Albania Investor Visa | An Incomplete Guide

D/AE Investor Visa:

Albania offers D/AE investor visas to foreigners engaging in local business activities. This special visa is valid for two years and can be renewed every three years.

The Albanian government has not specified a required investment amount for this visa. Instead, the Ministry of Security and Finance reviews each application individually. Generally, the criteria for evaluating investment visas include the following:

1. The investment must be either already made or in progress.

2. The investment must follow the principle that for every foreign participant, at least five Albanian citizens must be employed. This means the ratio of foreigners to Albanians in the business activity must be at least 1:5 or higher.

3. The investment must follow sound business logic: it should be profitable according to the business plan, the company must comply with local tax laws, and the employed Albanians must receive salaries above the national average for their positions.

Visa for use of owned immovable property:

We can see that the D/AE investor visa is a very complex program and not suitable for small businesses. In fact, since 2021, there has been a simpler option for investment immigration to Albania: purchasing real estate locally to apply for residency.

Similar to business investments, the Albanian government has not specified a minimum amount for real estate purchases. You can buy residential land, property, commercial real estate, or even just hold more than 50% ownership of the purchased property. As long as you are a local property owner, you can apply for this visa.

Currently, the market price for apartments in Albanian cities ranges from 570 euros to 2,500 euros per square meter.

Application Process:

The application for Albania investment residency can be completed entirely online. During the residency application process, you must stay locally, provide a frequently used Albanian address for contact purposes, and open a local bank account, depositing a certain amount of money (typically at least 2,500 euros) to demonstrate your financial capability.

The entire investor visa application process can be divided into the following steps:

1. Preparation Phase: You need to enter Albania and complete a series of pre-visa application tasks within thirty days of entry: establishing a local address, opening a bank account, and completing the investment, among other requirements.

2. Submitting the Visa Application: After completing all preparations, log into the local visa application platform (https://e-visa.al/apply) within thirty days of entering Albania. Create an account, select “Visa For Investors” or “Visa for Use of Owned Immovable Property” under the long-term residence D category, fill out the form, submit the required documents, and apply.

The required documents for this program include:

• Applicant Identification Documents: All valid passports of the primary and secondary applicants; passport-sized photos; birth certificates, marriage certificates, and other documents proving the relationship between primary and secondary applicants.

• Completed Application Form

• Proof of Investment: Bank statements showing the transfer of funds to an Albanian bank and proof of business operations or property purchase.

• Proof of Financial Stability: Evidence that after completing the investment, you can still support your family’s living expenses in Albania.

• Proof of Health Insurance: Valid Albanian health insurance for all primary and secondary applicants, purchased annually.

• No Criminal Record Proof: Valid no criminal record certificate issued by local law enforcement within the past six months for all primary and secondary applicants.

If your application is approved, you will receive an email notifying you of the approval and providing instructions on how to pay the visa fee and collect the residence card.

Dependents:

For the Albanian investor visa, the primary applicant’s spouse and children under 18 can also reside locally as secondary applicants.

Visa Validity:

The Albanian D/AE investor visa is valid for 2 years and can be renewed every 3 years.

The property owner visa is valid for 1 year. After that, as long as the purchased property is maintained, it can be continuously renewed for up to 5 years.

Foreigners who have legally resided in Albania for 5 years can apply for permanent residency.

Foreigners who have legally resided in Albania for 5 years and are proficient in the Albanian language can apply for citizenship.