Remote work in Albania
Sources checked 2026-10-17 · confidence medium
Working remotely on visitor status
Law does not say clearly for remote work
Short stay is capped at 90 days in 180 (Arts 29, 31); employment in Albania needs a unique permit (Art 56). The law is silent on whether remote work for a foreign employer counts as such employment.
The route for remote workers
Unique residence permit for digital mobile workers (Law 79/2021 Art 68)
First permit up to 1 year; applicant must already be lawfully in Albania, hold a contract with an employer/client abroad, show sufficient income (no figure in the law), accommodation, 1-year health insurance and a criminal record certificate.
Social security
- EU/EEA coordination (A1)
- No
- US totalization agreement
- No
Albania is outside Reg 883/2004, so an EU A1 does not apply there, and the US has no agreement. No official Albanian statement was found on contributions for a short-stay remote worker for a foreign employer.
- European Commission - EU social security coordination (countries covered)
- SSA POMS GN 01701.005 (Albania not listed)
How these arrangements work in general is on the guide page.
What we could not verify
- Income threshold, fees and document list sit in a Council of Ministers decision (Art 56(7)) that was not retrieved. Third-party figures conflict.
- Whether authorities treat short-stay remote work as employment under Art 56: no official guidance found.
- The Ministry of Interior English text and e-Albania service page were blocked or not reachable.
- Albanian social security treatment of visitors working for foreign employers not established.
Informational only, not legal or tax advice. This reports what published official sources say. Whether you may work depends on your own visa, contract and nationality. Check the sources and ask an adviser before relying on it.