Driving in Albania as a tourist is less about the rules being exotic and more about which ones are enforced, and by how much. The figures below come from the Road Code itself, ligj nr. 8378/1998 as amended, in the consolidated text published by DPSHTRR, the national road transport directorate. Everything else in this guide is planning judgement; the table is law.
The rules, and where they come from
| Rule | What the law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Speed limits | 110 km/h motorways, 90 km/h main interurban roads, 80 km/h secondary and local interurban roads, 40 km/h inside built-up areas | Road Code, neni 140 |
| Alcohol | "Driving after consuming alcoholic drinks is prohibited." Penalties start at any detected level up to 0.3 g/l (5,000-15,000 lek); 0.3-0.5 g/l adds a 3-6 month licence suspension; above 0.5 g/l the file goes to the prosecutor | Road Code, neni 184 |
| Alcohol, as consular advice states it | "The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.01 percent, which is effectively a zero tolerance policy" | US State Department; Canada uses the identical figure |
| New drivers | Drivers with less than three years on their licence, plus taxis, public transport and vehicles over 3.5 t, are suspended from driving even in the lowest alcohol band | Road Code, neni 184(2)(a) |
| Seat belts | Compulsory in front seats (vehicles built from January 1978) and rear seats (from May 1990). "Seat belts are mandatory" | Road Code, neni 170; US State Department |
| Children | Under-12s may sit in front only in a proper restraint, and a rear-facing seat must not go in front of a live airbag. Under-4s in the back must use a child restraint system. Failing to restrain a child under 12 carries a 5,000-15,000 lek fine plus a 6-12 month licence suspension for the driver | Road Code, neni 170(4)-(8) |
| Headlights | Dipped headlights are compulsory at all times on motorways and interurban roads, and at all times on all roads for motorcycles and mopeds; plus half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, in tunnels, fog, snow, heavy rain and any poor visibility | Road Code, neni 150 |
| Phone | "Talking on a cell phone while driving is illegal" | US State Department |
| Winter tyres | "Snow tires are required from November through April" | US State Department |
| Foreign licences | A foreign or international licence is valid for driving in Albania as long as you are not resident for more than a year. If it does not match the models in the international conventions Albania is party to, it must be accompanied by an official Albanian translation or equivalent | Road Code, neni 133 |
One caveat on currency. Parliament amended the Road Code on 18 June 2026 with ligj nr. 58/2026, published in Fletorja Zyrtare no. 157 on 22 July 2026, and the law states only that it enters into force fifteen days after publication, which Albanian outlets date to 7 August 2026. Three things in it matter to a visitor. A driver who obtained a category B licence in the previous 24 months now has a blood alcohol limit of 0.0, a ceiling of 90 km/h on motorways and main interurban roads and 80 km/h elsewhere outside built-up areas, and a 5,000 to 15,000 lek fine plus a one-month suspension for breaching either. Anyone already penalised once for drink-driving and caught again above 0.5 g/l loses the licence permanently. The handheld phone ban now also covers bicycles, mopeds up to 50 cc and electric scooters, and two offences in a year rather than three trigger a suspension. The consolidated Road Code published by DPSHTRR still runs only to the 2021 amendments, so none of this appears there yet. Nothing was loosened, so the practical advice is unchanged: do not drink and drive at all.
Country-Specific Driver Notes
For US drivers: The State Department's Albania page is unambiguous: "You must have both a valid U.S. driver's license and an International Driving Permit (IDP) to legally drive or rent a car in Albania. Get your IDP in the United States before you travel." USAGov names AAA and AATA as the only authorised issuers. Distances and speed limits are in km and km/h, multiply by 0.62 for miles: 40 km/h in town is 25 mph, the 80 km/h secondary-road limit is 50 mph, 90 km/h on main interurban roads is 56 mph, and 110 km/h on motorways is 68 mph. On alcohol, the same page states the limit as 0.01 percent and calls it "effectively a zero tolerance policy." Seat belts are mandatory, phone use while driving is illegal, and snow tyres are required from November through April.
For UK drivers: The FCDO says "you may find it useful to have a 1968 international driving permit (IDP) as well as your UK licence" and that "the 1949 IDP is not accepted any more." If you bring your own car, "you must carry a green card as proof of vehicle insurance to drive your car in Albania." You drive on the right, the opposite of UK roads; roundabouts work the same way but in mirror image. Speed limits in km/h: 40 in built-up areas (about 25 mph), 80 on secondary interurban roads (50 mph), 90 on main interurban roads (56 mph), 110 on motorways (68 mph). The drink-drive limit is far stricter than the UK's: the Road Code bans driving after drinking at all and penalises any detected level.
For German / Dutch / Nordic drivers: Under the Road Code (neni 133) a licence issued by a foreign state is valid for driving in Albania provided you are not resident here for more than a year, and needs an official Albanian translation only if it does not conform to the models in the international conventions Albania has joined, which an EU photocard licence does. If you bring your own car, carry a green card that is valid for Albania. Drive on the right, signage is broadly familiar, and speed limits are lower than you may expect: 40 km/h in built-up areas, 80 or 90 outside them. Dipped headlights are compulsory at all times outside built-up areas.
For Australian / NZ / Canadian drivers: Canadian government advice for Albania states flatly, "you must carry an international driving permit," and gives the same alcohol figure as the US: "the legal alcohol limit is 0.01 percent." Drive on the right (opposite of AU/NZ; same as Canada). Distances in km, fuel sold by the litre. Check the rental company's own excess and deposit terms in writing before pickup rather than assuming a figure.
Sources
- Kodi Rrugor i Republikes se Shqiperise, ligj nr. 8378, date 22.7.1998, i perditesuar - DPSHTRR, the Albanian General Directorate of Road Transport Services. Neni 140 (speed limits), neni 150 (lights), neni 170 (seat belts and child restraints), neni 184 (alcohol), neni 133 (foreign licences). Consolidated to law 63/2021. Checked 20 September 2026.
- Albania Travel Advisory and country information - US Department of State, advisory issued 26 August 2026. IDP requirement, 0.01 percent alcohol limit, seat belts, phone use, snow tyres. Checked 20 September 2026.
- Travel advice and advisories for Albania - Government of Canada, last modified 9 September 2026. IDP requirement and the same 0.01 percent alcohol figure. Checked 20 September 2026.
- Albania travel advice: safety and security - UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, updated 13 August 2026. 1968 IDP, 1949 IDP not accepted, green card requirement, road conditions. Checked 20 September 2026.
- Ligj nr. 58/2026, date 18.6.2026, "Per disa ndryshime dhe shtesa ne ligjin nr. 8378, date 22.7.1998, 'Kodi Rrugor i Republikes se Shqiperise', i ndryshuar" - Fletorja Zyrtare e Republikes se Shqiperise, viti 2026, numri 157, 22 korrik 2026, page 16217, published by QBZ. Promulgated by presidential decree nr. 401 of 17 July 2026. Neni 5 (new neni 117/1 pika 5: the 0.0 alcohol limit and the 90 and 80 km/h ceilings for category B licences under 24 months old), neni 9 (neni 171, phones and other vehicles), neni 10 (new neni 184 pika 11.1: permanent revocation on repetition), neni 12 (in force fifteen days after publication). Read from the gazette, not from press reports. Checked 20 September 2026.
