Albania Merit Citizenship

A NATO member and EU candidate on the Adriatic, with a 4–6 month fast-track for exceptional individuals.

Legal Basis

Under Article 9 of Albania’s citizenship law, citizenship by merit can be granted to a foreign citizen when doing so is considered to be in Albania’s national interest, or in the interest of fields such as the economy, science, education or culture.

The President of Albania can grant citizenship to meritorious individuals who make an extraordinary, nationally significant contribution to the country in areas such as science, the economy, culture, sports or national development projects. The applicant must present a strong case profile to justify the merit route.

For entrepreneurs, an economic contribution can mean investing in Albania, establishing or expanding a business, creating employment, transferring expertise, or developing a project of demonstrable benefit to the country.

Reference: Citizenship Act, Official Gazette no. 64, 2025 — qbz.gov.al/akt/30162.

Who May Qualify

• Science
• Economy
• Culture
• Sports
• National development projects

Advantages

• Citizenship granted on a case-by-case basis
• No minimum investment threshold
• Reserved for highly respected people of distinction
• Fast track — about 4 to 6 months
• Minister can waive naturalisation conditions such as residency and language
• Full citizenship rights on par with born nationals

Requirements

• Strong personal and professional track record
• Clean, verifiable source of wealth
• Contribution must benefit Albania and its people
• Clean criminal background
• Pass government security checks

Key Facts

• Decided by: President of Albania, on Ministry recommendation
• Processing time: 4 to 6 months
• Residence: Residency and language conditions can be waived
• Family: Spouse and children can be included

About Albania

Albania is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean, bordered by Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Greece. It has transitioned into a vibrant parliamentary democracy and is a member of NATO.

Albania is a developing, upper-middle-income economy driven by services, manufacturing and tourism, which attracts more than 11 million visitors every year. Steady economic growth, a booming tourism sector and favourable business reforms have made investing in Albania increasingly attractive for foreigners. Most foreign direct investment comes from Türkiye, followed by Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany and France. Albania is also a religiously diverse country.

• Official EU candidate country
• Tourism is accelerating investment opportunities
• Strategically positioned in Europe
• Developing infrastructure and pro-investment government policy
• Supports sustainable tourism practices

Albania has honoured notable people across history, science, the arts, music and sport — from Skanderbeg and Mother Teresa to Ismail Kadare, John Belushi and Dua Lipa.

Citizenship by merit is discretionary: there is no fixed price or investment threshold, and every case is decided individually. See all citizenship by merit countries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Source: Law on Albanian Citizenship – Official Publications Centre (qbz.gov.al).