Buying property in Albania as a foreigner: a guide

Foreigners buy a substantial share of the homes sold in Albania: according to the Bank of Albania survey for the second half of 2025, about 25% of the homes sold by agents went to non-residents, about half of them citizens of the European Union. This guide sets out the rules in force, with the source of each statement. The facts were checked on 2 October 2026.

What a foreigner may buy

• Apartments, houses and buildings: the Albanian laws that restrict purchases by foreigners concern land only. Apartments, houses and commercial premises are bought on the same terms as by Albanian citizens.
• Building land: under Law no. 7980 of 1995, a foreigner may buy it only after making an investment on it, under a building permit, worth at least three times the value of the land; until then the land is rented. Land of archaeological, historic, environmental or military value is not sold to foreigners.
• Agricultural land, forests and pastures: Law no. 8337 of 1998 does not recognise a transfer of ownership to foreign persons, who may only lease for up to 99 years. A draft law to open this market went to consultation in 2026; it does not appear to have been adopted.
• Through an Albanian company: according to the government agency AIDA, the land restrictions do not apply to a company under Albanian law, even one wholly owned by foreigners.

How the purchase runs

1. Checks. Before signing, the notary verifies ownership in the electronic register of the cadastre (ASHK) and attaches the extract, the property card (kartela e pasurisë) and the map. The card shows mortgages, seizures and other restrictions.
2. Preliminary contract (optional). Signed before the notary when time passes between agreement and the final deed.
3. The deed. A sale of immovable property is valid only by notarial deed (Law no. 111/2018 on the cadastre). The deed is in Albanian: if a party does not know the language, it must be translated in full by a certified translator (Law no. 110/2018 on notaries, Art. 100).
4. Payment. The deed must state how the price is paid. The notary holds dedicated accounts at Albanian banks and may not handle cash above 150,000 lek, so the price moves by bank transfer.
5. Registration. The application to ASHK must be filed within 30 days of the deed; lateness costs 10% of the fee per day. After registration the ownership certificate is issued. Under the ASHK fee list, registering a sale contract costs 5,000 lek.

From the checks to the certificate usually takes a few weeks; the cadastre has up to 30 days to register.

Taxes and costs

• The seller pays 15% of the capital gain, the difference between the sale price and the purchase price, before registration (Instruction no. 34/2023). If the declared price is below the reference price of the zone, the reference price is used. Keep your purchase deed: it is the basis for the tax when you sell.
• The buyer pays the notary and the registration. There is no proportional transfer tax on a private buyer. The notary's fee is set by a ministerial instruction; ask the notary for a written quote.
• Annual building tax: 0.05% of the fiscal value for homes and 0.2% for business property (Law no. 9632/2006, Art. 22/2).
• Rent: income from property located in Albania is taxed in Albania at 15%, for a non-resident owner too, as PwC's tax summary also states.
• Your home country: check whether it has a double taxation treaty with Albania and how it taxes foreign property; ask a tax adviser.

Buying off-plan from a developer

Many new apartments are sold before completion, under a preliminary contract (kontratë sipërmarrjeje or premtim shitjeje). Law no. 111/2018, Art. 50, gives specific protections, but they work only if the contract is registered:

• Every contract between developer and buyer is entered in the building-permit register at ASHK. The entry marks the unit as taken: it can no longer be promised to anyone else.
• The contract must identify the unit by the plans attached to the permit.
• If the land is mortgaged, the developer cannot promise units without the bank's written consent.
• The developer's creditors cannot reach units already promised to third parties and registered, unless an earlier mortgage exists.

Before paying, ask for: the building permit registered at ASHK, the confirmation that your own contract is registered (vërtetim regjistrimi) and a check of mortgages on the land. Tie payments to construction stages. The law provides no public guarantee for deposits.

The most common problems

• Unclear title. Inaccurate historic maps and co-ownership are frequent: every co-owner must sign. Buy only with an up-to-date certificate, card and map.
• Buildings under legalisation. Buildings without a permit follow the procedure of Law no. 20/2020; among other cases they are not legalised if they encroach on the coastline, national roads or cultural heritage areas. A property with only a legalisation application is not yet registered property.
• Claims by former owners. These exist mainly on land, particularly along the coast. Have a lawyer check the origin of the land.

Staying in Albania

Citizens of EU countries enter without a visa and may stay up to 90 days in any 180.

For longer periods the law on foreigners provides a residence permit for owners of immovable property (Art. 84), valid up to one year and renewable, and one for pensioners (Art. 85). For the owner's permit, the e-Albania list asks for the ownership certificate or the notarial contract, proof of sufficient means and the travel document. The law names no minimum property value.

A 2025 amendment lets EU citizens stay beyond three months with a simple registration if they work or have sufficient resources and health insurance. Check with the Albanian border police which procedure is operating before you move.

Practical points

• Getting there: Tirana airport has flights from across Europe; ferries run from Bari, Ancona and Trieste to Durrës and from Brindisi to Vlorë.
• Currency: the currency is the lek (about 110 lek to the euro); property prices are normally quoted in euro.
• Cash: sums of 10,000 euro or more must be declared at customs on entry and exit (Albanian customs manual). Always pay for property by bank transfer.

To start looking: homes for sale, seaside property for sale and the guide to the 2026 reference prices.

This guide is for information and does not replace advice from a notary, a lawyer or a tax adviser.