| Albanian passport | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The front cover of a contemporary Albanianbiometric passport. | |
| Type | Passport |
| Issued by |  Albania |
| First issued | 24 March 2009[1] (biometric passport) |
| Purpose | Identification and travel abroad |
| Eligibility | Albanian citizenship |
| Expiration | 5 years for under 16 year olds 10 years otherwise |
| Cost | L7,500 for standard applications L18,000 for priority applications |
TheAlbanian passport (Albanian:Pasaporta shqiptare) is atravel document issued by theMinistry of the Interior toAlbanian citizens to enable them to travel abroad.[2] They are also used as proof of identity within the country, alongsidenational identity cards (letërnjoftime).
The passport costs 7,500lekë and is valid for 10 years, provided the applicant is at least 16 years old. For citizens under the age of 16, passports are issued with a 5-year validity.
The Albanian biometric passport meets all standards set byInternational Civil Aviation Organization.[citation needed]
A priority service is available for an additional fee. Priority passports (Pasaporta me procedurë të shpejtë) are issued within 3 days of the application.
Biometric passports andbiometric ID cards started to be issued on 24 May 2009.[3][4] The switch to a biometric passport was one of the conditions for theSchengen Area visa liberalisation for Albanians.[5] On 8 November 2010, theCouncil of the European Union approved visa-free travel to the EU for citizens of Albania.[6] The decision entered into force on 15 December 2010.[8]
To obtain a passport, Albanian citizens must pay the fee at a localpost office, then present the 'coupon' to their localregistry office. There, the citizen's photograph is taken and theirfingerprints are digitized. The data collected is sent to the production center inTirana. Passports must then be picked up at the nearest directorate of theState Police.
Since March 2011, biometric passports and identity cards can also be requested at Albanian consulates in the United Kingdom, the US and Canada, Greece and Italy, and the rest of Europe to serve immigrants who live there. Fees vary, depending on the region in which you apply.
In April 2025, IdentiTek, the state-owned company which produces Albanian biometric documents, launched an online service to supplement the post office coupon system. Citizens can opt to purchase an e-coupon and apply immediately.[9]
The data page of the passport is from rigidpolycarbonate plastic and contains amicrochip embedded in which are storedbiometric data of the holder includingfingerprints, photo and signature. The data is extracted from the chip with wirelessRFID technology.
The photo on the page can be scanned and is replied by side and it is UV reactive. It has analphanumeric code at the bottom of the data page which ismachine-readable with optical scanners. The code includes microprinting, holographic images, images visible only with UV light, filigree and other details.
The data is written inAlbanian andEnglish. Previously, from 1991 to circa 2002, passports were also translated intoFrench.
The firstAlbanian passports were issued in the 1920s, during the consolidation of the Albanian state. During thecommunist period, from 1945 to 1991, Albania did not allow its citizens to travel abroad and did not issue ordinary passports, with only a limited number of diplomatic and service passports being issued. Since 1991, passports have been issued to any Albanian citizen who requests one.
Visa requirements for Albanian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other nations placed oncitizens of Albania.
As of 31 October 2024,[update] Albanian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 123 countries and territories, ranking the Albanian passport 44th in terms of travel freedom according to theHenley Passport Index.[11]
The Albanian passport is one of the 5 passports with the most improved rating globally since 2006 in terms of number of countries that its holders may visit without a visa.[12]
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) passportThis graph shows the full Global Ranking of the 2019 Henley Passport Index. In certain cases, a rank is shared by multiple countries because these countries all have the same level of visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
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