SANDERS
Buying a home abroad sounds complicated until someone walks you through it in order. For a new-build apartment in Albania the order is well settled, and most of it can be done from the UK, with a trip or two at the points that matter.
Before you start
You do not need to live in Albania to buy there. The UK government's guidance for British nationals says you do not need to be resident in Albania to buy property or land, with the exception of larger plots of agricultural land, and it advises contacting an English-speaking lawyer in Albania if you are considering a purchase. British citizens can enter Albania without a visa and stay for up to 90 days, which is more than enough for viewings and signing.
Apartments are the simplest case. Deloitte's legal handbook on real estate transactions notes that foreign individuals can freely acquire residential units in Albania; the restrictions apply to agricultural land, forest and pasture, not to a flat in a new building.
Decide early who will act for you: an independent lawyer who reads Albanian, and a notary, who in Albania draws up and certifies the sale. Sanders can introduce both, but the lawyer is yours.
Step one: choosing and reserving
Most buyers start with a shortlist and a visit. On the Riviera that might mean Green Coast and Sun Palasë at Palasë and San Nicolas towards Dhërmi; in the Gulf of Vlorë, Marina Orikum and SOL Residence; in Tirana, by Long Hill Residence at Mjull Bathore. Seeing the site and the state of the works tells you more than any brochure.
When you have chosen a home, the developer takes it off the market against a reservation. A reservation agreement is short: the apartment, the price, the payment schedule and the date by which the main contract will be signed. Read it with your lawyer before paying anything, and make sure the reservation sum is credited against the price.
Step two: due diligence
Your lawyer checks that the developer owns the land or has the right to build on it, that the building permit matches what is being built, and that no mortgages or claims are registered against the plot. In Albania, ownership is recorded at the State Cadastre Agency. The European Commission's 2025 report on Albania lists completing first registrations and digitising ownership titles, documents and maps as continuing priorities, which is a reason to have the title checked properly rather than a reason to worry: a registered, clean plot is exactly what you are paying your lawyer to confirm.
Ask the developer for the building permit, the drawings for your apartment, the specification and the planned completion date in writing.
Step three: the contract with the notary
In Albania the sale is done before a notary. For a finished home that is a single sale and purchase agreement. For one still being built, buyers normally sign an undertaking agreement first, in which the developer commits to transfer the finished apartment to you on completion. Deloitte's handbook notes that the cadastre law provides for registering undertaking agreements for objects under construction, so your position can be recorded while the works go on.
The notary reads the contract in Albanian; if you do not speak it, a translator attends. You can also give a power of attorney so that a trusted person signs for you later. Most Sanders buyers from the UK make one trip for this signing and do the rest remotely.
Step four: paying in stages
New-build contracts are paid in instalments linked to the works: a sum at signing, further sums as the structure, façade and fit-out are reached, and the balance at handover. Money moves by bank transfer from your UK account; the developer's bank will ask for proof of the source of funds, so have statements ready. Keep every transfer confirmation and ask the developer to acknowledge each payment in writing.
Step five: completion, registration and keys
When the building is finished, the developer completes the paperwork that allows the apartments to be registered as separate properties. You then sign the final sale contract before the notary, pay the balance, and the notary files the deed with the State Cadastre Agency. Deloitte's handbook notes that a sale must be registered within 30 days of signing and that the notary submits the act to the agency electronically. The certificate of ownership in your name is the document that matters: ask for a copy and keep it with the contracts.
Handover is a walk-through of the apartment against the specification, a snagging list and the keys, followed by electricity and water contracts in your name.
How long it takes
From reservation to the main contract, a few weeks; from the contract to keys, as long as the build takes, and the completion date in the contract is the one to hold the developer to. Albania's economy grew by 3.8% in 2025 with inflation of 2.2%, according to the Governor of the Bank of Albania, and INSTAT recorded 271 permits for new residential buildings in the second quarter of 2025 alone. The path described here is well trodden.
If you are thinking about a new-build in Albania and would like the steps explained for a particular home, message the Sanders team on WhatsApp and we will take you through them.
Questions about buying in Albania? Message our team on WhatsApp.
