With the 2022 tourist season around the corner, the Albanian government has decided to lift temporarily tourist visa requirements for the citizens of eight countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, India, Qatar, Oman, Russia, and Thailand.
The decision was announced by Minister of Tourism Mirela Kumbaro on Wednesday, following a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
“As part of a set of measures to aid [Albania’s] tourism sector… the government has decided to reauthorize a decision or practice approved last year to liberalize tourist visas for eight countries that will be able to enter Albania for tourism purpose [without visas],” Kumbaro said.
Russian and Egyptian citizens will benefit from this visa-free regime from April 20 to September 30, while the remaining tourists can enter Albania with only their passports (and without requiring a visa) until December 31.
During yesterday’s meeting, the Council also discussed the possibility of asking the Committee that oversees COVID-19 in Albania to remove pandemic-related entry requirements, like vaccination certificates and negative tests.
North Macedonia approved such a measure earlier this week.
The government’s decision is a bid to draw more visitors to Albania for the 2022 summer season, as labor shortages, rising fuel and food prices, and the war in Ukraine threaten the country’s fragile tourism section.
