Albanian Citizenship by Origin
Albania's descent regime was significantly modernised in 2020-2024 to facilitate the global Albanian diaspora. Article 9 of the Albanian Law on Citizenship (Law 113/2020 as amended) provides expedited naturalisation for persons of Albanian ethnic origin without specific generational caps and without the standard 5-year residence requirement. Albania permits dual citizenship. Application volume has grown substantially from ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, North Macedonia, Greece (Çamëria), Italy (Arbëreshë community of southern Italy and Sicily), Switzerland, Germany, and the US. Albanian citizenship confers visa-free Schengen access (~116 destinations), and Albania is an EU candidate country with negotiations opened October 2024 — eventual EU accession would extend EU citizenship rights.
Program Details
- Generation Limit
- Article 9 of the Albanian Law on Citizenship (Law 113/2020 as amended 2024) provides expedited naturalisation for persons of Albanian origin without specific generational caps. Applies particularly to ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, North Macedonia, Greece (Çamëria region), Italy (Arbëreshë community), Switzerland, Germany, and the United States.
- Estimated Cost
- $300–$2,000
- Processing Time
- 6–18 months
- Must Live in Country
- No
- Court Route Available
- No
Government fees are low (~€50-200). Most cost is genealogical research, document gathering from Albanian state archives, and certified Albanian translations. Diaspora applicants from Kosovo, North Macedonia, Italy (Arbëreshë), and Switzerland typically have well-documented community records facilitating the process.
Common Barriers
- ⚠Documentation challenges for ancestors who emigrated during the Ottoman period (pre-1912) when Albania was part of the Ottoman Empire — records may be in Ottoman Turkish in Turkish state archives
- ⚠Albanian National Archives suffered partial destruction during the 1990s political transition; some pre-1944 records are incomplete
- ⚠Arbëreshë (Italo-Albanian) community in southern Italy has distinct documentary trail dating to 15th century — cooperation between Italian and Albanian authorities required for documentation
- ⚠Çameria (now part of Greece) refugee descendants — political sensitivity around Çamëria recognition complicates some claims
- ⚠Kosovar Albanian applicants often hold Kosovo and/or Serbian-era documents requiring careful chain-of-citizenship establishment
Documents Needed
- •Birth certificate of Albanian ancestor
- •Marriage and birth certificates linking each generation to applicant
- •Applicant's birth certificate
- •Evidence of Albanian ethnic origin (records, community attestation, demonstrated cultural ties)
- •Criminal record certificate
- •Apostilled translations into Albanian
Ancestry Records
Albanian National Archives (Arkivi Qendror i Shtetit) + Ministry of Internal Affairs Citizenship Department
MODERATEAlbanian state archives hold civil registries from the post-1912 independence period. Pre-1912 Ottoman records are partially preserved in Turkish state archives. Arbëreshë community records date to the 15th-century migration from the Albanian principalities; the community maintains church records (Italo-Albanian Greek Catholic Church).
Recent Changes
Albania enacted Law 113/2020 on Citizenship, fundamentally reforming the descent / origin route. Provides expedited naturalisation for persons of Albanian origin globally without generational caps. Replaces the previous 1998 Law on Albanian Citizenship.
source →Albania amended Law 113/2020 to further streamline diaspora applications and expand recognition of Albanian-language community organisation attestations as supporting documentation.
source →
Programme FAQs
Who counts as 'Albanian by origin'?
Sources: punetebrendshme.gov.al
Are Kosovar Albanians eligible?
Sources: punetebrendshme.gov.al
Will Albania join the EU?
Sources: consilium.europa.eu
Related Guides
Citizenship by descent: who actually qualifies
A plain-English map of which countries offer jus sanguinis, how many generations back they accept, which require court proceedings, and where recent reforms (UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain) opened or closed doors.
Fastest paths to an EU passport in 2025
A sourced comparison of the shortest EU naturalisation timelines, from 2-year descent fast-tracks to 5-year residency routes — plus the hidden requirements that extend them in practice.