Albania
Albania, a small nation on the Balkan Peninsula, offers a promising business expansion opportunity. However, reaping the benefits of this venture requires a well-assembled team. To ensure legal compliance and the smooth operation of your business, it's crucial to understand the process of obtaining an Albanian work visa for each foreign employee you hire.
Albania's Work Visa Types
Identifying the people who require a work permit is the first stage in bringing personnel into Albania. The work rights of EU and Schengen nationals are equal to those of Albanian nationals. Nonetheless, some laws could demand Albanian citizenship to fill specific roles. Additionally, US nationals do not need a residency permit to stay in Albania for at least one year.
For anyone planning to work in Albania for more than three months, a work permit is required. The process begins with your staff submitting their work permit requests before commencing employment. Typically, a response is received within 30 days, indicating whether the application has been approved or denied. It's important to note that while some work permits have time limits, the total validity duration varies for each type.
Albanian work permits fall into four primary categories:
- Type A: Authorizations for business operations for both employers and workers
- Type B: Free-standing business operations are allowed
- Type C: Special event permits
- Type D: Permits for eligible foreign nationals to work permanently
All foreign nationals must get a visa to enter Albania and maintain residency.
Requirements to Obtain Albania Work Visas
The steps to get a work permit in Albania can vary depending on the type of permit. However, the most common documents required include:
- Standard application form signed by your employee
- A National Registration Center extract confirming your registration as an employer
- The applicant’s employment contract
- Copy of their passport
- Five photos
Employees will also need to pay ALL 6,000, or about 45 EUR, to get a work permit from the General Directorate of National Labor Service or the Labor Office of the relevant territory, which is a part of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
Application Process
All of your employees applying for a work permit in Albania need to submit the documents above to the respective labour office in Albania or the Albanian Consulates in their home countries. Albania’s Regional Employment Office looks at the development and needs of the country’s labour market before issuing any work permit. They take into account if the job can be obtained by:
- An unemployed Albanian citizen
- Foreigners and family members of Albanian nationals
- EU or Schengen citizens
- Family members of immigrants living and working in Albania
- Nationals from countries with bilateral and multilateral employment agreements with Albania
- Any jobseeker with priority in the domestic labour market
Remember that foreign employees can work in the public sector but cannot hold leadership positions within the public administration.
Other Important Considerations
All employees must obtain a working visa and a work permit in Albania. Visa types include:
- Type C: Short-term visas
- Type D: Long-term visas
- Aeroportual visa: For aeroportual transit
All foreign citizens planning to stay in the country for more than 90 days will also need a residence permit. Albania has 21 different types of residence permits, so it’s essential to find the right one for your needs. All residence permits are valid for three, six, or a year and cannot be renewed more than five times.
