Going to en Albanie: Formalities and administrative steps

Organize your stay en Albanie

Money en Albanie

The lek (international code ALL) is the national currency of Albania, but the euro is often accepted for large expenses. There are 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 coins and 100, 200, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 lek banknotes, but it is important to keep small denominations for everyday payments. It is also important to keep a few "big" bills to pay restaurants or hotels, which still often do not take the card. The exchange rate is stable: 1 € = 140 lek.

Budget & Tips en Albanie

The cost of living remains low throughout the country, compared with Western Europe. Although some hotels, particularly in the major coastal cities and Tirana, are beginning to bring their prices into line with those of their western neighbors, you should expect to pay between €20 and €80 for accommodation. A good meal usually costs less than €10. As for transport, the longest bus journeys, such as Tirana-Saranda, cost no more than 1,500 lek (around €10). Car rentals are cheap. However, petrol and car rentals are the same as in France.

Whether you're on foot or by car, there will come a time when you'll be a little lost and no Wifi will be available. Rather than reactivating the mobile data on your phone (and paying a high price), download the Maps.me application before you set off. This offline GPS is free and includes maps of almost every country in the world. To use it, simply download the map of the country you're interested in before you leave. Unlike Google Maps, which offers extremely heavy maps, Maps.me keeps things light, with around 50 MB per map.

On arrival atTirana airport, you can also pick up a local chip for €15, or even a 21-day "tourist pack". All you need is a telephone to avoid losing your own SIM card and number.

Passport and visas en Albanie

Citizens of the European Union, most other European countries and the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan can enter Albania without a visa. Other travelers must obtain a visa from an Albanian embassy or consulate abroad before leaving. Further information is available on the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website at www.mfa.gov.al.

All you need is a passport valid for three months beyond the date of your expected return from Albania. While it is theoretically possible to re-enter Albania with a simple identity card, we recommend that you always take your passport with you, as airlines or certain officials may, out of ignorance, be overzealous and hold you up for a few hours or more.

Driver's license en Albanie

The national driving licence is accepted.

Health en Albanie

Although no serious illnesses are reported in Albania, we just recommend that you avoid drinking tap water. In general, in case of illness or other serious health problems, we advise you to contact the French consulate. They will be able to help you, accompany you and provide you with a list of French-speaking doctors. In the event of a serious problem, it is also the consulate that notifies the family and decides on repatriation. To find out about emergencies and facilities that meet international standards, visit www.diplomatie.gouv.fr and www.pasteur.fr.

Mandatory vaccination en Albanie

No special vaccinations are required to enter Albania. However, we recommend that you keep up to date with your vaccinations.

Security en Albanie

For the latest information on on-site security, consult the "Travel Report" section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/voyageurs). However, be aware that the site provides an exhaustive list of potential dangers and that this sometimes gives a somewhat alarming picture of the actual situation in the country.

Time difference en Albanie

There is no time difference between France and Albania. Both countries switch to summer and winter time at the same time, on the last Sundays of March and October respectively. However, as Albania is 2,000 km east of France, day and night fall much earlier than in France.

Spoken languages en Albanie

In addition to Albanian, English (among the youngest) and Italian are very common, as are Greek and Aromanian in the south. French is still familiar to some students and people who lived under the communist dictatorship (Enver Hoxha studied at the former French high school in Korça and in Montpellier).

Communication en Albanie

Good news: since 2021, encouraged by the European Union, international mobile roaming charges in six Balkan countries - including Albania - were due to be phased out. However, we advise you to check roaming charges. For the rest, network coverage is good, and inland or in villages, a few words of Albanian - and the help of a good translation app on your phone - can come in handy.

Electricity and measurements en Albanie

Electrical voltage (220 V, 50 Hz) and plugs are the same as in France/Belgium/Switzerland. The metric system is also the same in Albania.

Luggage en Albanie

In summer, July and August are very hot months: bring swimsuits and beachwear, but also some woolens, because the nights are cool. If you plan to hike in the mountains, bring the right equipment and good shoes. From autumn and even in spring, take thick woollens.

Daily life en Albanie

Hello? en Albanie

To call from Albania to France, dial +33 followed by your correspondent's number without the 0. To call from France to Albania, dial +355.

If you want to keep your French package, you'll need to activate the international option (usually free) by calling your operator's customer service before you leave, but you'll pay a high price. If you're staying for a long time, it's advisable to buy a local SIM card and prepaid calls for a few euros to avoid running out of power. The four main operators are Eagle, Plus, Telekom and Vodafone. The country is well covered in 4G, but be careful not to use it with your French SIM card, as the price is exorbitant. Otherwise, Wifi is developing everywhere, enabling the use of other free applications.

Accessibility en Albanie

This former communist country, which is still very poor, does not stand out for the quality and modernity of its infrastructure in general, and even less so when it comes to making life easier for people with reduced mobility. Disabled travellers who are considering visiting Albania, especially those travelling on a limited budget, should be aware at the outset that they may find the experience incredibly difficult.

Health en Albanie

Although no serious illnesses are reported in Albania, we just recommend that you avoid drinking tap water, especially as mineral water is extremely cheap. In general, in case of illness or other serious health problems, we advise you to contact the French consulate which will help you and provide you with a list of French-speaking doctors. Finally, if you paid for your plane ticket with your credit card, you must have repatriation insurance. It may be wise to check this before leaving.

Emergency numbers en Albanie

There are three emergency numbers that can help you on site: ambulances (127), firefighters (128) and police (129).

Securty en Albanie

Clichés have a hard time: Albania, for those who have never set foot there, sometimes has the image of a country without faith or law, populated by bandits and traffickers whose main objective in life is to rob you. Albania is in fact one of the safest countries in Europe for tourists. That does not mean that crime does not exist, of course. There is plenty of it around, but many disputes are settled behind closed doors in the dark world of business and politics. Gun ownership in Albania is a reality, but shootings are usually about internal quarrels and disputes. Like anywhere else in the world, you will just come across a few unfortunate people who will try to spoil your holiday by stealing your luggage, wallet or mobile phone. Be vigilant and everything will be fine.

LGBTQ en Albanie

Same-sex relationships - there is still no mention of marriage or PACS - have only been legally accepted in Albania since 1995, and general attitudes in the country are still extremely conservative. Although Tirana does not yet display rainbow flags or openly gay bars, there are a few discreet gay-friendly places to eat and drink in the city. The lives of Albanians and tourists from the LGBTQ community have been revolutionized in recent years with the help of the Internet. Before you leave, we recommend that you use your favorite search engine beforehand to locate and contact local LGBTQ groups and organizations. Attitudes are slowly changing and there is also a law in Albania prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Embassies and consulates en Albanie

The French Embassy is located in Tirana, at 14 rruga Skënderbeg (✆ +355 42 38 97 00, www.ambafrance-al.org), 1.4 km northwest of Skënderbej Square, in the "embassy street", located between rruga e Durrësit and rruga e Kavajës.

Mail en Albanie

In Tirana, the main post office (www.postashqiptare.al) is located at rruga Çamëria, 300 m west of Skënderbej Square, near central Taiwan and the Orthodox Cathedral. It is open daily from 8am to 8pm. Many other small post offices are scattered throughout the city, signposted with yellow and blue "Posta Shqiptare" signs. As elsewhere in the country, they are generally open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, and Saturday from 8am to 1pm.

Local media en Albanie

We highly recommend reading the website www.courrierdesbalkans.fr which covers extensively (and in French) Albania and the region.