--- title: "Albania Spouse of a citizen requirements 2026: 1-year stay" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/spouse-of-citizen/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-11 --- Albania · Spouse visas # Albania Spouse of a citizen **First stay:** 1 yr Residence permit for a spouse of an Albanian citizen First checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **First stay:** 1 yr (First permit valid for up to one year; later renewals for two years.) - **Who can apply:** Any passport (Foreign nationals; visa-exempt nationals apply for the permit in Albania and others first need a type D visa.) ## Key facts Spouse of a citizen is a spouse visas route for Albania. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source. - **First stay:** 1 yr ## Time and long term **Renewal: Renewable** The first permit is for up to one year, then renewals for two years. [Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania](https://mb.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ligj-per-te-Huajt-%E2%80%93-nr.-79.2021_English.pdf) **Permanent residence: After 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. [Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania](https://mb.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ligj-per-te-Huajt-%E2%80%93-nr.-79.2021_English.pdf) **Where to apply: Abroad 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. [Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania](https://mb.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ligj-per-te-Huajt-%E2%80%93-nr.-79.2021_English.pdf) **Presence rules: Away 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. [Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania](https://mb.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ligj-per-te-Huajt-%E2%80%93-nr.-79.2021_English.pdf) ### What you'll need #### Who can apply - Applicant is the spouse, or a family member, of an Albanian national. - The marriage must not be one of convenience. #### Documents - Copy of the Albanian spouse's identity document and the family or marriage certificate. - Health insurance for the applicant and the family. #### After you arrive - After five continuous years on a family permit the spouse may get an autonomous residence permit. ## What happens at day 183 How Albania decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records. - **Stay on this route:** **1 year at first, renewable** - **Tax residence:** - **More than 183 days in 365 days** Staying 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/tax/) Tax records checked 11 Oct 2026 ## What you need to arrange - **Health insurance** Health insurance for the applicant and the family - **Police certificate and civil documents** Copy of the Albanian spouse's identity document and the family or marriage certificate Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts. **Full official text** Residence permit for a foreign spouse or family member of an Albanian national, valid for one year at first and then renewable for two years. (sources 1, 2, 3) #### Requirements - Applicant is the spouse, or a family member, of an Albanian national. (sources 2, 3) - The marriage must not be one of convenience. (source 2) - Copy of the Albanian spouse's identity document and the family or marriage certificate. (source 3) - Health insurance for the applicant and the family. (source 3) - After five continuous years on a family permit the spouse may get an autonomous residence permit. (source 1) #### Stay - First permit valid for up to one year; later renewals for two years. - Initial permitted stay: 12 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. #### Family The spouse of an Albanian national, and an unmarried minor under the foreign spouse's legal guardianship, receive the permit. Checked 2026-10-11 ## Official sources 1. [Law No. 79/2021 On Foreigners, updated text with Law No. 43/2025](https://asp.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ligj-PER-TE-HUAJT-2021-06-24-79-perditesuar-2025-PDF.pdf) · Albanian State Police, Border and Migration Department · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-06-26 2. [Law No. 79/2021 On Aliens, English translation](https://mb.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ligj-per-te-Huajt-%E2%80%93-nr.-79.2021_English.pdf) · Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2021-06-24 3. [Council of Ministers Decision No. 858/2021 on criteria, procedures and documents for entry and stay of foreigners, as amended](https://asp.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2-vendim-2021-12-29-858-iperditesuar-LEJE-QENDRIMI-DOKUMENTACION-1.docx) · Albanian State Police, Border and Migration Department · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2021-12-29 ## Spouse of a citizen and its alternatives | Route | Money needed | Stay | Work | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Spouse of a citizen | – | 1 yr, renewable | – | | [Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) | – | 1 yr, renewable | No | | [Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/spouse-of-citizen/) Portugal | – | – | – | | [Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/spain/family-reunification/) Spain | Needs income of €900+ a month ≈ $1,010 | – | Yes | | [Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/georgia/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) Georgia | – | 1 yr, renewable | – | ## Questions people ask ### How long can I stay on the Spouse of a citizen? First permit valid for up to one year; later renewals for two years. ### Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a citizen? The spouse of an Albanian national, and an unmarried minor under the foreign spouse's legal guardianship, receive the permit. ### Does the Spouse of a citizen lead to permanent residence in Albania? Time on the Spouse of a citizen counts toward permanent residence in Albania, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. ### How are Spouse of a citizen holders taxed in Albania? No special regime in our records is tied to the Spouse of a citizen. 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 [Digital nomad permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/digital-nomad/) [Strategic investor residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/strategic-investor-permanent/) [Investor permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/investor/) [Property owner permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/property-owner/) [Pensioner permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/pensioner/) [Self-employed permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/self-employed/) [Researcher permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/researcher/) [Employee permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/albania/employee/) ## Spouse and partner visas elsewhere [🇮🇹 Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/italy/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) [🇬🇷 Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/greece/spouse-of-citizen/) [🇫🇷 Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/france/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) [🇬🇧 Fiancé visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/united-kingdom/fiance-visa/) [🇳🇱 Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/netherlands/spouse-of-citizen/) [🇨🇾 Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/cyprus/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## 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. 1. [Law No. 79/2021 On Foreigners, updated text with Law No. 43/2025](https://asp.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ligj-PER-TE-HUAJT-2021-06-24-79-perditesuar-2025-PDF.pdf) · Albanian State Police, Border and Migration Department · checked 2026-10-11 2. [Law No. 79/2021 On Aliens, English translation](https://mb.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ligj-per-te-Huajt-%E2%80%93-nr.-79.2021_English.pdf) · Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania · checked 2026-10-11 3. [Council of Ministers Decision No. 858/2021 on criteria, procedures and documents for entry and stay of foreigners, as amended](https://asp.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2-vendim-2021-12-29-858-iperditesuar-LEJE-QENDRIMI-DOKUMENTACION-1.docx) · 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](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.