Europe

Insurance

We recommend that comprehensive travel and medical insurance be obtained before travelling to Albania, including evacuation by air ambulance.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. For more general information see travel insurance.

 

If things do go wrong when you are oversees then see: When Things Go Wrong.

 

Consular registration

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.

 

Issue of passports

The British Embassy in Tirana does not have the facility to issue full passports.  You are advised to check the validity of your passport and, if necessary, to renew it before travelling to Albania. You should ensure that you enter next of kin details in the back page of your passport. The Embassy can accept applications for new passports, which will be forwarded to the British Embassy in Paris for processing. You should allow 4 to 6 weeks for receipt of the new passport. If you lose a passport while in Albania, you must report this immediately to the police and obtain a police report. The British Embassy does have the facility to issue you with an emergency travel document.

 

Money 

Major credit/debit cards are accepted in most banks and international hotels.  You may prefer to use cash, as in the past foreigners have been victims of credit card fraud. There are numerous ATM machines in Tirana and main towns, as well as bureaux de change where Sterling, US Dollars and Euros are widely accepted for exchange. Although street money-changers operate openly, they do so illegally. We therefore advise you to only use banks or established bureaux de change.