Buying property in Albania when you live in the UK

Albania's embassy and consulate in the UK share one address in London (33 St George's Drive). Under the rules of Albania's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, consuls act as notaries only for Albanian citizens who live in their area, and only for simple powers of attorney, such as collecting documents or being represented in some procedures; the London embassy lists the fee as €20, paid by card in pounds. General powers of attorney and powers of attorney for contracts that transfer ownership, such as the sale of an apartment, are on the Ministry's list of those consuls do not issue: for these it refers you to a notary in the country where you live.

For the simple powers of attorney it can issue, the London embassy takes applications only online through e-Albania, and you then sign in person at the consulate: nobody can attend for you.

Sources: Albanian MFA, powers of attorney · Albanian Embassy London, services · Albanian Embassy London, FAQ

Sign the power of attorney before a notary public in the UK. GOV.UK points to the official lists of notaries in England and Wales, and of notaries and solicitors in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. The FCDO Legalisation Office can apostille a power of attorney certified by a UK notary or solicitor; but because Albanian law wants a power of attorney for a purchase to be a notarial act, as the full guide explains, ask your lawyer in Albania before you sign whether a solicitor's certification would be accepted or a notary is needed.

A paper apostille costs £45 per document, plus courier or postage, and usually takes up to 25 working days; an e-Apostille, for a PDF electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor, costs £35 and takes up to 2 working days. You apply online for both. Before you choose the e-Apostille, ask the notary in Albania whether they accept it. If you have a paper document couriered straight to Albania, GOV.UK charges the rest-of-the-world rate of £42 per 1.5 kg, because Albania is not in its European band.

Albania has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 9 May 2004, and the UK is not among the states that objected to its accession, so the convention applies between the two countries and the apostille replaces legalisation. The London embassy states that it does not issue apostilles itself.

Sources: GOV.UK, legalisation · HCCH, status table · Treaty depositary · Albanian Embassy London, FAQ

The London embassy says it translates only documents issued in Albania, which must be apostilled first, and that other documents are translated in Albania by a licensed translator. A UK power of attorney is therefore translated in Albania after the apostille, and the notary there certifies the translation: the official fee is in the full guide. The Ministry's general rule lets consulates translate documents from the local language for Albanian citizens at €10 a page, but the London embassy does not offer this for UK documents.

Sources: Albanian Embassy London, services · Albanian MFA, translations

UK residents normally pay UK tax on foreign income, including rental income on overseas property, which is taxed in the normal way; if you rent out more than one overseas property, you can offset losses on one against the others. Report it in the 'foreign' section of your Self Assessment tax return; if you do not usually send one, tell HMRC by 5 October following the tax year in which you had the income.

The rent can also be taxed in Albania. The UK-Albania double taxation agreement, signed in Tirana on 26 March 2013 and in force since 30 December 2013, lets Albania tax income from property there (article 6) and requires the UK to allow the Albanian tax as a credit against UK tax on the same income (article 22). You claim this Foreign Tax Credit Relief in your tax return, and you may get back less than you paid in Albania if the income would have been taxed at a lower rate in the UK. How rent is taxed in Albania is in the full guide.

Sources: GOV.UK, foreign income · GOV.UK, rent · GOV.UK, reporting · GOV.UK, UK-Albania treaty · Treaty text · GOV.UK, taxed twice

UK residents pay tax on their UK and foreign gains. For an asset that cannot be taken out of the country, such as a house, GOV.UK says you pay tax in both countries and get relief from the UK; the treaty lets Albania tax the gain (article 13). In Albania the seller pays 15% on the gain before ASHK registers the sale, as the full guide explains.

Sources: GOV.UK, residence · GOV.UK, taxed twice · Treaty text

Since 6 April 2025 all UK residents are taxed on their worldwide income and gains as they arise. If you came to the UK after at least 10 consecutive tax years of non-UK residence, the FIG regime lets you claim relief on foreign income and gains for your first 4 years of UK residence; the relief is not automatic: you have to claim it. Ask a tax adviser whether it suits you.

Sources: HMRC, FIG regime

No. According to Albania's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, consuls do not issue powers of attorney for contracts that transfer ownership, such as the sale of an apartment, and they draw up powers of attorney only for Albanian citizens. You need a UK notary and then the FCDO apostille.

Sources: Albanian MFA, powers of attorney

GOV.UK offers both: the paper one costs £45 and usually takes up to 25 working days; the e-Apostille costs £35 and takes up to 2 working days, but needs a PDF electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor. GOV.UK advises checking with whoever asked for the document which one they accept, so ask the notary in Albania before you apply.

Sources: GOV.UK, legalisation

For an apartment or a house the procedure is the same; the restrictions for foreigners mainly concern land, as the full guide explains. You cannot use the notarial services of Albanian consulates, which the Ministry provides for Albanian citizens, but for a purchase you need a UK notary in any case, and the power of attorney is translated in Albania.

Sources: Albanian MFA, powers of attorney · Albanian Embassy London, services