In an unprecedented U-turn, the Albanian Council of Ministers has decided to reinstate the right of US citizens to live in Albania for one year, without a residence permit.
As of 7 January 2022, changes in immigration law in a bid to align Albanian law with the EU acquis saw US citizens unable to enjoy the one year visa-free stay in the country. Instead, like their EU and non-EU counterparts, they were required to apply for a residence permit after three months, or leave the country for 90 days before returning.
Anger erupted amongst US citizens in the country as they reported that the US Embassy had filed to notify them of the changes and did not answer questions on the issue. In fact, it took the US Embassy five months to notify citizens, only after Exit.al brought the situation to public attention in early February.
They eventually confirmed that yes, the rules had changed but those arriving before 7 January would be able to continue to stay for a year, without a permit.
Unfortunately, the message apparently had not trickled through to the immigration police who gave citizens conflicting information and told them that if they left the country, their right to finish up the year would cease.
But this week, the government has reinstated the right of citizens to stay in Albania without a permit for up to one year. A government announcement says the decision was taken in support of the law “On Foreigners”, on the proposal of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Interior.
These citizens can re-enter and stay without a residence permit in the Republic of Albania for a new term of up to one year, if they have stayed outside the territory of the Republic of Albania for more than 90 days, it reads.
EU and third country citizens will have to apply for residence permits and pay fees for the right to live in Albania for more than 30 days. The government did not provide any clarification on how the U-turn complies with EU residence and immigration laws, the entire point of changing the law in the first place.
