Buying Property in Albania

Your own lawyer

Buyers instruct an independent Albanian lawyer of their own choosing, who does not act for the seller or the developer.

What foreigners may buy

Built property — apartments and houses — is generally open to foreign nationals. Agricultural land is subject to restrictions. Rules have changed more than once since 1991; confirm the position that applies to your nationality and the specific land category.

Why title is the central issue

Albania's property record was rebuilt after 1991 following forty-six years of collectivisation and the restitution of pre-communist ownership. The consequences are still visible: overlapping claims, incomplete registration, buildings constructed without permits and later legalised, and inherited property with many co-owners who must all consent.

The practical effect is that a title search is not a formality. It is the transaction.

The transaction in outline

• Instruct an independent lawyer.
• Title search at the State Cadastre Agency, including checking for mortgages, restitution claims and co-owners.
• Check the construction permit and legalisation status for anything newly built.
• Preliminary contract and deposit — have the terms reviewed before paying anything.
• Notarised deed of sale.
• Registration of the transfer at the cadastre — until this is done, you are not the registered owner.
• Transfer of utility accounts.

Costs and taxes

Expect notary fees, registration fees, agency commission where used, and property transfer tax; sellers are liable to tax on gains. Rates and thresholds change — get current figures from your lawyer rather than from any article.

Off-plan purchases

A great deal of coastal construction is sold off-plan. This concentrates the risk: you are relying on the developer's permits, financing and delivery. Verify the permit, the land title beneath the development, and what happens to your money if the building is not completed.