Foreign citizens who have bought real estate in Albania have right to receive residence permit, and eventually they can get citizenship. However the fact of having own property in Albania is not the only condition of getting the Albanian citizenship.

To make sure that you will receive residence permit in Albania it is always better to have an active employment contract within the country, and that is still not the most important condition of getting the Albanian citizenship.

One important condition more – you should live in the country on the regular basis. You can apply for residence permit for one year first, then you can prolong it by two years twice. Only after five years of residence permit you have your right to apply for the Albanian citizenship. In order to follow all the regulations you should live in the country at least 180 days a year, otherwise you break the law.

All in all the rules of getting the Albanian citizenship are pretty much the same as they are in other European countries. The law “About the Albanian citizenship” is approved in conformance to the respective law of the European Law. If you want to get papers in order and that the process of getting the Albanian citizenship goes smoothly, you should contact specialists in this sphere who will certainly give some assistance.

The Law about the Albanian Citizenship

Coat of Arms of Albania. The law about the Albanian (No. 8389, 05.08.1998). In according with Article 16 of Law 7491, dated 29.04.1991, "About the most important constitiutional regulations", after the Ministers Council advice National Assembly DECIDED:

CHAPTER I

BASIC REGULATIONS

Article 1

The Albanian citizenship is a fixed legal connection that is expressed by reciprocal rights and obligation between the person and the State of Albania.

The citizenship of Albania is received, restored, lost or rejected in accordance with the regulations of this very Law, which respects rules and principles of international right in the sphere of citizenship accepted by the Republic of Albania.

Article 2 Citizen of Albanian will be:

Any person who already has the Albanian citizenship at the moment when this law comes into effect.

Any person who is eager of receiving the citizenship of Albania in accordance with this very Law.

Article 3

An Albanian citizen can be a citizen of another country.

Article 4

No-one can lose the citizenship during the trial process.

Any citizen of Albania has right to refuse from the Albanian citizenship on the term that (s)he has citizenship from another state, he received the citizenship, (s)he has confirmation of the competent sources that (s)he will receive the citizenship of this or that foreign country.

Article 5

Under age persons receive and restore the citizenship of Albania, and refuse from it only according to parents’ decision. Any decision concerning citizenship for under age between 14 and 18 years old requires agreement of the child him(her)self.

CHAPTER II

RECEIVING OF THE CITIZENSHIP OF ALBANIA

Article 6

The citizenship of Albania can be received:

By birth;

By naturalization;

By adoption.

Article 7

Receiving of the citizenship of Albania by birth

Any person receives the Albanian citizenship automatically if one of the parents is a citizen of Albania.

Article 8

A child born or found on the territory of the Republic of Albania receives the Albanian citizenship if (s)he is born from unknown parents and can become a person without citizenship.

If the parents are known before the child gains the age of 14, and they have foreign citizenship, then the Albanian citizenship can be recalled according to the parents’ request. But only on the term that the child will not become a person without citizenship.

A child who is born on the territory of the republic from the parents of foreign citizenship, but legally residing in Albania can receive the Albanian citizenship if both parents apply for that.

Article 9

Receiving the citizenship by naturalization

A foreigner who applied for the Albanian citizenship by naturalization will receive it if will meet the following requirements:

- reached the age of 18 years old;

- lives on the territory of the Republic of Albania not less than five successive years;

- possesses accommodation and income;

- was never sentenced for criminal offence in his (her) original country, in the Republic of Albania or in the third country with imprisonment not less than three years. There are exceptions for such persons if they have proofs that the imprisonment had political motives; ;

- has basic knowledge of the Albanian language;

- his (her) receiving of the citizenship of Albania does not imply any national danger for the Republic of Albania.

A foreigner who reached the age of 18 years old can acquire the citizenship by naturalization eve if (s)he did not fulfill all the requirements of this very Law, except for the paragraph 6, if (s)he represents scientific, economic, cultural and national interest for the Republic of Albania. If the person in question does not have a citizenship at all, then the requirements of points 1,3,4 and 5 will not be taken into consideration. If the person has proof that (s)he has the Albanian origin and on of the parents is Albanian, then the term of residence in point 2 of this very article is to be decreased to at least three successive years. All other conditions mentioned in this very article stay without any changes.

Article 10

Foreigners married to the Albanian citizens not less than three years can acquire the Albanian citizenship if they are willing to by naturalization, even if they do not fulfill point 2 and 5 of Article 9. In such a case a foreigner should reside on the territory of the Republic of Albania at least one year without a break.

Article 11

If both parents acquire the citizenship by naturalization, their children who did not reach the age of 18 years old and live together with the parents become the citizens by the parents’ claim and child’s approval, if a child is 14-18 years old.

If one parent acquires the Albanian citizenship, his (her) children under age of 18 years old become citizens of the republic of Albania, if both parents apply for that or if only one parent asks and the other is a person without citizenship while a child is residing on the territoru of the Republic of Albania.

Article 12

Acquirement of Citizenship by Adoption.

If both parents who are the Albanian citizens adopt a child under the age of 18 y.o. having another citizenship or no citizenship at all, then a child acquires the citizenship of the republic of Albania. Adopted child under age of 18 y.o. acquires the citizenship of the republic of Albania if one of his (her) parents is an Albanian citizen, is residing on the territory of the Republic of Albania, or in all the other cases when a child can become a person without citizenship as a result of adoption.