Albania Digital Nomad Visa: How To Work Remotely In Albania?

Amidst Europe’s heavenly paradigm, Albania offers a place bustling with culture, natural beauty, and a welcoming community. Making nomads travel from all around the world to catch a glimpse of its exoticity.

And, Albania has always opened doors for them through its easy and affordable visa options.

But with digital nomadism on the rise, it has launched a Unique Permit (Type D) to allow foreign remote workers to stay, earn, and enjoy the country for a long term.

That is, it offers the Albania Digital Nomad Visa — a dedicated permit for non-EU residents to explore the stunning natural scenery, get affordable living options, and earn virtually.

So, if you are also bored with the common digital nomad destinations— Spain, Germany, Colombia, or Italy —it’s time to check out Albania’s exotic locales.

That’s why, in this blog, I will be delving into the diverse aspects and intricacies of the Type D visa of Albania by focusing on —

• Its basic provisions and benefits,
• Eligibility criteria and essential documents,
• Steps of the application process, some tips, and more.

So, come dive right in!

What Is The Albania Digital Nomad Visa?

First things first, the Albanian digital nomad visa is also referred to as the Unique Permit or Type D visa.

Now, since it’s a digital nomad visa, it allows foreign workers to live in Albania while working remotely for overseas employers and clients.

That is, the remote employee is allowed only to work for foreign companies and clients. So, they cannot seek direct employment under the local Albanian entities or businesses.

Moreover, the visa offers a long-term stay permit. That is, it allows the visa holder to stay 1 year along with their family members in Albania.

Additionally, they can renew the visa provisions and extend it for up to 5 years. So, it makes staying and remotely earning in Albania simple and affordable.

Key Benefits Of The Albanian Digital Nomad Visa

Much of the popularity of the Albanian Digital Nomad Visa lies in its provision of countless benefits. So, some of these benefits include—

1. Affordable And Easy Travel

Firstly, the Unique Permit opens the door for digital nomads to affordable accommodations and easy travel options. Since Albania has an overall low living cost, it allows the digital nomads to stay, travel, and enjoy the country without emptying their pockets.

2. Long-Term Stay

Moreover, the digital nomad visa of Albania is specifically designed for foreign remote workers to offer them a long-term stay. So, they can choose the overseas companies and clients to stay and work.

3. Renewal Opportunities

Additionally, the Albanian visa comes with renewal opportunities. That is, the remote workers can renew the visa after the 1-year tenure to extend their stay permit for up to 5 years.

4. Rich Cultural Experience

Moreover, Albania is not just a place on the European map. It is a country filled with heritage and rich culture. So, with the visa, the digital nomads can easily visit these cultural places and historic cities to indulge in a rich cultural experience.

5. Family Members Inclusion

In addition to this, the visa allows the remote workers to bring their family members along with them to Albania. That is, they can bring their legal partner or spouse, children, or any dependent adults while settling in the new country.

6. Tax Advantage

Finally, the Albanian digital nomad visa is designed to exempt the remote employees from the tax bracket.

Since the digital nomads are allowed only to work for foreign companies, they are not included in the tax resident of Albania list. So, they do not need to pay income tax in Albania.

But if the digital nomad has resided in the country for 183 days, they are considered a tax resident. So, they might be charged taxes based on their full income.

What Are The Eligibility Criteria For The Albania Digital Nomad Visa?

Even though the Albanian Digital Nomad Visa offers massive benefits, it comes with fixed eligibility criteria, some of which include—

1. Citizenship

Firstly, the visa applicant should be a non-EU/EEA resident. That is, the remote worker should be from a nationality that is outside the EU/EEA region. So, they can use the visa to stay and work in Albania.

2. Remote Work Status

In addition to this, the remote worker needs to be employed or working with overseas clients and companies. So, they can be either working full-time, self-employed, or freelancing for foreign entities.

3. Minimum Income Per Year

Moreover, to ensure that the visa applicant is able to sustain their livelihood in Albania, there is a minimum income requirement. That is, the employee needs to earn at least €9,000 annually to maintain their lifestyle.

4. International Health Insurance

Also, they need to have an international health insurance that covers most of the medical treatments of the individual in Albania. This way, they can use the insurance to cover the medical expenses during emergencies and hospitalizations.

5. Clean Criminal Background

Additionally, the visa applicant needs to have a clean criminal record. That is, they should not be involved in any criminal activities or be convicted for 12 months or more for any specific crimes.

6. Local Accommodation Requirements

Finally, the remote employee, before moving to Albania, should have a local residency or rented accommodation. So, they can easily settle after the visa clearance. Making it simpler for foreign members to join the expat community.

What Are The Document Requirements To Apply For The Digital Nomad Visa Of Albania?

Now, before applying for the digital nomad visa of Albania, the remote workers need to keep the essential documents prepared.

This ensures the smooth processing and approval of the visa. So, here are the basic document requirements for the application process—

• Valid Passport & Identity Proof: Firstly, they need to provide a passport with at least 6 months of validity and proof of their nationality.
• Remote Work Documents: Also, they need to submit foreign employment contracts, client project deals, and remote work documents.
• Monthly Income Proof: Additionally, they need to include the monthly payslips, bank statements, or the last 3 months’ transaction history for income proof.
• Albanian Bank Account Details: Moreover, they need to open an Albanian bank account to receive their salary and provide its details along with the application form.
• Criminal Record: Apart from these, the workers need to provide a clean criminal record for the last 5 years with no notable convictions or 12 months’ sentencing.
• International Health Insurance: Along with these, they need to attach the health insurance documents with a minimum of €30,000 coverage.
• Local Accommodation Address: Finally, they need to provide the address details of the local accommodation. So, they can provide the address of the rental place or the lease agreement as proof of address.

How To Apply For The Albania Digital Nomad Visa?

Now, once you have all the essential documents, you can get started with the application process for the Albania digital nomad visa. So, here are the steps to follow—

• Firstly, you need to open an Albanian bank account through your passport and local accommodation proof.
• Then, you need to prepare the documents required for the application process of the digital nomad visa.
• After that, go and visit the Albanian e-Visa Portal to fill out the application form and attach the essential documents for the Type D visa.
• Then, pay the application fees and submit the application form online.
• After that, you need to wait for 2 to 4 weeks to get the confirmation and approval of the application process.
• Finally, once you get the approval, you can collect the digital nomad visa of Albania from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office.

Since Albania has made it this easy for digital nomads to get a visa, what’s the wait for? Take on this chance to explore the exoticity of this European gem while earning from your laptop today!

FAQs

Here, I have brought you some of the common questions around the Albanian digital nomad visa that most remote workers are interested in.