What documents do I need to enter Albania?
Most visitors enter Albania on a passport with no visa, and US citizens get an unusually long stay. Albania is outside Schengen, so days there do not count against your 90/180.
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Entering Albania - what you need
Albanian border checks are usually quick and there is no arrival card or online form to fill in. Book your Tirana or coastal hotel on trip1 first and you will have the confirmation and address ready if an officer asks where you are staying.
- A passport valid at least three months beyond the date you leave Albania, with a blank page
- A national ID card instead, if you are an EU citizen whose country issues an internationally valid one
- An Albanian visa, if your nationality is not on the visa-free list
- Proof of accommodation, such as your trip1 booking confirmation
- A return or onward ticket and enough funds for your trip, both of which can be checked
- Travel insurance, which is not compulsory for entry but is strongly advisable
How long you can stay in Albania
The allowance depends on your passport. EU and EEA citizens, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Japanese, South Korean and Israeli travellers generally get 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
US citizens are treated differently and can stay visa-free for up to a year at a time. That year does not simply restart with a border run, and stays of more than a year need a residence permit, so check the current rule with the Albanian authorities if you are planning a long stay.
Albania has also granted seasonal visa-free access to some extra nationalities in past summers. Those schemes come and go, so confirm your own status on the Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs site rather than relying on last year's advice.
Albania sits outside Schengen, and that helps long trips
Albania is not in the Schengen Area and not in the EU. Days you spend there do not use up any of your Schengen 90 days in 180, which makes it genuinely useful if you are on a long European trip and running low on Schengen time.
Albania runs its own separate count, so you still need to respect the Albanian limit while you are there. Think of them as two independent clocks rather than one shared pot of days.
Important: Your Schengen exit is now logged by the EU Entry/Exit System when you leave Greece, Croatia or another Schengen country for Albania. Make sure you actually pass through a border post and get that exit recorded, because an unrecorded exit can look like an overstay next time you enter Schengen.
ETIAS does not apply to Albania at all. It is a Schengen system, and it is not running yet; the EU says it is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026.
Hotel check-in in Albania
Albanian hotels take a passport or accepted national ID card from every adult guest at check-in and use it to register the stay with the authorities. Bring the physical document, not a photo of it.
Your trip1 booking confirmation is what proves the reservation and gives the property address. Keep it on your phone or print it, whichever suits you, since coastal areas can have patchy signal in high season.
Some properties ask for a card at the desk to cover incidentals, which is the hotel's own policy and nothing to do with how your booking was paid for.
Entering Albania - FAQ
British citizens need a passport with an expiry date at least 3 months after the day they plan to leave Albania. No visa is needed for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Officers can also ask for proof of accommodation, such as your trip1 booking confirmation, a return or onward ticket, and enough funds.
Yes. Albania lets EU citizens enter with a national ID card instead of a passport, and the Albanian embassy says the passport or ID card must be valid for at least 3 months from your entry date. Citizens of countries that do not issue an internationally valid ID card still need a passport. Albanian hotels accept the same ID card at check-in.
It depends on your passport. UK, EU and Canadian citizens can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. US citizens can stay visa-free for up to 1 year from first entry, and need a residence permit beyond that. Other nationalities should check the Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs before travelling.
No. Albania is not in the Schengen Area or the EU, so days there do not use up your Schengen 90 days in 180. Albania runs its own separate count, which is also 90 days in any 180 for UK, EU and Canadian visitors. Think of them as two independent clocks, and respect both.
No. Both are Schengen-area systems and Albania is not in Schengen. ETIAS is not yet in operation anywhere. The Entry/Exit System does record your exit when you leave Greece, Croatia or another Schengen country for Albania, so make sure you pass through a border post and get that exit recorded.