How do you check whether a property in Albania is legalised?
Order the property card (1,500 ALL) and the online legal-status check (1,000 ALL) from ASHK and read the encumbrances. A legalised home can carry a statutory mortgage until its plot price is paid, or be registered "without the land" when it stands on someone else's plot (Law 20/2020, Art. 22). ASHK issued 26,101 legalisation decisions in 2025 and plans to close the process in 2028.
Data compiled by Fedir AlpatovUpdated
What to order and what to look for
| Check | What it shows | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Property card (kartela) | Owner, number, zone, volume and page, encumbrances | 1,500 ALL |
| Online legal-status check | Whether the property is registered and any restrictions | 1,000 ALL |
| Statutory mortgage on the card | Plot price still unpaid | Law 20/2020 Art. 22(10) |
| "Without land relationship" | Building on third-party land, compensation pending | Law 20/2020 Art. 22(6) |
| Ownership certificate | Official proof of title | 3,000 ALL |
Sources · 2
- DATA-PURCHASE-001010.87–32.6 EUR per documentASHK checks before buying: certificate 3,000 ALL, property card 1,500 ALL, online legal status 1,000 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-0019Law 20/2020 Art. 22(10): a statutory mortgage stays on the legalised property until the plot price is paid in full. Art. 22(6): on private third-party land, ownership of the land passes only when the compensation decision enters into force; until then the building is registered without a relationship to the land. Art. 22(2)–(3): the legalisation act also transfers the plot, for a home up to three times the footprint and at most 500 m².A legalised home can carry a statutory mortgage or be registered "without the land"Confidence: HIGHPeriod: 2020–2026verified 2026-10-19Law No. 20/2020 "Për përfundimin e proceseve kalimtare të pronësisë" (completing transitional ownership processes)
How legalisation works
Law 20/2020 replaced the old ALUIZNI process: ASHK now legalises buildings without a permit that appear on the national orthophoto taken before the law. The legalisation act also transfers the plot, up to three times the footprint and at most 500 m² for a home, against a plot price of 50% of the zone's land value, with 20% off if paid within 30 days.
Some buildings can never be legalised: those harming major infrastructure, national roads, public buildings, cultural heritage, strategic-investment areas or the coastline.
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions in 2025 | 26,101 | ASHK report 2025 |
| Decisions 2006–2025 | 291,114 | ASHK report 2025 |
| Plot price | 50% of land value; −20% within 30 days | VKM 446/2023 |
| Decision deadline | 60 days after qualification | Law 20/2020 Art. 21 |
Sources · 3
- 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
- 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)
Questions and answers
Yes, once it has a property card. Check the card for a statutory mortgage or a "without land" note and have them cleared before paying.
The building is registered without the land under it, because the land belongs to someone else and their compensation is pending.
Not with full title: until ASHK issues the decision and the plot price is paid, you would be buying a claim, not registered property.
Sources
- 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)
- ASHK Annual Activity Report 2025. State Cadastre Agency (ASHK), 2026-06-15 (accessed 2026-10-19)
- 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)
- ASHK: how to refresh the property card and cadastral map online (e-Albania). Monitor (citing ASHK), 2026-08-21 (accessed 2026-10-19)
What is missing
Gaps we know about: questions we have no reliable data for yet.
- No e-Albania service named "certificate of legalisation status" was found; the check relies on the property card and the legal-status check.
- A September 2026 draft amendment on informal homes in high-rise zones (only the dwelling legalised, not the land) is press-reported only.