- How can you get Albanian citizenship?
- Naturalization - for immigrants
- Other issues regarding Albanian citizenship
There are many countries in Europe, large and small, with highly developed economies or still looking for their own way of development. They meet immigrants differently, therefore, the question of how to obtain citizenship of Albania can be seen much less often than a question of similar content, but with the name of another state (first of all, France and Germany).
And yet it is interesting to know what legislative acts regulate the issues of immigration and citizenship in Albania, whether there are significant differences from world practice. Let's try to find the answer, what are the easiest ways to use in order to become a full member of the Albanian civil society.
How can you get Albanian citizenship?
The main document that potential applicants for citizenship of the Republic of Albania need to study is the Citizenship Law, adopted in 1998. In accordance with this regulatory legal act, citizenship can be acquired, lost, restored, and also renounced for one reason or another. According to article 6 of this law, this European state provides for three ways of obtaining citizenship: by birth; on adoption; by naturalization.
Subsequent articles look at each of these ways of acquiring civil rights in more detail. For example, if the parents have Albanian citizenship (moreover, it is enough for at least one to have it), then the child automatically becomes a citizen of Albania. The same mechanism is applied in relation to children whose parents do not have any citizenship, or whose parents are unknown, it was not possible to establish them.
Unlike the laws on citizenship adopted in other European countries, the Albanian regulation analyzes in detail the case when the parents of a “foundling” become known. If the parents are Albanians, there are no difficulties, the child remains a citizen of Albania. If mom and dad are citizens of another state, then at the request of the parents, before the child turns 14, citizenship can be revoked. True, protecting the rights of the child, the state requires proof that he will receive the citizenship of his parents, that is, in any case, he will not remain a stateless person.
Naturalization - for immigrants
Naturalization is the only way for adult foreigners to become full citizens of the Republic of Albania. Any adult foreigner can apply for citizenship using this method, but subject to a number of conditions:
- residency qualification - at least five years of permanent residence in the country;
- having your own home;
- material security, stable income;
- a sufficient level of knowledge of the Albanian language, which is the state language in the republic.
There are several more requirements that must be met when passing naturalization in the Republic of Albania. They concern the security of the country and its citizens. Naturalization will be denied to an applicant who has been convicted in his state of crimes for a term of more than three years. The exception is cases of imprisonment for political reasons.
As in many other states, the Albanian citizenship law provides for cases of shortening of residence times, as well as special cases of admission to citizenship by naturalization. So, the residency qualification can be reduced to three years for a potential applicant for citizenship, if he is able to prove his Albanian origin, a nuance - only parents' Albanian citizenship is taken into account. The period of residence can be reduced to one year for a person who has entered into a legal marriage with an Albanian citizen.
Special cases, when almost all conditions become unimportant, provide for the acquisition of citizenship for a person's significant contribution to the economy, science, culture of the Republic of Albania, or have a national interest for the state.
Other issues regarding Albanian citizenship
In this matter, Albania is more loyal than many states of the world. This state recognizes the institution of dual citizenship, an immigrant may not give up the passport of the previous country of residence, if this is allowed by the laws of his former homeland.
Albania is a potential candidate for membership in the European Union, which is why the issues of admission to citizenship of foreign citizens are under the special control of the authorities. From this point of view, as a future EU member, the country is becoming very attractive for foreigners, in turn, today there are very serious talks about obtaining Albanian citizenship by investment. If the investment in the economy is formalized as an important contribution to the economic development of the country, then the citizenship procedure becomes almost a formal moment.
