Albanian Citizenship

This package provides full information to foreigners intending to obtain the Albanian Citizenship in the Republic of Albania, whether being EU citizens or not. Here below, find the detailed procedure on the application including the responsible authorities, documents, terms and fees.

The Albanian citizenship is a stable legal relationship, which is expressed on the interrelated rights and duties between the physical person and the Albanian state.The Albanian citizenship is acquired, reacquired, lost or renounced in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 8389, 05.08.1998 “On Albanian Citizenship”, which respects the recognised norms and principles of international law in the field of citizenship accepted by the Republic of Albania.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Department of Citizenship, handles citizenship issues. Albanian citizens and foreigners can submit their requirements for obtaining and renouncing citizenship to our missions abroad, but also to the regional police, in the district where they reside in Albania.

When requirements for obtaining and renouncing citizenship are presented to the mission, they are forwarded through the MFA to the MIA, Department of Citizenship. After being checked, the MIA, Department of Citizenship, sends them to the Presidency, the Office of Citizenship, for a final decision.

Dual citizenship – Albania allows the dual citizenship. The Albanian citizens freely can apply the acquiring of another citizenship without losing the Albanian one. Foreigners also are not hindered to apply for the Albanian citizenship, without renouncing that of the country they originate.

A foreigner, who has filed an application for acquiring the Albanian citizenship through naturalization, acquires it subject to the following conditions:

  • Be at least 18 years old;
  • Have lawfully resided in the territory of the Republic of Albania, for at least 5 years;
  • Have accommodation and sufficient financial means;
  • Hasn’t been penally prosecuted in his own country or in the Republic of Albania for penal crimes charged with more than 3 years of imprisonment (not for political reasons);
  • Have at least basic knowledge of the Albanian language;
  • Granting of Albanian citizenship does not hinder the security and defense of the Republic of Albania.

  • Facilitated requirements are applied to the foreigners who are married with Albanian citizens, who could prove their Albanian origin or for those that the country has special interest (scientific, economic, cultural or national interest);
  • If both parent are granted the Albanian citizenship by naturalization, the child under 18 years of age, when he lives with the parents, can also become an Albanian citizen by request of both parents and the consent of the child (between 14-18 years of age).
  • If both parents of Albanian nationality adopt a child having another citizenship, the child is granted the Albanian citizenship

Special Cases

If a foreigner can prove that he is of Albanian origin from at least one parent up to the second generation, the residence requirement in line 2 is reduced from 5 years to 3 years. All other requirements remain unchanged.

Foreigners married to an Albanian citizen for at least 3 years may apply for Albanian citizenship by naturalization without meeting the requirements of lines 2 (. have lawfully resided in the territory of the Republic of Albania for at least 5 years) and 5 (have basic knowledge of the Albanian language). He or she must have resided legally and uninterruptedly in the territory of the Republic of Albania for at least 1 year.

If both parents of a minor child under 18 years of age are naturalized as Albanian citizens, the child may become an Albanian citizen upon request of both parents. If the minor child is between 14 and 18 years of age, consent of the child is also required.

If one parent of a minor child under 18 years of age is naturalized as an Albanian citizen and the child resides in the Republic of Albania, the child may become an Albanian citizen upon the request of both parents.

If both parents of Albanian nationality adopt a child who has another citizenship or is stateless, the child is granted Albanian citizenship. Even if only one parent is of Albanian nationality, if the parents reside in the territory of the Republic of Albania at the moment of adoption, the adopted child is granted Albanian citizenship. In any other case when the adopted child risks remaining stateless, the child is granted Albanian citizenship.

A foreigner who has reached the age of eighteen can acquire Albanian citizenship even when he does not meet these conditions, unless acquiring the Albanian citizenship does not affect the security and protection of the Republic of Albania.

The person without a citizenship are required the following conditions:

  1. Has legally resided in the territory of the Republic of Albania, continuously for not less than five years.
  2. The granting of Albanian citizenship must not affect the security and protection of the Republic of Albania.

Citizenship by birth

A child acquires Albanian citizenship by birth in the following instances:

  • At birth, both parents are Albanian nationals;
  • At birth, one parent is an Albanian national and the child is born in the territory of the Republic of Albania;
  • The child is born outside the territory of the Republic of Albania and one of the parents is an Albanian national, and the other parent has an unknown citizenship or is stateless;
  • The child is born outside the territory of the Republic of Albania and one of the parents is an Albanian national, and the other parent has another citizenship, but both parents agree that the child will have Albanian citizenship.

Additionally, a child born or found within the territory of the Republic of Albania is granted Albanian citizenship if he is born by unknown parents and as a result, the child may become stateless. In addition, a child born within the territory of the Republic of Albania by parents having another citizenship who are legally residing in the Republic of Albania, may acquire Albanian citizenship by the consent of both parents.

Necessary documents:

  1. Parents’ request towards the President of the Republic of Albania. The request must be signed (name, surname, and signature) by both parents and contains:
  2. full identity of both parents (name, surname, birthdate, birthplace and citizenship) ;
  3. the correct address of their permanent residence;
  4. mail, e-mail, telephone number, through which they can be informed about their request;
  5. reasons why they want their child to acquire the Albanian citizenship
  6. Birth certificate of the child released from foreign authorities, legalized or apostilled and translated;
  7. Consent of the foreign parent in the form of a Notary declaration, for the Acquisition of citizenship by birth for a child of minor age with an Albanian parent.

Citizenship by naturalization

In order to apply for Albanian citizenship by naturalization, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Be at least 18 years of age;
  • Have lawfully resided in the territory of the Republic of Albania for at least 5 years;
  • Have accommodation and sufficient financial means;
  • Not be penally prosecuted in one’s own country or in the Republic of Albania for penal crimes charged with more than 3 years of imprisonment;
  • Have basic knowledge of the Albanian language;
  • Granting of Albanian citizenship would not hinder the security and defense of the Republic of Albania;
  • Foreigners who are at least 18 years of age may acquire Albanian citizenship even without compliance of the above requirements (except for line 6) if the Republic of Albania has a scientific, economic, cultural or national interest in such a person. If the person is statement, the requirements set forth in lines 1, 3, 4 and 5 may be disregarded.

Necessary documents:

  • The foreigner’s request towards the President of the Republic of Albania. The request must be signed (name, surname and signature) by the foreigner himself/herself and contains:
  • full identity of the foreigner (name, surname, birthdate, birthplace)
  • number and date of the President’s decree through which the Albanian citizenship has been abolished
  • the correct address of his/her permanent residence
  • mail, e-mail, telephone number, through which the foreigner can be informed about his/her request
  • reasons why he/she wants to reacquire the Albanian citizenship
  • Birth and familiar certificates;
  • Explanatory relation and confirmation from the regional police station and relevant Prefecture regarding the citizenship that the parents of each applicant have held or still hold;
  • A notary declaration from each applicant over fourteen whether have applied or not for another citizenship;
  • The certification of the relevant administrative unit for each applicant over fourteen;
  • Parents’ birth or death certificates
  • Three photos of the applicant. If the applicant has children under fourteen, he/she has to submit photos for each one of them.

Të tjera

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