How long does it take to buy a property in Albania?
The legal part is short: once the seller's title is clean, the notary deed can be signed as soon as the papers are ready, and registering it at ASHK late costs 10% of the fee per day of delay, which pushes both sides to file quickly. What takes time is the market: the Bank of Albania's survey put the average time to sell a home at 9.1 months in the second half of 2025, and a property still in legalisation adds ASHK's 60-day decision period.
Data compiled by Fedir AlpatovUpdated
Known time frames
| Stage | Time frame | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registration after the deed | Late filing costs 10% of the fee per day, max 300,000 ALL | VKM 462/2025 |
| Legalisation decision | Within 60 days of qualification | Law 20/2020 Art. 21 |
| Plot-price discount on a legalised home | Pay within 30 days of the notice: −20% | VKM 446/2023 |
| Average time to sell a home | 9.1 months (Tirana 8.1), H2 2025 | Bank of Albania survey |
| Visa-free stay while you buy | 90 days in any 180 | Law 79/2021 Art. 29 |
Sources · 5
- DATA-PURCHASE-000910 % of the fee per day of delayLate registration at ASHK: 10% of the fee a day, capped at 300,000 ALLConfidence: HIGHPeriod: 2025–2026verified 2026-10-19Council of Ministers Decision (VKM) No. 462 of 31.07.2025 on ASHK service fees, amending VKM 389/2020
- DATA-LEGAL-0018Law 20/2020 Art. 17: buildings without a permit that appear on the national orthophoto made before the law entered into force; Art. 18: no legalisation where the building harms major infrastructure, national roads, public buildings, cultural heritage, strategic-investment areas or the coastline; Art. 21: ASHK decides within 60 days of qualification. Art. 16(1): every applicant may obtain an extract of their own application from the ASHK unpermitted-building database.Legalisation covers unpermitted buildings on the pre-2020 orthophoto; coastline and major infrastructure excludedConfidence: HIGHPeriod: 2020–2026verified 2026-10-19Law No. 20/2020 "Për përfundimin e proceseve kalimtare të pronësisë" (completing transitional ownership processes)
- DATA-LEGAL-002050 % of land valuePlot price for a legalised home: 50% of the zone land value, 20% off if paid within 30 daysConfidence: HIGHPeriod: 2023–2026verified 2026-10-19Council of Ministers Decision (VKM) No. 446 of 26.07.2023 on transferring ownership and registering legalised property
- Confidence: MEDIUMPeriod: H2 2025verified 2026-09-09Telegrafi.com "Shqiptarët dhe të huajt blejnë shtëpi për t'i dhënë me qira, por biznesi po ndryshon" (BoA 6M-II 2025 survey coverage)
- DATA-LEGAL-001390 days in 180Visa-free stay: up to 90 days in any 180; longer needs a residence permitConfidence: HIGHPeriod: 2025–2026verified 2026-10-19Law No. 79/2021 "Për të huajt" (On foreigners), consolidated text as amended by Law 43/2025
Planning the purchase
Documents issued abroad (apostilled marriage certificate, power of attorney) take the longest to prepare: order them before you travel. If you cannot stay in Albania for the deed, sign a power of attorney so a representative can finish the deal within your 90 days, or after them.
Questions and answers
Often yes, if the title is clean and your documents are apostilled before you travel. Registration can be finished by the notary after you leave.
Until ASHK issues the legalisation decision and the plot price is settled, the building cannot be sold with full title.
We found no published standard time; ask the notary for the current wait at the local ASHK office.
Sources
- Council of Ministers Decision (VKM) No. 462 of 31.07.2025 on ASHK service fees, amending VKM 389/2020. State Cadastre Agency (ASHK), 2025-07-31 (accessed 2026-10-19)
- Law No. 20/2020 "Për përfundimin e proceseve kalimtare të pronësisë" (completing transitional ownership processes). Parliament of Albania (FAOLEX copy), 2020-03-05 (accessed 2026-10-19)
- Council of Ministers Decision (VKM) No. 446 of 26.07.2023 on transferring ownership and registering legalised property. State Cadastre Agency (ASHK), 2023-07-26 (accessed 2026-10-19)
- Telegrafi.com "Shqiptarët dhe të huajt blejnë shtëpi për t'i dhënë me qira, por biznesi po ndryshon" (BoA 6M-II 2025 survey coverage), 2026-08-30 (accessed 2026-09-09)
- Law No. 79/2021 "Për të huajt" (On foreigners), consolidated text as amended by Law 43/2025. Albanian State Police (ASP), 2025-11-01 (accessed 2026-10-19)
What is missing
Gaps we know about: questions we have no reliable data for yet.
- No statutory or typical ASHK processing time for registering a sale was found.
- The 9.1-month figure is taken from press coverage of the Bank of Albania survey, not from the survey PDF.