What are the steps to buy a property in Albania?
Six steps: check the property card at ASHK, sign a preliminary contract with a deposit, sign the deed before a notary, the seller pays 15% tax on the gain, the contract is registered at ASHK (5,000 ALL since July 2025), and you transfer the utility contracts. The buyer's legal costs on a €100,000 flat come to about €350–390 (October 2026).
Data compiled by Fedir AlpatovUpdated
The steps
| Step | What happens | Cost or rule |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Check the property | Order the property card and legal-status check from ASHK | 1,500 + 1,000 ALL |
| 2. Preliminary contract | Price, deposit, deadline, who pays which tax | Deposit by bank transfer |
| 3. Notary deed | Notary checks title, identity, payment; deed in Albanian | 0.23–0.35% of value |
| 4. Seller's tax | 15% of the gain, paid before registration | Joint Instruction 34/2023 |
| 5. Registration at ASHK | Contract, certificate, card, receipts | 5,000 ALL; late interest 10%/day |
| 6. After registration | New property card in your name; transfer water and electricity contracts | — |
Sources · 7
- 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-0009A property deed must state how the price is paid; the technical payment procedure is set by joint instruction of the Ministers of Justice and Finance, and the notary's special bank account can hold the funds. A notary may not handle cash above 150,000 ALL in notarial transactions.Payment of the price: stated in the deed; notary cash limit 150,000 lekConfidence: HIGHPeriod: Law 110/2018 Art. 105(4), Art. 68(3)verified 2026-09-09Law No. 110/2018 "Për noterinë" (On the notary), official text
- DATA-LEGAL-0008Before a property deed the notary verifies the seller's ownership in the electronic property register and attaches the relevant extracts, such as the transaction permit, the property card (kartela e pasurisë) and the cadastral map (harta treguese).The seller's side: the notary checks ownership in the cadastreConfidence: HIGHPeriod: Law 110/2018 Art. 105(3)verified 2026-09-09Law No. 110/2018 "Për noterinë" (On the notary), official text
- DATA-PURCHASE-0001100000–6000000 % of contract value (excluding VAT on thnotary_fee_for_a_sale_contract_of_contractConfidence: MEDIUMPeriod: grid from 2012; cited as current in 2023 articleverified 2026-09-09alprofitconsult.al — Tarifat, taksat dhe tatimet e kalimit të pronësisë
- DATA-TAX-001915 % of the gainSale of property: 15% of the gain; the reference price is the floor, less 1% a year of use (max 30%)Confidence: HIGHPeriod: 2024–2026verified 2026-10-19Joint Instruction No. 34 of 29.12.2023 on income tax on the transfer of immovable property
- Confidence: 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-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
What protects the buyer
- Read the property card yourself: owner, number, zone, and any mortgage or seizure in the encumbrances section.
- For a legalised home look for a statutory mortgage (plot price unpaid) or a registration "without land".
- Pay only by bank transfer, never cash; the notary cannot accept more than 150,000 ALL in cash anyway.
- Write into the preliminary contract who pays which tax and what happens to the deposit if the seller cannot deliver a clean title.
- Check that the seller's tax and the registration have been done: until ASHK registers the deed, the card still shows the seller.
Questions and answers
The law does not require one; the notary checks title and identity. An independent lawyer is worth it for off-plan, legalised or inherited property.
When ASHK registers the sale contract and issues the property card in your name.
It is negotiated; there is no legal level. Tie its return to the seller delivering a clean title.
Sources
- Law No. 110/2018 "Për noterinë" (On the notary), official text, 2018-12-20 (accessed 2026-09-09)
- 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)
- Joint Instruction No. 34 of 29.12.2023 on income tax on the transfer of immovable property. Ministry of Finance and Economy and ASHK, 2023-12-29 (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)
- alprofitconsult.al — Tarifat, taksat dhe tatimet e kalimit të pronësisë, 2023-06-13 (accessed 2026-09-09)
What is missing
Gaps we know about: questions we have no reliable data for yet.
- Statutory or typical ASHK processing time for registering a sale was not found.