A foreign national may acquire the right to apply for Albanian citizenship if certain conditions are met, such as: lawful residence in Albania for a period of up to 7 years (the duration varies depending on the type of application), sufficient financial means, no threat to public security, no conviction for criminal offenses punishable by not less than 3 years of imprisonment (excluding politically motivated convictions), basic knowledge of the Albanian language (A2), knowledge of Albanian history, etc. The categories of applications are as follows:

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship by origin;

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship by naturalization;

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship by naturalization for foreigners over 18 with lawful residence in Albania;

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship by naturalization for stateless persons;

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship by naturalization for foreigners married to Albanian citizens;

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship by naturalization for foreigners whose minor child holds Albanian citizenship;

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship for a child whose both parents acquired Albanian citizenship by naturalization;

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship for a child whose one parent acquired Albanian citizenship by naturalization;

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship by adoption;

·        Application for acquisition of citizenship by refugees or persons under subsidiary protection.

Regardless of the category, the applicant must submit: a certified copy of a valid passport; criminal record certificate from the country of origin; documents proving financial means; family certificate; birth certificate; a written and signed request addressed to the President; 4 photographs; and a bank receipt proving payment of the application fee. Depending on the application, additional documents may be required, such as: residence permit in Albania, relevant confirmations from the immigration office, marriage certificate, property ownership/lease contract, certificate of Albanian language proficiency, proof of passing the history exam, etc.

For the language and history exams, it must be noted that the only recognized institution is the Faculty of History and Philology, which organizes exams monthly, with applications accepted exclusively online.

If documents are issued abroad, they must bear an apostille seal and be translated and notarized in Albania. Their validity is limited to 6 months from the date of issuance. Certain documents must be submitted in original, as copies may result in rejection of the application.