South Africa passport → Albania

Albania visa for South African citizens

e-Visa

e-Visa · 90 days

South African citizens need an e-Visa for Albania, applied for online before the trip. It covers stays of up to 90 days. Albania is not in the Schengen area; days here do not count toward the Schengen limit. Travellers who need a visa can enter without one if they hold a valid, already used multiple-entry Schengen, EU, US or UK visa or a residence permit from those countries.

Official details are shown in English.

Status
e-Visa
Max stay
90 days
Also limited
90 days in any 180
Last checked
30 October 2026

What it means in practice

90 days is about three months. If you arrive on 1 November 2026, your last legal day is 29 January 2027, because the arrival day is day one. Use the stay calculator for your own dates.

Days in Albania also add up over time: 90 days in any 180. Leaving and coming back does not reset that total, so earlier stays count. The stay calculator checks both limits when you add your earlier trips.

How Albania counts your stay: Visa-free and visa holders: up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Entering on another country's visa or residence permit: only while it is valid, leaving at least 3 days before it expires.

Before you go

Official details are shown in English.

  • Apply for an Albanian e-Visa — No earlier than 90 days and at least 15 working days before travel (up to 30 working days in exceptional cases); Visa fee shown in the portal, non-refundable. Apply only on the official portal e-visa.al. An unpaid application is refused automatically after 15 days. You must be outside Albania when the visa is processed. Not needed if you hold a qualifying Schengen/EU/US/UK visa or residence permit. Official site

At the border

Official details are shown in English.

  • Passport issued within the last 10 years and valid at least 3 months after your planned departure (visa holders: 3 months beyond the visa, with 2 blank pages)
  • Border police may ask for a return ticket, accommodation, the purpose of the trip and proof of funds (guide figure ALL 5,000 per day for adults, ALL 2,500 for minors)

How to avoid overstaying

  • Go by your stamp or visa. The date the officer gives you is the one that counts, even if it is shorter than the maximum.
  • Plan to leave a day or two early. With 90 days, book your exit before the last legal day so a cancelled flight doesn't push you over.
  • Extend before you run out. For longer stays apply for a residence permit through the e-Albania portal before your permitted stay ends.
  • Keep a record of every entry and exit. The period limit adds up all your stays, and border officers can see them.
  • Penalties. Our data does not list the overstay penalty for Albania. Ask the immigration authority before you risk it: fines, deportation and entry bans are common elsewhere.

Questions

Do South African citizens need a visa for Albania?

South African citizens need an e-Visa for Albania, applied for online before the trip. It covers stays of up to 90 days.

How long can South African citizens stay in Albania?

Up to 90 days, according to Bordr's data. Visa-free and visa holders: up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Entering on another country's visa or residence permit: only while it is valid, leaving at least 3 days before it expires.

Can I extend my stay in Albania?

For longer stays apply for a residence permit through the e-Albania portal before your permitted stay ends.

What do I need at the border in Albania?

Passport issued within the last 10 years and valid at least 3 months after your planned departure (visa holders: 3 months beyond the visa, with 2 blank pages); Border police may ask for a return ticket, accommodation, the purpose of the trip and proof of funds (guide figure ALL 5,000 per day for adults, ALL 2,500 for minors).

When was this checked?

Bordr last checked the entry rules for Albania against official sources on 30 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the official source before you travel.

Sources and last check

Entry rules for this destination were last checked against official sources on 30 October 2026. Visa-free days come from the passport matrix in the Bordr app, corrected where the official rules differ.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Entry rules change and border officers have the final say. Check the official government source for your destination before you travel.

Includes visa data from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), retrieved 1 November 2026; Bordr's official-source checks take precedence.

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