Albania (AL)
Albania is a low-cost, fast-changing Balkan country with Adriatic and Ionian coastlines, mountain towns, a growing Tirana tech and cafe scene, EU-candidate reforms, generous visa access for many nationalities and a practical Unique Permit route for work and digital nomads.
Qualification Recognition
Getting your foreign credentials recognised in Albania.
Recognition in Albania depends on whether your profession is regulated and what purpose the recognition serves (employment, immigration, or academic admission). The single official authority for recognising foreign higher-education degrees is the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth — operating through QSHA (Qendra e Shërbimeve Arsimore — Educational Services Centre) for bachelor and master degrees, and directly for PhD/academic titles. Regulated professions (medicine, law, teaching, engineering) require additional clearance from the relevant professional body or ministry before practice is legally permitted. Albania is an EU candidate country and is progressively aligning its qualifications framework with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).
Regulated Professions
Process: Step 1 — Obtain an apostille on your foreign degree and transcripts from the competent authority in your home country (Ministry of Education or Foreign Affairs). Step 2 — Have all foreign-language documents translated into Albanian by a sworn translator registered with the Ministry of Justice. Step 3 — Submit your application to QSHA (qsha.gov.al) for degree recognition — either electronically via e-Albania (e-albania.al) or in paper form. Step 4 — QSHA issues a recognition decision comparing your qualification to the Albanian Qualifications Framework (AKK) and EQF levels. Step 5 — With the QSHA recognition decision in hand, apply to the relevant professional body (order, chamber, or ministry) for professional registration. The professional body may require additional steps: membership exam, supervised practice period, language assessment (Albanian B2 level for most patient-facing and public-sector roles), or proof of good professional standing from your home country regulator.
Authority: QSHA — Qendra e Shërbimeve Arsimore (Educational Services Centre, qsha.gov.al) for recognition of bachelor and master degrees. Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (arsimi.gov.al) for PhD/doctorate recognition and academic titles. Relevant professional chamber or ministry for regulated-profession licensing: Ministry of Health (msh.gov.al) for healthcare; Chamber of Advocates (dhka.al) for law; Order of Architects (oa.org.al) for architecture.
Timeline: QSHA electronic application (via e-Albania): up to 45 days. Paper application: up to 3 months. Professional registration following degree recognition: 1–3 months depending on the profession and completeness of documentation. Allow 3–6 months total for straightforward cases; 6–12 months for medical, legal, or teaching professions requiring additional assessments.
Cost: QSHA degree recognition fee: 2,000 ALL (approximately €17–18) for electronic submission. Additional paper-processing fees may apply. Sworn Albanian translation: varies by translator and document length — budget 3,000–8,000 ALL (€25–70) per document. Apostille in home country: varies by country. Professional body registration: varies — contact the relevant chamber directly. Medical registration with the Order of Medicine: approximately 10,000–20,000 ALL (€85–170).
Academic Degrees
Authority: QSHA — Qendra e Shërbimeve Arsimore (qsha.gov.al) for bachelor and master-level foreign degrees. Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (arsimi.gov.al) for doctoral degrees and professorial titles. For university admission purposes: the receiving Albanian university assesses foreign qualifications directly against Albanian programme requirements.
Process: Submit your application electronically via e-Albania (e-albania.al) or in person at QSHA offices in Tirana. Required documents: original apostilled degree certificate, official academic transcript, proof of the study programme (course descriptions/syllabi if requested), certified Albanian translation of all foreign-language documents, copy of passport or national ID, completed application form. QSHA compares your qualification against the Albanian Qualifications Framework (AKK — Korniza Shqiptare e Kualifikimeve), which is referenced to the EQF at levels 1–8. The recognition decision states the Albanian equivalent level of your foreign degree. For university admission, apply directly to the Albanian university — they use the QSHA decision as supporting evidence.
Equivalency service: QSHA issues a formal recognition decision (vendim njohje) that specifies the Albanian/EQF level equivalent of your foreign degree. This document is accepted by employers, universities, and professional bodies in Albania. Albania participates in the ENIC-NARIC network; for cross-border queries, the Albanian NARIC contact is hosted within QSHA. There is no separate centralised equivalency statement service — QSHA is the single point of contact for all foreign degree recognition up to master level.
Document Rules
Apostille: Albania is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Documents from Hague Convention member countries must carry an apostille issued by the competent authority in the issuing country (typically the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Education). The apostille certifies the authenticity of the public seal or signature — it does not certify the content. Obtain apostilles before leaving your home country if possible.
Legalisation: Documents from countries not party to the Hague Convention require full consular legalisation: authentication by the issuing country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then legalisation by the Albanian Embassy or Consulate in that country. This process can take 4–12 weeks and is advisable to initiate well before you need the documents in Albania. Check the current list of Hague Convention member states at hcch.net.
Sworn translation: All foreign-language documents submitted to Albanian authorities must be accompanied by a sworn Albanian translation. Sworn translators (përkthyes i betuar) must be registered with the Ministry of Justice of Albania. Ask your translator to provide proof of their registration. Cost: approximately 3,000–8,000 ALL (€25–70) per standard document page. Processing time: 3–7 working days for most languages; longer for rare languages.
Counselling & Help
- - QSHA — Qendra e Shërbimeve Arsimore (qsha.gov.al) — official first point of contact for foreign degree recognition at bachelor/master level
- - Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (arsimi.gov.al) — for PhD/doctorate recognition and teacher qualification queries
- - EURAXESS Albania (euraxess.al) — provides guidance for researchers and academics on diploma recognition and mobility
- - Relevant professional chamber or order (dhka.al for law, oa.org.al for architecture, ieka.al for auditors) — advise on profession-specific registration requirements after degree recognition
- - e-Albania portal (e-albania.al) — online submission platform for QSHA recognition applications and status tracking
- - Immigration lawyer familiar with Albanian professional licensing — recommended for complex multi-step regulated professions
Typical Timelines
QSHA degree recognition (electronic/e-Albania): up to 45 days. QSHA paper application: up to 3 months. Professional registration after degree recognition: 1–3 months. Healthcare professions (full process including medical board): 4–8 months. Legal profession (Chamber of Advocates admission): 3–6 months. Teaching (Ministry of Education clearance): 2–4 months. Prepare apostilles, translations, and good-standing letters before arriving in Albania — these steps often take longer than the Albanian review itself.
Albania is an EU candidate country; its qualifications framework (AKK) is aligned with the EQF, making degree comparisons structured. However, EU automatic recognition rights (as used between EU member states under Directive 2005/36/EC) do not yet fully apply in Albania — go through QSHA regardless of your country of origin. For healthcare professions, Albanian language proficiency (B2 level) is effectively required for patient-facing roles. Do not sign an employment contract promising regulated services until you have confirmed you can legally practise and that your residence permit permits the activity. Bring multiple certified copies of your documents — original diplomas should not be submitted where certified copies are accepted.
Qualification Recognition
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