Albania Residence Permit by Investment: Requirements and Procedure

Albania has a specific residence permit for a foreign national who invests in the country. Since the 2025 amendments to Law No. 79/2021, the detailed rules sit in Article 85/1. This is an active-investment route with staffing, remuneration and compliance conditions; it is distinct from residence based on immovable property and does not amount to a passive golden visa.

Foreign investment and targeted screening

Law No. 7764/1993 generally gives foreign investors national treatment, protects the transfer of profits and capital and provides statutory protection against expropriation. Subject to sector-specific rules, a foreign natural or legal person may generally own 100% of an Albanian company without an Albanian shareholder or resident administrator.

Ordinary investment generally remains free from prior authorisation. Law No. 56/2025 nevertheless introduced targeted assessment or screening for foreign direct investments connected with critical public infrastructure, critical technologies and dual-use goods, critical inputs, sensitive information or media freedom. The procedures were approved by Council of Ministers Decision No. 226 of 1 April 2026. A transaction touching one of those areas should be analysed before signing or completion.

The investor residence permit under Article 85/1

Law No. 43/2025 added the investor category to Article 39(k) and inserted the operative rules in Article 85/1. An investor is defined as a natural person who invests in an economic unit as a business with the aim of making a profit. The route is a residence permit tied to a real operating investment, rather than the former investor unique-permit provision in Article 69.

The investment amount is not stated in the law. It is determined by joint instruction of the responsible ministers and must be confirmed against the instrument in force when the application is filed. General procedure remains governed by Law No. 79/2021 and its implementing acts, including Council of Ministers Decision No. 858/2021, as amended.

Conditions and duration

The applicant must show more than a transfer of funds. Article 85/1 requires:

• an investment made in Albania at or above the value set by joint ministerial instruction;
• a ratio of at least five Albanian citizens for each foreign national in the workforce;
• the same ratio in the entity's management and control bodies;
• remuneration for those posts at not less than the average paid in Albania for the corresponding positions in the preceding year; and
• evidence that the activity is not loss-making and is regularly registered and compliant with its tax obligations.

The initial permit is granted for two years. It may be renewed for three years if the relevant circumstances and conditions have not changed. After the second three-year permit, permanent residence may be available if those conditions remain satisfied. The investment and staffing plan should therefore be tested for continuing compliance, not merely for the filing date.

Residence through immovable property

Article 84 provides a separate temporary residence permit based on the use and disposal of immovable property owned in Albania. The first permit may be granted for up to one year and renewed annually. A co-owner must hold at least one half of the property. Registered title and careful property due diligence are central to this route.

Property ownership should not be described as the investor permit. It has different evidence, duration and renewal rules and does not require the active-business conditions in Article 85/1.

Employment as an alternative

For a third-country national who will manage a smaller Albanian operating company, a genuine employment relationship with that company may be more proportionate. The employment unique permit is assessed on its own statutory basis, using a written contract or job offer and employer evidence. Salary, employment declarations and contributions must then be handled correctly before work begins and throughout the permit.

Investment protection and strategic projects

Albania has a network of bilateral investment treaties and is party to the New York and ICSID Conventions. Available protection depends on the investor, the investment and the treaty through which the claim qualifies, so the holding structure should be considered before the investment is made.

Law No. 55/2015 creates a separate framework for qualifying strategic investments. It concerns administrative support and project facilitation; it is not itself a residence permit and should not be confused with Article 85/1.

What to establish before committing

1. The investment value required by the current joint ministerial instruction.
2. Whether targeted screening or a sector licence applies.
3. Whether the five-to-one workforce and governance ratios fit the operating plan.
4. Whether remuneration and tax-compliance evidence can be maintained throughout the permit.
5. Whether Article 85/1, the Article 84 property route or an employment route best fits the facts.
6. How corporate registration, banking and the residence filing should be coordinated; bank timing varies by institution and ownership structure.