How to Get Albania CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 7 years
- Language
- Required, no test
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- Income or economic resources must be shown
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Europe
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
Residence in Albania is the basis of this route, together with the other conditions below. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
- Residence
- 7 years
Person has been lawfully resident in Albania for 7 continuous years and posseses permanent residence permit that is available at the time of application
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- Required, no test or certificate specified
Person possesses knowledge of Albanian language (in writing and speech)
- Civic knowledge
- No civic knowledge requirement
Person has turned 18, possesses legal capacity to act, has been lawfully resident in Albania for 7 continuous years and posseses permanent residence permit that is available at the time of application, possesses dwelling and sufficient income, has not been sentenced in any country for a criminal offence that carries a prison sentence of at least 3 years (exemption only if the sentence was given for political motives), possesses knowledge of Albanian language (in writing and speech), does not pose a threat to public order and national security of the Republic of Albania.
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Person has turned 18, possesses legal capacity to act, has been lawfully resident in Albania for 7 continuous years and posseses permanent residence permit that is available at the time of application, possesses dwelling and sufficient income, has not been sentenced in any country for a criminal offence that carries a prison sentence of at least 3 years (exemption only if the sentence was given for political motives), possesses knowledge of Albanian language (in writing and speech), does not pose a threat to public order and national security of the Republic of Albania.
- Income or economic resources
- Income or economic resources must be shown
Person has turned 18, possesses legal capacity to act, has been lawfully resident in Albania for 7 continuous years and posseses permanent residence permit that is available at the time of application, possesses dwelling and sufficient income, has not been sentenced in any country for a criminal offence that carries a prison sentence of at least 3 years (exemption only if the sentence was given for political motives), possesses knowledge of Albanian language (in writing and speech), does not pose a threat to public order and national security of the Republic of Albania.
Marriage or civil partnership
Marriage to a citizen of Albania is the basis of this route, together with the conditions below. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person has been married to an Albanian citizen for at least 3 years and has lawfully and continuously resided in Albania for 1 year.
Descent (citizen parent)
For a person with a parent who is a citizen of Albania, the rules below set out how this route works. Albania grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Descent (born in country)
Everyone born of at least one parent with Albanian citizenship acquires Albanian citizenship automatically and is registered as such.
Descent (born abroad)
Everyone born of at least one parent with Albanian citizenship acquires Albanian citizenship automatically and is registered as such.
Child of a new citizen
This route covers children of a person who becomes a citizen of Albania, subject to the conditions below. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is a minor who lives with his/her parents, and both parents are acquiring citizenship by naturalisation and request that the child be included (child must consent if between the age of 14-18). If only one of the parents acquires Albanian citizenship, however, his or her children under 18 years of age, who reside in Albania, become Albanian citizens if that is requested by both parents or by one of the parents. This excludes cases when the other parent can not give his/her consent for objective reasons.
Adoption
For people adopted by citizens of Albania, the rules below set out what applies. Albania grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Person is a minor and is adopted by two citizens, or by one citizen and both parents reside in Albania at the time of adoption, or is stateless or becomes stateless as a result of the adoption.
Other family members of citizens
This route covers certain family members not covered by the marriage or descent routes in Albania. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is a direct descendant up to the 3nd generation.
Stateless persons
Statelessness, or the risk of it, is the basis of this route in Albania.
Foundlings
Child found in Albania of unknown parentage and would otherwise be stateless.
Stateless persons
Person is a minor or adult and has been resident in Albania for 7 continuous years and posseses permanent residence permit that is available at the time of application, has not been sentenced in any country for a criminal offence that carries a prison sentence of at least 3 years (exemption only if the sentence was given for political motives) and does not pose a threat to public order and national security of the Republic of Albania.
Special achievements
For people whose achievements or contributions are recognised by Albania, the rules below set out what applies. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is someone whose acquisition of citizenship would be in special (scientific, economic, cultural or national) interest of Albania. Other conditions: no danger to security and defence of Albania.
Investment
A qualifying investment or financial contribution is the basis of this route in Albania. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is someone whose acquisition of citizenship would be in special economic interest of Albania. Other conditions: no danger to security and defence of Albania.
Not available in Albania: Birth in the country, Former citizens (reacquisition), Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Public or military service. Coded by GLOBALCIT for 1 January 2024 and updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Both groups can hold a second citizenship under the law of Albania: new citizens, and citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
See how Albania compares with every country in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Croatia | 8 years | Test or certificate | Citizens abroad only |
 Greece | 7 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Kosovo | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Malta | 7 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 North Macedonia | 7 years | Required, no test | Citizens abroad only |
 Portugal | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 8.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Albania Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/albania/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/albania/">How to Get Albania Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become an Albanian citizen?
7 years of residence is the period for ordinary naturalisation in Albania. Other legal conditions also apply.
Does Albania allow dual citizenship?
Yes, in both directions: new citizens and citizens who naturalise abroad can hold another citizenship.
Do I need a language test for Albanian citizenship?
Knowledge of the language is required, yet no formal test is defined.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Albanian citizenship?
There is no civic knowledge requirement for Albanian citizenship.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Albanian citizenship?
Your current citizenship does not need to be given up to get Albanian citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Albania citizenship by marriage?
Yes, Albania provides a marriage route. Procedure: entitlement.
Can I get Albania citizenship by descent?
Yes, the law of Albania provides citizenship by descent from a citizen parent. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Albania citizenship by investment?
Yes. Albania has an investment route in the data. Amounts and terms should be confirmed with the official authority.
Related pages
Also see: Albania passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.