Honorary consulate
Honorary Consulate of South Africa, Tirana
Tirana
Albania visa requirements for South African citizens
South African citizens need an eVisa for Albania. Apply on the official website.
Passport
ZAF
South Africa
Going to
ALB
Albania
eVisa
Use the official website to apply for your chosen visa.
- Visa
- eVisa
- Max stay
- 90 days (3 months)
- Fee
- Fee varies; no refund after refusal
- Last updated
- 11 November 2026
Make your trip easier
Do you already have any of these?
Some countries make entry easier if you hold a valid visa or residence permit from another country.
What to do
Apply on Albania's official eVisa portal with a scan of your passport and a photo.
Leave time for processing before you travel, and print the approval.
Enter on the dates and through the ports the eVisa allows.
Get your Albania visa sorted
A visa expert checks the rules and helps you apply. No payment now.
Ways into Albania
Check visa-free entry first. Otherwise, apply online for a tourist visa.
Visa not requiredVisa-free by nationalitySome nationalities can visit without a visa, depending on their passport type.
- Fee
- Free
How to apply
- Check your nationality and passport type in the official table.
- Bring the travel document listed for you.
Documents required
- Accepted travel document
- Passport valid 3 months
- The guide could not confirm each nationality's stay limit.
- Your travel document must have been issued within the past 3650 days.
Visa not requiredVisa-free with foreign visaA previously used foreign visa may let you visit without an Albanian visa.
- Stay
- 90 days
- Fee
- Free
How to apply
- Check that your visa allows multiple entries and remains valid.
- Bring proof you used it in the required country.
- Show your passport and visa at the border.
Documents required
- Passport
- Qualifying multiple-entry visa
- Proof of previous visa use
- Stay up to 90 days per 180 days; leave 3 days before visa expiry.
- Use Schengen visas in Schengen; use EU, US or UK visas where issued.
Visa not requiredVisa-free with residence permitA qualifying foreign residence permit may let you visit without an Albanian visa.
- Stay
- 90 days
- Fee
- Free
How to apply
- Check which country granted your permit and its expiry.
- Bring your passport and valid residence permit.
- Show both at the border.
Documents required
- Passport
- Qualifying residence permit
- Stay up to 90 days in any 180 days.
- Leave at least 3 days before your residence permit expires.
Visa not requiredVisa-free with UAE permitA qualifying UAE residence permit lets you visit without an Albanian visa.
- Stay
- 90 days
- Fee
- Free
How to apply
- Check that your permit covers 3650 days.
- Check that at least 365 days remain when you arrive.
- Bring your passport and permit.
Documents required
- Passport
- Qualifying UAE residence permit
- Stay up to 90 days in any 180 days.
- Shorter UAE residence permits do not qualify for this route.
Visa not requiredVisa-free with EU documentsCertain EU travel documents let you visit without an Albanian visa.
- Fee
- Free
How to apply
- Check your document type and the EU country granting it.
- Bring your valid travel document.
Documents required
- EU alien travel document
- EU refugee travel document
- EU stateless-person travel document
- EU subsidiary-protection travel document
- Passport valid 3 months
- You need 1 of the 4 listed document types.
- Your document's type and country matter, rather than your nationality.
eVisaOnline visa applicationUse the official website to apply for your chosen visa.
- Fee
- Fee varies; no refund after refusal
- Processing
- 15–30 days
How to apply
- Apply at e-visa.al from outside Albania, within 90 days before travel.
- Choose electronic delivery, your travel passport's nationality and trip purpose.
- Upload scanned PDFs in Albanian or English.
- Pay when asked and upload proof of payment.
- Receive your approved eVisa by email.
Documents required
- Documents for your trip purpose
- Required translations and official authentication
- Requested payment receipt
- Photo, 47 × 36 mm
- Passport valid 3 months
- 2 blank pages
- Processing takes working days after payment; children aged 6–12 pay half the adult fee.
- eVisas arrive by email; sticker visas need physical collection.
eVisaType C tourist visaApply online for a short holiday if you need a visa.
- Stay
- 90 days
- Valid for
- 1825 days
- Fee
- Fee set after review
- Processing
- 15–30 days
How to apply
- Apply at e-visa.al from outside Albania, within 90 days before travel.
- Choose Type C tourism and upload your documents.
- Add missing documents and pay when asked.
- Receive your eVisa by email, or collect your sticker visa.
Documents required
- Completed application
- Passport copy
- Photo, 47 × 36 mm
- Travel health insurance
- Return travel booking
- Proof of accommodation
- Bank statements
- Work or other return-home evidence
- 2 blank pages
- Hotel booking
- Stay 90 days per 180; visa states validity and 1, 2 or multiple entries.
- Processing takes working days after payment; under-18s need parent or guardian travel consent.
eVisaType C group tourismApply online for a group trip invited by a licensed Albanian tourism company.
- Stay
- 90 days
How to apply
- Get the Albanian tourism company's invitation documents.
- Apply online for organised tourism.
- Follow the payment and visa decision instructions.
Documents required
- Standard Type C documents
- Group members' passport copies
- Company licence copy, officially certified
- Travel health insurance
- Recent passport photo
- 2 blank pages
- Stay up to 90 days per 180 days, as your visa allows.
- Personal attendance is waived; your visa states 1, 2 or multiple entries.
Visa on arrivalSpecial border visaBorder officers may grant a short visa for certain urgent or special cases.
- Stay
- 15 days
How to apply
- Show proof of the urgent or special reason.
- Explain why you could not apply before travel.
- Show you meet entry rules and can return.
- Wait for the border officers' decision.
Documents required
- Travel document
- Proof of unexpected urgent reason
- Emergency, family or crew documents
- Proof of guaranteed return
- Cases include specified disasters, family death or serious illness, crew situations and state requests.
- Approval is not guaranteed; officers may require a normal visa application.
Sources (14)Last updated 11 November 2026
- Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs: current exemptions, passport rules and border documents
- Ministry: nationality and passport-type visa selector
- Ministry: visa classes, purpose-specific documents and application procedure
- Ministry: Albanian-language visa application checklist
- Official Albanian e-Visa portal: electronic and sticker formats, application process and processing times
- Albanian State Police: Law 39/2025 on state border control, including entry checks
- Ministry of Interior: Law 79/2021 on foreigners, including transit, Type D and exceptional border visas
- Albanian Embassy in the United Kingdom: visa links and passport requirements
- Albanian Embassy in the United Kingdom: 2026 visa exemption questions
- Albanian Embassy in the United States: foreign visitor and visa application links; linked legacy visitor document redirected
- Albanian Embassy in China: consular services and foreign-citizen information links
- Embassy of India in Tirana: confirms Albania's Beijing embassy is concurrently accredited to India
- Albanian Embassy in France: short-stay visa documents and purposes
- Albanian Embassy in Russia: short-stay exemption framework, crew and electronic application guidance
Embassies for this trip
For lost passports and emergencies.
Coming from South Africa
- Plugs C FAdapter for some
- MoneyALL L
- Time−1h
- DrivingOn the rightLook left first
- LanguageAlbanian
- Emergency129 police127 ambulance
Planning your Albania trip
- Albanian RivieraVisit for beaches and clear turquoise seas along the southern coast.
- Llogara PassThis mountain pass near Llogara National Park offers wide views over the Riviera.
- Dajti MountainThis popular sight near Tirana offers views over the capital.
- ApolloniaExplore an ancient Illyrian city about 8 km from Fier.
Scams to watch for in Albania
- Taxi fare changes and overchargingA driver starts without a clear fare agreement, raises the price during the journey, or claims to have forgotten the agreed price. In Tirana and Durrës, starting without a meter or agreed fare also leaves you open to overcharging.
- Tourist-site ticket money being pocketedSomeone taking admission payments reuses tickets or keeps the money instead of putting it through the proper ticket process. This is a ticket-handling fraud; it does not necessarily mean you have been charged extra.
- Poor ATM currency conversionThe ATM offers to convert the withdrawal into your home currency. This is called dynamic currency conversion, or DCC. Its exchange rate can be much worse than your bank's rate. It is a costly offer rather than evidence of card theft.
About Albania
Albania is a parliamentary republic in the western Balkans, on the Adriatic and Ionian seas.
- Capital
- Tirana
- Money
- Albanian lek (L)
- Languages
- Albanian
- Time zone
- UTC+01:00
- Cars drive on the
- right side
- Calling code
- +355
Other Africa passports
Going to Albania
Easier trips nearby
Places close to Albania with simpler entry for you.
Questions
Do south african citizens need a visa for Albania?
South African citizens need an eVisa for Albania. Apply on the official website.
How long can south african citizens stay in Albania?
Up to 90 days each visit with the evisa rule. Staying longer can mean a fine or a ban from coming back.
Where do I apply online for Albania?
Only on Albania's official government website. Avoid agents and look-alike sites that add fees. Apply before you book anything you can't cancel.
Is it easier to visit Albania if I already have a US, UK or Schengen visa?
With a valid visa from Schengen, US and UK, the rule becomes "no visa needed" for up to 90 days.
Do albanian citizens need a visa for South Africa?
Albanian citizens need an eTA, a short online form, before flying to South Africa.
Do other Africa passports get easier entry to Albania?
Mauritius and Seychelles can enter without applying before they travel.
Which countries near Albania are easier for south african citizens?
Kosovo, Russia, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, and 3 more let south african citizens in without applying before travel.
What should I carry to Albania?
Apply on Albania's official eVisa portal with a scan of your passport and a photo. Leave time for processing before you travel, and print the approval.
What money is used in Albania?
Albanian lek (L). Carry some cash for arrival, especially if a visa fee is paid at the border.
What language do people speak in Albania?
Albanian.
Reviewed by @snuck