Living in Albania as a French National: Formalities, Cities, Daily Life

Albania appeals through its 400 km of coastline, its proximity to Italy and Greece, booming tourism (several million tourists a year, including many French) and an active cultural scene in Tirana. France Diplomatie highlights good mobile and wifi coverage across the whole territory, roaming agreements with French operators and the frequent use of the euro in hotels.

The downsides should be prepared for before departure. Driving demands particular vigilance: about 400 road deaths a year, winding mountain roads, pedestrians, cyclists and animals on the carriageway, and variable compliance with the highway code. Tap water is generally advised against for drinking, and food poisoning, sometimes serious, is reported in Tirana and in the provinces. Complex care may require priority private hospitalisation or evacuation abroad. The guide Albanian healthcare system details these points.

France Diplomatie cites as main cities Tirana (the capital), Durrës, Fier, Vlora, Elbasan, Shkodra and Korçë. Tirana is home to the French embassy (Rruga Skënderbej 14, also competent for Montenegro), the French School, the Institut français d’Albanie (KubFranceTirana, inaugurated in October 2023) and several French bodies. Durrës and Vlora form the seaside axis of the coast, Shkodra opens onto the Albanian Alps and Korçë, in the south-east, used to have a French lycée whose reopening is supported by the French and Albanian authorities, with no date announced.

For hikes in the Albanian Alps and at Karaburun, France Diplomatie recommends a professional local guide booked through an agency, telling your accommodation the route and the planned return time, knowing the rescue contacts and checking the weather regularly. It also advises taking a tick remover and high socks, as Lyme disease is very widespread, and an extraction kit in case of a bite, the horned viper being present.

The currency is the lek. The Bank of Albania publishes the official rates of the lek against the euro and the US dollar; France Diplomatie for its part gives a rate in its presentation of the country, a difference that is a reminder to check the rate of the day. Hotels often accept the euro, cash machines in Tirana and the large tourist cities dispense euros, and card payments can incur high fees. On entry, the currency declaration threshold is 1 million lekë, or about 10,000 euros. For accommodation, the page recommends booking in advance and having the rate confirmed before occupying the room.

The official pages consulted give no average level of rents; a written lease, translated and signed with the owner, secures the move, while also serving as supporting evidence for the residence permit. The embassy’s Economic Service and the chambers of commerce can advise on market practice.

Holders of a valid French national identity card or individual passport are exempt from a visa for a stay of 90 days at most, in a 6-month period; the document must be valid 3 months after the planned return date. A passport or card declared lost or stolen is refused on entry, with immediate readmission to the country of origin, and waiting in the transit zone can last several days. The Albanian authorities do not recognise the five-year extension of the French identity card: validity ends on the date printed on the card. An unaccompanied minor needs authorisation from a parent or legal guardian.

To settle, the residence permit application is filed within 30 days of arrival with the police station of the city of residence, which provides the up-to-date list of documents. France Diplomatie recommends presenting a full copy of the birth certificate and a B2 extract of the criminal record, translated into Albanian and apostilled. The French driving licence is recognised. See also working in Albania and retiring in Albania. For a pet coming from the European Union, an electronic chip (or a tattoo dating from before 3 July 2011), an up-to-date rabies vaccination and an international health certificate issued in the week before departure are required; the rabies antibody titration is not required on the way out, but it is for the return to the European Union.

The French School of Tirana has been accredited by the Agency for French Education Abroad since June 2013. Five bilingual sections operate in Albanian lycées, and the French lycée in Korçë is the subject of a reopening project (France Diplomatie, Bilateral relations page). Enrolment conditions and fees are requested directly from the schools. In higher education, the Université de technologie de Compiègne opened a campus within the Polytechnic University of Tirana in October 2025.

Families also plan children’s health cover as soon as they settle: see expat family insurance.

France Diplomatie places the whole territory at normal vigilance. Petty crime is lower than in most large Western cities, violent crime is relatively rare in the capital, and tourists are generally not targeted by serious offences. Possession, trade and consumption of drugs, including cannabis and CBD, carry 5 to 15 years in prison. Albania lies in a region of regular seismic activity; the page recommends learning the instructions in case of an earthquake and using the LastQuake app for real-time alerts. The emergency number is 112.

On traffic, the limits are 110 km/h on motorways, 90 km/h on national roads, 80 km/h on the secondary network and 40 km/h in town, with dipped headlights compulsory even by day. Fines for speeding range from 30 euros (from 10 km/h over) to 200 euros, with a licence withdrawal of up to six months; drink-driving is punished by 150 euros and six months’ withdrawal between 0 and 0.3 g/l, by 200 euros between 0.3 and 0.5 g/l, and by 400 euros, up to 24 months’ withdrawal and 48 to 72 hours in police custody above 0.5 g/l. An accident with injuries or deaths leads to 48 to 72 hours in police custody: France Diplomatie recommends contacting a specialist lawyer from the start. In case of damage above 300 euros, vehicles must not be moved and the police must be called to obtain a report. The roads with the most accidents are Fusha Kruja-Shkodra and, under works, the Elbasan-North Macedonia road.

France Diplomatie recommends keeping the usual vaccines up to date (diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough, measles), enquiring, depending on conditions, about hepatitis A, typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies and, for children under 15 on a long stay, tuberculosis, and recalls that yellow fever is required for travellers coming from endemic zones. An assistance or insurance contract covering all medical costs, including surgery and hospitalisation, as well as medical repatriation, is advised: the embassy cannot pay these costs. See healthcare reimbursement in Albania and expat health insurance.