Buying as a Foreigner in Albania: Legal Loopholes and Tax-Free Strategies (from Someone Who Lives It Every Day)

Let me be honest with you.

When most foreigners first reach out asking about buying property in Albania, they’re a little nervous. And I get it—new country, different laws, a language you don’t speak, and real estate that feels too good to be true. A beachfront property with seaview for under €200,000? It almost sounds made up, right?

But it’s not. It’s just Albania. And when you know how things work here, especially in the south—places like Saranda, Ksamil, Borsh—you start to understand why people are making serious moves.

So if you’re wondering how it works as a foreigner, what the legal tricks are (yes, there are a few), and how to stay tax-efficient while investing in some of the most affordable properties on the Albanian Riviera… you’re in the right place.

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First Things First: Yes, Foreigners Can Buy

There’s no restriction for most foreign citizens to buy apartments or finished units in Albania. You don’t need residency, you don’t need to be married to an Albanian, and you definitely don’t need a passport stamp from the king (we don’t have one anyway—welcome to the republic).

You can buy Saranda apartments for sale, seaview villas, studios, land (with one exception—more on that in a minute). Everything can be 100% under your name.

You just need a notary, a translator, and a trusted local agent (preferably someone like me, who knows when a listing smells fishy).

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The One Limitation: Land for Foreigners

Here’s the only thing you can’t do if you’re not Albanian: you can’t directly buy land as an individual if your country doesn’t have a reciprocity agreement with Albania.

So if you’re from the EU, the U.S., the UK—great, you’re fine. But if you’re from, let’s say, Canada or Australia, you’ll need to either:

• Buy the land through a company registered in Albania (very common and not hard to set up), or

• Buy a property that’s already built—apartment, villa, unit—no problem there.

Most of my foreign clients go for the second option, especially when there are gorgeous projects like White Residence in Borsh with sea views that honestly feel like something out of the Amalfi Coast… but with a way friendlier price tag.

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Here’s the Loophole Most People Don’t Know

Now this is where it gets interesting.

If you buy an apartment in a new development, especially directly from the developer, you don’t pay any ownership transfer tax.

Yep. 0%. That’s because the tax only applies when transferring a used property from one owner to another—not when it’s a brand-new unit registered for the first time.

This is why smart investors are going for units in places like Residenca 12 or Ares 4, where the prices are still fair, and you skip that 3% transfer tax altogether.

If you’re thinking long-term—Airbnb income, retirement later, or even flipping in a few years—it adds up.

Last week, I showed a couple from Belgium a seaview apartment in Borsh. We stood on the balcony as the sun dropped behind the olive trees and the Ionian Sea lit up gold. They looked at each other and just said, “This is it.”

Moments like that remind me why I love this job.

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