Frequently asked questions

Yes. Foreign nationals may acquire built property — flats, houses, villas, commercial premises — on the same terms as Albanian citizens, with no prior authorisation and no local company to set up.

Particular rules do however apply to agricultural land and to certain categories of land. If your project involves land, we will point you to an Albanian lawyer before any step is taken.

Verification goes through the Albanian cadastre (ASHK), which issues a certificate of ownership showing the holder of the right and any charges, mortgages or proceedings under way.

We ask the agency holding the mandate for that certificate as a matter of course before keeping a property, and we do not publish a listing whose file is incomplete. For older properties, where the history of title can be more involved, we recommend bringing in an Albanian lawyer before signature — a modest expense against the risk.

The purchase gives rise to several items of cost:

— registration duties with the cadastre;
— the notary's fees;
— the agency's fees, where applicable;
— the annual property tax, payable from the following year.

The applicable amounts are set out for you as soon as your project firms up, since they vary with the nature of the property and its location. They do not constitute personalised tax advice.

Rental income received in Albania is taxable there. If you are tax resident in another country, the tax treaty between Albania and your country of residence determines which of the two states taxes that income and on what terms, so as to avoid double taxation.

This depends entirely on your personal situation. We can point you to a tax adviser, in Albania as well as in your country of residence. The information above is given for guidance only and does not constitute personalised advice.

The process usually follows six steps:

1. Selecting the property and viewing it, on site or remotely.
2. Checking the title deed with the cadastre.
3. Agreeing the price and signing a preliminary contract, with a deposit.
4. Opening a local bank account and obtaining a tax number.
5. Signing the final deed before a notary.
6. Registering the transfer of ownership with the cadastre.

Allow four to eight weeks on average between agreement and handover of the keys, depending on various factors. The residence permit and banking services begin after the keys are handed over.

We recommend at least one trip, to view the property and meet the people involved. Photographs and a video tour are no substitute for seeing the neighbourhood, the access to the sea and the real condition of the building.

That said, buying by power of attorney is possible: you appoint an Albanian lawyer to sign on your behalf. This suits investors who are far away or in a hurry, but it presupposes established trust and all the more rigorous checking beforehand.

We are with you on site during your visit, and we provide the translation at appointments.

No. That is precisely what we take care of.

Listings, cadastral documents and notarial deeds are drawn up in Albanian. We translate the files into French, English and Spanish, we come with you to appointments and we interpret during exchanges with the agency, the bank and the notary.

For the notarial deed, Albanian law provides for a sworn translator where one of the parties does not have command of the language: we arrange this with you.