Embassy of the United States Tirana, Albania

Foreign nationals in Albania may marry in a civil ceremony, religious ceremony, or both. However, only a civil ceremony is considered legal under Albanian law.

There are no residency requirements for foreign nationals who choose to get married in Albania.  However, you will need certain documents.  Below you will find a list of the documents required by the Albanian authorities in order to perform a marriage, information on how a marriage is registered, and some legal information about marriage in Albania.

Albanian authorities require U.S. citizens who wish to marry to provide written proof issued by the U. S. Embassy stating that there is no legal impediment to the marriage.

You may obtain a document called “Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry in Albania”, from the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tirana.  This document is a sworn statement notarized by a consular officer.  The standard notarial fee of $50.00 or the equivalent in Leke is required (Note: Payment is made to the cashier in the Consular Section, and can be done by cash (Dollars or Leke) or by credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diners Club, and Discover.)

For information on how to obtain this affidavit, please follow the instructions provided at our webpage “Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry in Albania.”

Legal Requirements

When you go the City Hall to get married, please carry the following documents:

• Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry in Albania:
  Once notarized by the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, please take this form to the nearest post office and request that it be authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania.  The post office clerk will advise you on the procedures of having the form returned to you once authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Your Birth Certificate:
  If you were born in the United States, you will also need a certified copy of your birth certificate with an “Apostille” attached to it.  The “apostille” is placed by the issuing authority in the United States.  For information on how to obtain a birth certificate with an “apostille” please visit the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs webpage “Notarial and Authentication (Apostille) (http://travel.state.gov/)”;
• Divorce Decree or Certificate:
  In cases of previous marriages, you must get a certified copy of your divorce decree or certificate with an “apostille” attached to it.  The “apostille” is placed by the issuing authority in the United States.  For information on how to obtain this document with an “apostille” please visit the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs webpage “Notarial and Authentication (Apostille) (http://travel.state.gov/).”
• Your U.S. passport and a Copy of the Biographic Page;
• Personal Birth Certificate for your Future Spouse;
• Albanian Passport or ID card of your Future Spouse and a copy of the Biographic Page;
• Two Witnesses:
  The witnesses should not be related to you or your spouse by blood or marriage, and must be present at City Hall at the time the marriage will be registered.  The witnesses must present proper identification.

Note: The validity of the above documents should be no more than three months from the date of issuance.

Registration of Marriage

Marriages of U.S. citizens in Albania are not registered at the U.S. Embassy in Tirana.  Such marriages are registered at the Office of Civil Status of the city where the marriage was performed.

A marriage may be registered between a man and a woman who are at least 18 years old.  However, the Court of the city where the marriage took place, for specific reasons, may allow marriage before that age.

Before registering the marriage, the civil status officer makes an announcement by posting a notification sheet in places designated by the municipality or commune, showing the civil components of future spouses, and their place of marriage.

The annunciation request is made by the future spouses, or by a person appointed by them with special power of attorney, 11 days before the planned date of the marriage registration.  The announcement is made at the municipality where the future spouse has a permanent or temporary residence.

If both spouses are U.S. citizens who are legally residing in the Republic of Albania, and neither of them hold Albanian citizenship, they may marry at the Civil Status Office of their usual place of residence.

Legal Concerns

Civil Marriage in Albania is a fully recognized legal marriage.

According to U.S. statutes, marriages performed abroad that are valid under the laws of that country are generally accepted as valid by any state in the United States.

Marriages performed in Albania that are not registered with the Albanian Bureau of Vital Statistics have no validity.