Subsidised home loans in Albania: 4,000 loans at 0% and 3% for young couples, applications from November
The government announces 2,000 interest-free loans for homes up to €60,000 and 2,000 at 3% for pricier ones, with no down payment. Who qualifies, how much you could borrow and how to prepare.
By Galip Sulaj7 min read
The Albanian government has announced 4,000 subsidised home loans for young couples and new families in 2027: 2,000 at 0% interest for apartments worth up to €60,000 and 2,000 at 3% for more expensive ones. According to officials, banks will finance 100% of the value, with no down payment, backed by a state guarantee. Applications are expected to open in November 2026, once the legal changes are approved. Here we explain who qualifies, how much you could borrow, which schemes are already running and how to prepare.
Cover photo: Vitaly Gariev / Pexels
- Subsidised home loans planned for 2027
- 4,000
- Interest for apartments up to €60,000 (2,000 places)
- 0%
- Maximum interest for apartments above €60,000 (2,000 places)
- 3%
- New monthly net income ceiling for couples
- 280,000 lek
What was announced
On 10 September 2026, Prime Minister Edi Rama presented a national housing programme with six strands. The part that matters most to buyers is the subsidised loans. According to Gazeta Shqiptare, Rama said the income ceiling for couples will rise to 280,000 lek net and that loans will range from 12.5 to 20 million lek. On 22 September, Economy and Innovation Minister Delina Ibrahimaj gave more detail.
| 0% loan | Up to €60,000 | 0% | The state pays the interest | 2,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3% loan | Above €60,000, upper limit about €200,000 (under discussion) | Up to 3% | The state subsidises the part above 3% | 2,000 |
According to Top Channel, the state will guarantee the loan and cover the collateral the bank requires, so that young people can buy their first home without a down payment. The €60,000 threshold corresponds to about 6 million lek. The 3% scheme, according to Ibrahimaj, is also aimed at employed people early in their careers.
We will have the maximum limit somewhere around 200,000 euros, and it is dedicated to another category, people who are employed, who have started their careers and whom we want to support.
Who can qualify
According to Social Housing director Dardana Grabova, quoted by Top Channel, priority goes to new families and young people. Selection uses a points system based on family status, housing need and family composition. Applicants must be registered in the municipality where they receive the place, and the loan is for a first home or to replace a home that falls below housing standards, not for a second property.
Detailed criteria, the list of documents and participating banks have not been published yet. They will come with the legal amendments and implementing regulations.
Schemes already running
The new programme does not start from scratch. Two schemes are running this year:
0% loans for public-sector employees. From 27 August to 25 September 2026, staff of several ministries could apply on e-Albania for 300 interest-free loans: 70 places each for the ministries of Health, Defence, Education and Interior, and 20 for the Prison Police. Conditions: no home of their own or one under legalisation, no assets above 50% of the value of the home being bought, and no other housing benefit. The price is based on official reference prices and the size on family composition. According to Euronews, 2,164 applications were filed for the 300 places, 782 from the Health Ministry alone.
Tirana municipality's subsidised loans. According to acting mayor Anuela Ristani, 2,871 families out of 4,409 applicants were declared winners in the first phase of 2026. The deadline for second-phase documents was 31 July 2026 (Balkanweb, 26 June 2026).
- Tirana opens the second phase of subsidised loans2,871 winners in phase one; document deadline 31 July.
- Applications open for 300 0% loans for public-sector staffOnline only, via e-Albania.
- Rama presents the national housing programme4,000 subsidised loans for 2027.
- Ibrahimaj gives the detailsUpper limit about €200,000; rent subsidy up to €500.
- Public-sector applications close2,164 applications for 300 places.
- Calls expected to openAfter the legal amendments are approved.
- New loans start2,000 at 0% and 2,000 at 3%.
Photo: Jakub Zerdzicki / Pexels
What the monthly payment would be
The loan term has not been announced. As an example, over 25 years a €60,000 loan at 0% means a payment of €200 a month (€60,000 ÷ 300 months). A €100,000 loan at 3% would cost about €474 a month, while the same loan at the average market rate for lek mortgages, about 3.9% (Ekofin, 16 September 2026), would cost about €522. These are our own calculations, excluding bank fees and insurance. Try your own figures:
- Monthly payment
- €474
- Loan amount
- €100,000
- Total interest
- €42,263
- Total paid (with down payment)
- €142,263
If you have savings and do not qualify, compare with market conditions in home loans in autumn 2026. And remember the notary and registration costs, which the loan does not cover: work out the buying costs.
How to prepare now
The programme is not yet law and the calls have not opened. Do not pay anyone who promises you a "guaranteed place" on the list or "help" with the application. Applications for state schemes are made on e-Albania or at official service desks.
For apartments up to €60,000, a realistic search is mostly outside central Tirana or in other cities. According to the Keydata index, even in Tirana's cheapest area the average price was €1,530/m² in Q2 2026, so €60,000 buys about 39 m² there; see prices by area.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Monitor: Prime Minister Rama, 6 new housing programmes, 4,000 soft loans from November (in Albanian), 10 September 2026
- Gazeta Shqiptare: Housing, Rama: we will give 4,000 soft loans in 2027 to young couples (in Albanian), 10 September 2026
- Top Channel: About 4,000 loans for young couples, state guarantees the loan with no down payment (in Albanian), 15 September 2026
- Top Channel: Housing programme, Ibrahimaj on soft loans up to €200,000 (in Albanian), 22 September 2026
- Ekofin: 0% loans up to €60,000, state subsidises interest above 3% (in Albanian), 22 September 2026
- Javanews: Call opens for 300 0% housing loans for public-sector staff (in Albanian), 25 August 2026
- Euronews Albania: Demand for 0% housing loans exceeds places (in Albanian), 27 September 2026
- Balkanweb: Tirana soft loans, how the second phase will work (in Albanian), 26 June 2026
- Ekofin: Mortgage lending up 16.1%, Bank of Albania urges caution (in Albanian), 16 September 2026
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