Albania Introduces Visa-Free Travel for IT Professionals

Foreigners coming to work in the IT sector will have more simplified procedures for staying in Albania.

This is reported by ACP.al.

Foreigners working in the field of information technology and planning to get a job in Albania have the right to count on simplified entry procedures and a long stay in the Balkan country.

The government has approved a decree stipulating that a certificate from the employing company is sufficient for staying in Albania.

"A foreigner who, at the time of passing through one of the checkpoints upon entering the territory of the Republic of Albania, proves that he or she will work for an IT company through a statement issued by the company itself, whose main activity is computer programming, consulting and related services, data processing, hosting and related activities, Internet portals and/or development of computer programs, according to the nomenclature of economic activities approved by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania, and operates as a user in science and technology parks, has the right to enter without a visa and stay without a special permit in the Republic of Albania for a period of up to one year," the decision states.

During this period, a foreigner may apply for a special permit in the Republic of Albania.

At the beginning of 2022, Albania offered a D visa for freelancers, which is perfect for IT professionals.

The D visa is a long-term visa, which is initially issued for 1 year and provides for the possibility of its extension. This visa also allows multiple border crossings.

Earlier, The Gaze reported that, according to a balance of payments assessment conducted by experts from the Bank of Albania (BSH), in the first quarter of 2023, foreigners spent a record amount in Albania. The Balkan country showed that the expenditure of foreign visitors reached 624 million euros, which was a historical record.

This figure was almost twice as high as in pre-pandemic 2019 and 52% higher than in the first quarter of 2022.

According to the National Statistical Institute of the Republic of Albania (INSTAT), the number of foreign nationals who entered the country during the first three months of 2023 reached 1,070,564. This number increased by 59.5% compared to the same period in 2022.

An additional reason for holidaying in Albania may be the fact that the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania voted to approve a bill to legalise the production of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes. The Ministry of Health of the Balkan country stated that the aim of the initiative is to regulate the control and supervision of the cultivation, production, processing and export of medical and industrial marijuana.

It is worth noting that the Albanian government, in an effort to help refugees from Ukraine who were forced to leave their homeland due to the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian war, liberalised immigration requirements for holders of Ukrainian passports.

According to a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania adopted on 18 March 2022, Ukrainian citizens now have the right to enter the Balkan country and stay in its territory for up to one (1) year without a residence permit. 

In addition, it should be noted that several years ago, the authorities of Albania and Ukraine signed a bilateral agreement on the establishment of a mutual visa-free regime, which contributed to the influx of tourists from Ukraine to Albanian resorts.