Albania · Work
Albania Blue Card
First stay: 2 yrs
Single permit for highly skilled workers, Blue Card AL
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Blue Card is a work route for Albania. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Two-year permit, renewable for three years.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
You can apply for a permanent residence permit after 5 consecutive years of legal residence, with lawful income, health insurance, housing and taxes paid. Absences must stay under 6 months at a time and 10 months in total. Highly skilled workers receive a separate Blu AL-C Card.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Enter on a long-stay type D visa, or visa-free where eligible, then apply for the residence permit within 30 days of entry.
Presence rulesAway max 6 months in a row
Absences from Albania over 6 consecutive months, or over 10 months in total within 5 years, break the residence period for permanent residence.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Albania
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Applicant has higher professional qualifications above level 4 of the Albanian Qualifications Framework.
- The applicant has a work contract of at least one year matching the higher qualification.
What you must show2
- Average annual gross pay in the contract of at least the national average annual gross wage.
- A list of professions exempt from the average-wage condition is set by joint instruction of the employment and economy ministers.
Documents1
- Higher education diploma and proof of the qualification for the post.
Steps1
- The National Agency for Employment and Skills approves the employment first.
After you arrive1
- The permit renews for three years; family members get an autonomous permit after two years of continuous stay.
What happens at day 183
How Albania decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
2 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in 365 daysStaying constantly or intermittently in Albania for more than 183 days in a period of 365 days makes a person a tax resident.
- Income tax
Albanian tax residents pay personal income tax on income from all sources; non-residents pay only on Albanian-source income.
All tax rules for Albania Tax records checked
Full official text
Two-year single permit for highly skilled workers with a contract of at least one year and an annual gross salary of at least the national average. 1 2 3
What you must show
- Income · Average annual gross pay in the work contract at least equal to the national average annual gross wage; professions on a ministerial list are exempt. 1
Requirements
- Applicant has higher professional qualifications above level 4 of the Albanian Qualifications Framework. 3
- The applicant has a work contract of at least one year matching the higher qualification. 3
- Average annual gross pay in the contract of at least the national average annual gross wage. 1
- A list of professions exempt from the average-wage condition is set by joint instruction of the employment and economy ministers. 1
- Higher education diploma and proof of the qualification for the post. 3
- The National Agency for Employment and Skills approves the employment first. 1 3
- The permit renews for three years; family members get an autonomous permit after two years of continuous stay. 1
Stay
- Two years, renewable for three years; shorter if the employment approval is shorter, plus three months.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Foreign nationals; visa-exempt nationals apply for the permit in Albania and others first need a type D visa.
Work
Work for the sponsoring employer; the holder must report changes in employment.
Family
The family permit is issued for the same period as the Blue Card AL; family members get an autonomous residence permit after two years of continuous stay on a family permit.
Official sources
- Law No. 79/2021 On Foreigners, updated text with Law No. 43/2025 · Albanian State Police, Border and Migration Department · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-06-26
- Law No. 79/2021 On Aliens, English translation · Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2021-06-24
- Council of Ministers Decision No. 858/2021 on criteria, procedures and documents for entry and stay of foreigners, as amended · Albanian State Police, Border and Migration Department · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2021-12-29
Blue Card and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Card | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Researcher permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Employee permit | – | – | – |
| Intra-company transfer | – | – | – |
| Seasonal work permit | – | 6 mo | Limited |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Blue Card?
Two years, renewable for three years; shorter if the employment approval is shorter, plus three months.
Can I work on the Blue Card?
Work for the sponsoring employer; the holder must report changes in employment.
Can I bring my family on the Blue Card?
The family permit is issued for the same period as the Blue Card AL; family members get an autonomous residence permit after two years of continuous stay on a family permit.
Does the Blue Card lead to permanent residence in Albania?
Time on the Blue Card counts toward permanent residence in Albania, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
How are Blue Card holders taxed in Albania?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Blue Card. The standard rules apply: Albanian tax residents pay personal income tax on income from all sources; non-residents pay only on Albanian-source income.
More in Albania
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 3 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Law No. 79/2021 On Foreigners, updated text with Law No. 43/2025 · Albanian State Police, Border and Migration Department · checked 2026-10-11
- Law No. 79/2021 On Aliens, English translation · Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania · checked 2026-10-11
- Council of Ministers Decision No. 858/2021 on criteria, procedures and documents for entry and stay of foreigners, as amended · Albanian State Police, Border and Migration Department · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.