Employer of Record Albania

• Quick, flexible, and easy entry into Albania in compliance with local employment laws
• Complete control over business development with your own team
• Good option for building up, managing, and supporting your distributors and key accounts by directly observing local developments and adjusting the strategy whenever necessary
• Using our comprehensive recruitment experience for international clients, we can form a local team that fits your corporate culture.
• Focusing on your core business instead of dealing with the time-consuming and complex local administrative tasks
• Allowing for easy market exit if necessary
• Integrating your employees into our team through motivational events and special meetings

Contracts should encompass all pertinent employment details such as salary or wage, job title, benefits, and the like. Additionally, they must be drafted in Albanian and employ the local currency of the Albanian lek.

For fixed-term contracts:

• Probationary period lasts for 3 months unless specified otherwise in writing.
• The termination notice period is a minimum of 1 month, typically at the contract’s conclusion.
• Severance pay is provided, equating to 15 days’ worth after completing 3 years of service.

For indefinite contracts:

• A 3-month probationary period applies unless stated otherwise in writing.
• The termination notice period varies:
  • 1 month notice for the first year of service.
  • 2 months notice for the second to fifth years of service.
  • 3 months notice for more than five years of service.
• Severance pay equals 15 days’ salary after completing 3 years of service.

In Albania, the typical workweek consists of 40 hours distributed across five days, with a maximum allowable limit of 50 hours. In cases of overtime, employees are entitled to compensation at a rate of 125% of their regular pay.

Income tax in Albania follows a progressive structure, varying from 0% to 23% based on the individual’s income level.

Private Health Insurance: Albania offers extensive state-funded healthcare, alleviating the necessity for employers to furnish private medical insurance to their employees. Nonetheless, as many individuals opt for private healthcare, they may anticipate it as part of their employment benefits package

Transportation Allowance: Employers may opt to offer transportation allowances or reimbursements to cover commuting expenses in certain instances.

Meal Allowance: Some companies extend meal allowances or provide subsidized meals to their employees as part of their benefits package.

As of January 2022, Albania implemented specific visa requirements for foreign employees seeking to work within the country. Here’s a general outline:

Work Visa: Foreign nationals intending to work in Albania typically must secure a work visa before their entry. This typically entails submitting an application to the Albanian consulate or embassy in their home country or country of residence.

Employer Sponsorship: In most instances, the employer in Albania is required to sponsor the visa application of the foreign employee. This sponsorship typically entails providing documentation pertaining to the job offer and demonstrating that local candidates are not suitable for the position.

Work Permit: In addition to the work visa, foreign employees may need to obtain a work permit from the relevant Albanian authorities. The employer often assists with this process by submitting necessary documents and fulfilling requirements mandated by the Albanian government.

Typically in Albania, employees have a minimum entitlement of 20 days of paid vacation leave per year. This vacation time is required to be taken in increments of at least five consecutive days.

In Albania, employees have the right to 14 days of paid sick leave. During this period, the employer is required to cover a minimum of 80% of the employee’s regular pay. If an absence is due to a workplace injury, compensation can be provided through the country’s social security system

Maternity Leave: Female employees in Albania have the right to a full year of maternity leave, with a minimum of 35 days before childbirth and at least 42 days after. During the maternity leave preceding childbirth and for the first five months (180 days) after, they receive compensation at 80% of their regular pay. After this period, compensation is reduced to 50% of their normal pay.

However, fathers in Albania do not typically receive any paternity leave as part of standard employment benefits.

Additionally, parents are entitled to 12 days of leave to care for dependent children (increased to 15 days when the child is under three years old). Moreover, they can take an extra 30 days of unpaid leave for childcare purposes.

In Albania, employees who have served with an employer for over one year are entitled to receive one month’s notice before termination. For those with a tenure between two and five years, this notice period extends to two months, while employees with more than five years of service are entitled to a three-month notice period.

Additionally, employees with over three years of tenure with an employer typically receive a severance payment equal to 15 days of their regular pay.

Probation periods are generally capped at three months, with a mandatory minimum termination notice of five days during this probationary period.