In the case of Albania, the cost of living is listed as one of the main advantages, but above all the freedom offered by the American passport is valued.
Lower rents and the cost of living, as well as the opportunity to stay for up to a year without a residence permit, are making Albania a favorite destination for American retirees. According to real estate agents, Vlora and Saranda are among the main cities where they rent for between $400 and $500 (USD) per month.
Since October, Lisa Spence, 62, from the state of Alabama in the USA, has been living in Vlora.
Ms. Spence tells “Monitor” that she chose to live in Albania for a year due to the low cost of living and economic viability, given her monthly pension income of 2,200 USD, albinfo.ch reports.
Lisa, now retired, says she worked for 18 years as an administrator in an accounting office of a large construction company. She claims that life in the US is many times more expensive compared to Albania. According to her, this is one of the main reasons why she decided to stay for a year in Vlora.
She lives in a rented apartment in the Lungomare area of ​​Vlora. For a two-room apartment with a balcony with a panoramic view, she pays 400–500 USD per month, while in the US, a similar property, according to her, would cost a minimum of 1,400 USD.
“With the income I have from my pension, I would not survive in the US. The quality of life here is very good considering the monthly income from my pension. Also, the people are very hospitable.”
“In Albania you can enjoy the small moments of life, like drinking a coffee, walking or taking a stroll. The quality of the food is also very good. The climate, the clean air, the sea, Vlora is an ideal place to live a good life. There, everyone is in a hurry. Here life is calmer,” she says.
This is her first experience living in a country outside the U.S. Ms. Spence became acquainted with Albania after some research she did on the list of friendly countries published by the U.S. Department of State, which includes Albania.
“It was very important that, before deciding where I would live, I did some research on the countries on the list of friendly countries published by the State Department, as for a retired lady living alone, safety remains paramount,” concludes Ms. Spence.
She further emphasizes that until now it has been very easy to get outpatient medical services, also due to a flu-like condition that she passed, as well as dental care. She adds that until now she has not had to use hospital services.
Ms. Spence also recommends the city of Vlora to other American citizens looking to live abroad after retirement.
Real estate agents claim that in coastal cities, such as Vlora and Saranda, there is a trend of increasing demand from retired foreign citizens, including American citizens, to live in rental housing.
According to real estate agent Viola Shehaj-Malaj, the demand of American retirees to live in the city of Vlora in rental apartments has increased significantly in 2025, a trend that has continued in the first month of 2026.
Overall, according to her, the terms of stay for foreign citizens who have chosen Vlora to stay last from 1 to 2 years. Meanwhile, American retirees are testing this type of experience, to further decide on the terms of stay, taking advantage of the advantage of staying up to one year in Albania without a visa and residence permit.
Ms. Shehaj-Malaj emphasizes that one of the main factors that attracts them is the low cost of living in Albania compared to the United States of America and especially the low rent prices, climate and tranquility they find in coastal cities.
“Most American citizens who are choosing to stay in Vlora claim that the main reason remains the low cost of living, especially rents that are many times cheaper. If in Vlora you find a 1+1 apartment for 400 USD/month, in the US the minimum price is about three times higher.
But it should be noted that many American retirees are in the testing phase. Many of them prefer to stay for a few weeks or a few months, taking advantage of the one-year visa-free stay and residence permit in Albania to test this experience. Some others choose to stay for a full year, to leave and return again. This period helps them decide whether to stay long-term,” she underlines.
In addition to American citizens, the city of Vlora continues to be highly sought after for long-term residence by Italian retirees, according to the real estate agent. According to data published by Italian media, by March 2025, the number of Italian retirees living in Albania reached 3,000 from 300 Italian retirees in 2021.
The increase in their number has been influenced by Albania’s fiscal policies for not taxing the pensions of Italian citizens.
“In practice, if in Italy 1,500 euros gross are converted into 1,150 euros net, here 1,500 euros remain clean. And it’s not just those with low incomes who come, but there are also many wealthy pensioners with more than 50 thousand euros per year,” an Italian pensioner living in Albania previously claimed for “Corriere Della Sera”.
From residency facilities to fiscal benefits, the main reasons for choosing Albania
Besides the most important factor being the low cost of living, another strong reason that is attracting Americans is the opportunity to live in Albania for up to a year without needing a visa or long-term residence permit.
This sufficient period gives them the opportunity to get to know the country, visit coastal cities, and decide whether they want to make long-term plans for their stay.
“In the range of tourists coming to Albania, a new trend is also being noticed that includes nomadic workers (those who can work from anywhere in the world) and retirees, especially from Western countries.
In addition to Italian retirees, who have become regular residents of Albania’s coastal cities such as Durres, Vlora or Saranda, another group that is showing interest in the Albanian market are Americans.
International media and PR have played an important role in this regard, as Albania is increasingly listed as one of the best retirement destinations, joining the list alongside countries like Portugal, which have clear policies to attract this category of tourists who then become residents.
In the case of Albania, the cost of living is ranked as one of the main advantages, but above all, the freedom offered by the American passport is appreciated, which allows its holders to stay in our country for up to a year without the need for long-term residency documents,” emphasizes Stela Dhami, from the international real estate agency “Colliers International Albania”.
Residence permit facilities for American citizens
The State Police explained to “Monitor” that based on the decision of the Council of Ministers to determine the entry and stay period approved in March 2022, citizens of the United States of America have the right to enter and stay in the Republic of Albania without a residence permit for a period of up to one year.
According to the VKM, these citizens can re-enter and stay in the Republic of Albania without a residence permit if they have stayed outside the territory of Albania for more than 90 days. This decision was taken in support of the law “On Foreigners” and aims to facilitate the entry and residence regime for American citizens.
In addition to American citizens, citizens from Ukraine can also stay in Albania without a residence permit. Through a decision adopted in May 2023, the Albanian government decided to extend the deadline for the entry and residence of Ukrainians in Albania. From one year, they now have the opportunity to stay without a permit for up to two years.
Also, according to the Law “On Foreigners”, citizens of the United States of America, European Union member states and citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, when they apply for the first time and meet the general criteria set out in Article 36 of this law, benefit from a 5-year residence permit.
According to the Law “On Foreigners”, specifically under Article 33 thereof, it is determined that the residence permit, unless otherwise specified in this law or in international agreements ratified by the Republic of Albania, is granted for a period of 3 months, 6 months or 1 year, where the 1-year permit can be renewed no more than 5 times in a row.
Also, the residence permit may be granted for a period of 2 years, which may be renewed only once, or for a period of 5 years, according to the provisions of this law. The permanent residence permit is granted if the foreigner has had legal residence for 5 consecutive years in the Republic of Albania and has stable ties or activities in the country. (Monitor.al)