In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country interests in Albania, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Albania.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that Albania does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate?

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

• Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
• Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
• Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or other emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in Albania, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Albania

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends of the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizen residing abroad.

The Albanian capital, Tirana, hosts 41 embassies.

There are also 45 consulates and other representations in Albania (European Union, Tirana’s Delegation).

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in Tirana, except for those countries who own an embassy in the capital of Albania and might have another diplomatic mission outside the capital.

You will find below a list of selected countries (the list is not exhaustive) that have a diplomatic mission in Albania. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates and sometime other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Embassies and Main Consulates in Tirana

China

Embassy of China in Albania

Address:Rr. "Skenderbej" 57, Tirana
Telephone: (+355) 42 23 2385
E-Mail: chinaemb_al@mfa.gov.cn
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/ChinaembassyT and https://twitter.com/chinaembassyt
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 09:00-16:30, except holidays

The Embassy of China in Albania provides a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing as well as notary certification. Contact them directly to check the full list of services available and their opening time.

France

French Embassy in Albania

Address: Rr. Skënderbej 14, 1000 Tirana
Tel: (+355) 42 38 9700
E-Mail: ambafrance@ambafrance-is.org
Social Media: https://twitter.com/france_albanie and https://www.facebook.com/france.albanie
Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00

Reception of the public (consular affairs), register of French nationals established outside France, identity cards and passports, civil status: marriages, births ..., other steps (legalization of signature, driver's license...), elections, national service and assembly of French nationals abroad.

Germany

Embassy of Germany in Albania

Address: Rr. Skenderbej 8, 1000 Tirana
Tel: (+355) 42 274 505
E-Mail: info@tira.diplo.de
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AmbasadaGjermaneTirana/ and https://twitter.com/auswaertigesamt
Opening hours: Monday- Friday: 08:00 - 12:00

Passports and ID cards, nationality, family matters, inheritance matters, criminal record, visa and entry, lawyers, doctors and translators and customs service.

Greece

Embassy of Greece in Albania

Address: Rruga Skënderbeg 88, Tirana 1023
Tel: (+355) 4 227 4668
E-Mail: gremb.tir@mfa.gr
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/GreeceinAlbania/ and https://twitter.com/GreeceinAlbania
Opening hours: Monday- Friday: 09:00 - 17:00

Passports and ID cards, nationality, family matters, inheritance matters, criminal record, visa and entry, lawyers, doctors and translators and customs service.

General and Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Tirana, Greece homes consulates in Gjirokaster and Korce.

Italy

Embassy of Italy in Albania

Address: Rruga Papa Gjon Pali nº2, 1010 Tirana
Tel: (+355) 4 227 5900
E-Mail: segramb.tirana@esteri.it   
Social Media: https://twitter.com/ItalyinALB
Opening hours: Working days from 09:00 to 12:30

The Italian consulate shares the same details as the embassy. They provide a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing, as well as document legalization and issuance of official certificates (birth record, marriage and citizenship record, civil union registry, etc.)

General and Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Tirana, Italy homes consulates in Gjirokaster and Vlore.

Japan

Embassy of the Japan in Albania

Address: Rruga e Kavajës, Nd50, H1, Tirana 1023
Tel: (+355) 4 454 7930
E-Mail: embassy@av.mofa.go.jp and konsullore@av.mofa.go.jp (Consular section)
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 9:00-12:00 and 13:30-16:00 

The Japanese consulate shares the same details as the embassy. They provide a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing as well as document legalization. Contact them directly to check exactly the full list of services available.

General and Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Tirana, Japan homes consulates in Vlore (office@japan-hcg.al)

Russia

Embassy of Russia in Albania

Address: Mjull Bathore, rr. Dervish Shaba, Tirana
Tel: (+355) 4 225 6040
E-mail: embrusalbania@mid.ru and tirana@dks.ru (consular services)
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/RusEmbassyAlbania/ and https://twitter.com/russianalbania
Opening hours: Monday - Friday from 09:00 to 15:00

The Russian consulate shares the same buildings as the embassy. It provides a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing as well as document legalization and notarial services.

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

British Embassy in Albania

Address: Rruga Skenderbeg 12, Tirana
Tel: (+355) 4 223 4973/4/5
E-Mail: british.embassytirana@fcdo.gov.uk
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/ukinalbania
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday: 8:30-13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00. Friday: 8:30-14:30

The British embassy provides a range of consular services such as emergency visa and passport processing as well as document legalization and notarial and documentary services.

USA (United States of America)

Embassy of the United States of America in Albania

Address: Rruga Stavro Vinjau 14, Tirana
Tel: (+355) 4 2247 285
E-Mail: TiranaWebmaster@state.gov and ACSTirana@state.gov 
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/usembassytirana/ and https://twitter.com/USEmbassyTirana

The US representation in Albania provides a range of consular services such as regular passport applications and renewals, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), and notarial services.

Honorary Consulates in Albania

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in Albania, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other country, often Athens, in Greece or Rome, in Italy for Albania.

Honorary Consulates in Shkoder

• Austria (gjergjleqejza@shkodra-honorarkonsulat.com)
• Hungary

Honorary Consulates in Tirana

• Canada (tirana@international.gc.ca)
• Belgium
• Denmark (tirana@umgate.dk)
• India
• Austria – Embassy (tirana-ob@bmeia.gv.at)

Honorary Consulates in Gjirokaster

• Greece
• Italy (italcons.argirocastro@libero.it)

Honorary Consulates in Vlore

• Bulgaria (sofia-albania@yahoo.com)
• Austria
• Italy

Honorary Consulates in Korce

• Greece (grgencon.kor@mfa.gr)