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Albania officially reopened its borders for tourism on July 1, 2020 allowing tourists from all countries and nations to enter without restrictions.
Albania started lifting restrictions on June 1st for its closest neighbors crossing via land borders, and finally lifted all entry restrictions and travel bans for air and sea borders as of July 1st.
All foreign citizens can now travel to Albania for the purposes of tourism.
2021 note: Throughout all of 2020 and 2021, Albania has been one of the only countries in the world to stay fully open during the pandemic with very little rules and restrictions.
Below we have more detailed information about what’s open in Albania, the health and safety protocols tourists should know about, and any testing/quarantine rules or entry requirements that might be put into effect.
Countries Allowed To Travel To Albania
All foreign citizens are now permitted to travel to Albania.
All normal ‘pre-covid’ entry requirements apply, like having a valid passport or Visa if necessary based on your nationality.
Entry Requirements For Albania
No tests, no quarantines.
Albania’s borders are open for all nations to visit, but there are a few things travelers should know about entry requirements, even though they are pretty easy compared to other countries.
- All passengers arriving to Albania should follow distancing protocol of 1.5 meters and wear face masks on the flight and in the airport.
- In the arrivals area, all travelers will have their temperature measured with a calibrated thermometer
- Persons tested with a temperature above 37.5 degrees are not allowed to enter the airport and additional verification procedures will be carried out for them. Persons with a temperature above 37.5 degrees will enter the special area of quarantine.
Masks in Albania:
Starting June 1, 2021 masks are no longer required in OUTDOOR public spaces, just indoor.
Testing and Quarantine Protocols for Albania
None in effect. Currently there is no mandatory testing on arrival, no negative-PCR tests needed, and no quarantines for arrivals from certain countries.
Tests and/or quarantines will only be applied to symptomatic travelers.
What’s Open in Albania
Throughout the summer mostly everything reopened in Albania.
Now come December, there are a few additional restrictions travelers should know about but the situation in Albania is not as strict as some other European nations.
- Curfew is in effect from 10:00pm to 6:00am for non-essential movement (July 1, 2021, this is expected to be moved to 12 midnight)
- Restaurants can only operate past the 10pm curfew for delivery services
- Indoor and outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people
Have Flights Resumed To Albania?
Yes, commercial fights resumed June 15 from select countries, and reopened to most other destinations by June 22.
There are direct flights to many European cities into Tirana daily.
Some examples of cities Tirana currently flies direct to include: London, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Zurich, Prague, Vienna, Rome, Athens, Istanbul, Kyiv, Belgrade, and Budapest.
Airlines offering the most availability include: Wizz Air, Air Albania and Albawings.
If you need to transit through the EU to get to Albania, read our EU transit airport guide.
Visiting Albania
Albania is situated between Greece and Montenegro on stunning Adriatic and Ionian coastlines. Visitors will love the variety of beautiful beaches, cities with historical ruins, and towns perched in the mountains.
The official currency is the Albanian Lek, but Euros are widely accepted as well.
All visitors should have valid travel insurance when visiting Albania.
Land Borders in Albania
It has been reported that all land borders have reopened in Albania, with the exception of the Montenegro land border.
Read More: See our complete guide of countries now reopen for international tourism, which countries are open for British, Canadian and American tourists, and travel insurance that covers covid.
Sources: Interview with the Embassy of Albania / Albania Border Police / Iata / US embassy in Albania
Disclaimer: Albania’s reopening news is ever-changing and being updated constantly. We do our best to keep this article up to date with all the latest information, but the decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling.
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Article originally published July 11, 2020 with frequent updates.
Me
Wednesday 21st of July 2021
I appreciate Albania for treating legal foreign tourists like human beings instead of becoming a police state for tourists.
Iconic
Monday 28th of June 2021
I have a question about PCR testing preflight. I see that Albania requires no testing before or after arrival... has anyone seen if airlines are asking for PCR tests to board the planes? Thanks in advance for any clarity there.
Douglas
Tuesday 6th of July 2021
@Kashlee Kucheran, I confirmed with Qatar Airways that they only require the PCR test if the destination country does. Same as with visas, it's not the airline that requires it, but rather the destination country, so they check it.
Kashlee Kucheran
Monday 28th of June 2021
The majority of airlines don't require them if the country of destination does not :)
NY-Joey
Wednesday 9th of June 2021
‘Angel’ Kashlee, you’re a saint...and are superbly patient at repeatedly answering all of the same questions ..despite that you’d already repeated “open to all nations”! Kudos to you You’re an embodiment of awesomeness 🙂
Kashlee Kucheran
Thursday 10th of June 2021
Thank you so much! :)
No name
Thursday 29th of April 2021
Those who come from Greece and North Macedonia are required to self isolate for 14 days from 20th April until 5th May, right for now.
louie
Wednesday 24th of March 2021
which is the current situation in albania?can italian peoples come to albania?
Kashlee Kucheran
Wednesday 24th of March 2021
As the article says, all countries can are welcome to visit Albania for tourism