizen of an EU country, the route is different: a residence card for a family member, with the marriage certificate legalised or apostilled and translated into Albanian.

There are two things the text does not say. It does not set a figure for sufficient resources, and it does not describe which policy is enough. These are questions to ask before, not after.

Second route: the residence permit for pensioners

Article 85 remains. Someone who is retired in their own country can apply for the pensioner permit. The first time it lasts up to one year, if you are lawfully staying in Albania, and it is renewed each year if you continue to meet the criteria. It allows you to apply for family reunification for a spouse or partner who is not retired. It does not allow any economic or professional activity in Albania.

For this permit decision no. 858/2021 asks for a pension certificate, on top of the general documents: the form, a recent photo, a copy of your passport with the entry stamps, a self-declaration on criminal record and a self-declaration on accommodation stating the address. Documents coming from Italy, such as the pension certificate, must on the first application be translated into Albanian, issued within the last six months and legalised as international agreements require. On renewal you also show that you have paid your taxes and local taxes for the last calendar year.

After approval there are two more steps. Within 30 days of the notice you go to the civil status office with a notarised copy of your lease, or with a document showing that you own the home (instruction no. 116/2024). Then you go in person to the border and migration office for the biometric card. The e-Albania service page also says that the application must be made within 30 days of entry and that the answer comes by email within 30 days.

Which route applies to you

The texts say that an EU citizen, on those conditions, does not need the permit. They do not say that the pensioner permit is closed to them. And decision no. 240/2026 adds that the procedure for the registration certificate will be functional once the changes are reflected on the e-Albania portal, and that the requirements and procedures affected by the decision apply after the electronic systems concerned are updated. That also covers the changes to the permit described above.

So the first question to ask the border and migration office for the area where you will live is a simple one: which route applies today to an Italian pensioner, and through which channel. If you can, ask in writing and keep the answer.

The two routes do not ask for the same things. Registration centres on resources and health insurance in Albania. The permit centres on the pension certificate, translated and legalised, and then the lease with a notarised copy. Either way, the address you declare is the one you will find again in AIRE, and it helps if there is only one, written the same way every time.

What this guide does not do

It does not tell you which route to choose in your case. That is for the Albanian authority to assess and, if you want an opinion on your own situation, for a lawyer qualified in Albania. We do not file Albanian residence applications. If someone offers to handle it for you, the same checks apply as in our guide on how to choose help you can trust.

The texts cited were read on 6 November 2026 in the collection of Albanian legislation (qbz.gov.al) and on the e-Albania portal. These rules have changed more than once recently, and they may change again.