Services

Company registration in Albania

Capital: Tirana.
Official languages: Albanian.
Currency: Albanian lek (ALL).

Tariffs
Карта Company registration in Albania
20% VAT
15% Profit Tax
8% Dividends Tax
100 ALL  Capital
0% For a turnover of up to 14,000,000 ALL

Company registration provides the following benefits:

 

  • 0% corporate income tax rate on annual turnover up to 14,000,000 ALL.
  • The minimum authorized capital of Sh.p.k. is 100 ALL (approximately 1 EUR), payment is not required before submitting documents.
  • 100% foreign ownership: no local partner, local director, or investment permit required.
  • Withholding tax on dividends is 8%, one of the lowest in Europe.
  • 46 signed double taxation avoidance agreements, 42 of which are in force.
  • EU candidate status: accession negotiations officially opened on October 15, 2024; all six negotiating clusters have been opened.

Albania is a country in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula with access to the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, and a candidate for European Union membership.

 

Its economy relies on tourism, light industry, the energy sector, service outsourcing, and IT; its GDP is approximately $24 billion.

Taxation and Reporting Features

Corporate Income Tax:

  • Standard rate: 15%
  • 0% — for companies with an annual turnover of up to 14,000,000 ALL (approximately 135,000–140,000 EUR)
  • 5% — for the automotive sector, agricultural cooperatives, and certified agritourism enterprises

VAT:

  • 20% VAT for most services
  • Reduced rate: 6% (accommodation services, agritourism)
  • 0% rate for exports and certain services provided to non-residents
  • Mandatory registration threshold: turnover exceeding 10,000,000 ALL over any 12 consecutive months

Dividends:

  • 8% — dividends and profit distribution
  • 0% — subject to participation exemption rules: a shareholding exceeding 10% and continuous ownership for at least 24 months
  • 15% — interest, royalties, and payments to non-residents for technical, management, installation, and supervisory services.

Company registration in Albania is carried out through the QKB (Qendra Kombëtare e Biznesit, or National Business Center), the state authority for business registration. The company name must be unique and reserved in advance.

Name verification and reservation are carried out online via the QKB portal and take 1–2 business days; once approved, the name is reserved for 30 days. The Deed of Incorporation (*Akti i Themelimit*) and the Articles of Association (*Statuti*) are drafted in Albanian and notarized.


Upon completion of registration, the company’s details are entered into the QKB public commercial register, and the company receives a registration certificate and a unique NIPT/NUIS number. Tax registration, as well as registration with social security authorities and the municipality, occurs automatically. Separately, information regarding beneficial owners holding a stake of 25% or more must be submitted to the QKB’s Register of Beneficial Owners within 30 days.

At the time of registration, the company must have:

  • Choosing a company name: three options are required.
  • Notarized copies of identification documents for all participants and administrators (for foreign documents: apostille and translation into Albanian).
  • Notarized document confirming the residential address of all participants (utility bills, bank account statements showing the address).
  • Bank statement issued no more than 3 months prior to the application submission date.
  • Legal address in Albania.
  • Activity codes according to the NACE classification and data on beneficial owners.
  • For a corporate founder: Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of Association, registers of directors and shareholders, and confirmation of ownership structure, with apostille and translation.

Public Limited in Albania

  • Limited liability protection
  • At least one shareholder, Board of Directors
  • Sh.a. — a form of raising capital from the public.
Public Limited
€5 800
Annual expenses: ~€2,990

Tax Rates in Albania

Corporate Tax 15% Standard rate
VAT 20% Standard rate
Dividends 8% 0% for a stake exceeding 10% and a holding period of at least 24 months
Capital Gains 15% Including upon the sale of shares and equity interests
Withholding Tax 13%-23% 0% up to 50,000 ALL per month
Property Tax 16,7%+11,2% Employer and employee, respectively

Additional information

Reporting
Confidentiality
  • Financial statements: mandatory annual filing by March 31 of the following year
  • Tax return: annual corporate income tax return due by March 31; advance payments made throughout the year
  • VAT: monthly return and payment by the 14th of the following month
  • Withholding tax: declared and paid by the 20th day of the month following the payment
  • Audit: mandatory for all joint-stock companies (Sh.a.), public-interest entities, and large companies exceeding two of the following three criteria: assets over ALL 750,000,000, turnover over ALL 1,500,000,000, or 250 employees
  • Accounting standards: national standards (NAS); IFRS for specific categories
  • Administrator details: available in the public QKB registry
  • Shareholder data: publicly available, including share sizes
  • Register of beneficial owners: maintained by QKB; data on individuals with a stake of 25% or more is publicly available
  • Authorized capital and legal address: publicly available
  • Financial statements: submitted to tax authorities; publication is mandatory for companies meeting the relevant criteria

Timeline and Stages

  • 01

    Preparation of documents and company name selection

    1-2 days
  • 02

    Conducting a name search in  Companies Registry

    1 day
  • 03

    Submission of documents to the Registry

    1-3 day
  • 04

    Registration of beneficial owners in the QKB register

    from 4 weeks
  • 05

    Establishing a corporate bank account

    2-4 weeks

The bottom line

Registering a company in Albania is not merely a legal procedure but a strategic financial decision: a zero corporate tax rate applies to annual turnover up to 14,000,000 ALL until the end of 2029, the minimum share capital for an *Sh.p.k.* (LLC) starts at just 100 ALL, and the National Business Center (QKB) operates on a "one-stop-shop" principle. Furthermore, Albanian companies are fully integrated into the European legal framework: the country is negotiating EU accession, applies reporting standards aligned with IFRS, and maintains a public register of beneficial owners. Issues most frequently arise around the VAT threshold (10,000,000 ALL) and the corporate tax threshold (14,000,000 ALL); therefore, it is advisable to carefully plan your business structure prior to registration.

We recommend consulting with IT-OFFSHORE legal experts to avoid potential legal complications and ensure full regulatory compliance.

We offer not only legal support during company registration but also a comprehensive range of services—including accounting, nominee services, and full post-registration support—thereby providing complete, year-round management for your company.

Cost calculation

Add the required options for your company:

Итоговая стоимость ( база €5800 + доп):
€5800

FAQ

Can you register a company remotely?

Yes, in most cases — you can.

Remote company registration is available in the vast majority of popular jurisdictions today. Modern corporate services, electronic document management and professional registered agents make it possible to complete the entire registration process without being physically present in the country.

The process typically works as follows: you provide the required documents electronically, sign them remotely — via a notary, apostille or electronic signature — and a local registered agent handles all communication with government authorities and document submission on your behalf.

This has been made possible by several factors: most countries allow foreign founders and directors, corporate service providers operate remotely across the globe, and the digitisation of government registries has significantly streamlined and accelerated the procedures.

The one step that may still require in-person presence is opening a corporate bank account — however, even here many banks and fintech platforms now offer remote identity verification.

What documents are needed for registration?

Registering a company in most jurisdictions requires a standard set of documents. For individuals — founders and directors — the typical requirements include: a certified copy of a passport, proof of residential address (utility bill or bank statement no older than 3 months), and in some cases a bank reference letter or CV.

For corporate shareholders, the required documents include: certificate of incorporation, articles of association, register of directors and shareholders, and confirmation of the ownership structure.

Do I need to keep accounting records and submit reports?

Accounting and reporting requirements vary significantly depending on the jurisdiction. In most countries, companies are required to maintain proper bookkeeping, file annual financial statements and submit tax returns.

At the same time, there are a number of jurisdictions where reporting requirements are minimal or effectively non-existent for non-resident companies. These include, for example, the Marshall Islands, the Cook Islands, Panama, Belize, Seychelles and Vanuatu — in these countries, companies that do not conduct business within the territory of the registration state are generally exempt from mandatory financial reporting and audit requirements.

We provide full company administration services, including preparation and submission of annual reports, liaison with local authorities and ensuring full compliance with all corporate requirements of the jurisdiction.

Is it possible to open a bank account for a company?

Yes, opening a corporate bank account is possible for virtually any jurisdiction, however this process deserves careful attention. Today businesses have two main options: traditional banks and fintech platforms.

Traditional banks offer a full range of financial services, but account opening requirements have become increasingly stringent — KYC procedures, source of funds confirmation, business plans and in some cases in-person presence may be required. Fintech platforms — such as Wise, Airwallex, Revolut Business and others — open accounts significantly faster and remotely, making them a popular solution for international companies at an early stage.

Is it possible to use nominee directors?

Yes, the use of nominee directors and shareholders is a common and legitimate practice in international corporate structuring. A nominee director is formally listed in the company registry but acts exclusively in accordance with the instructions of the beneficial owner, providing an additional layer of privacy.

This service is particularly in demand in jurisdictions where information about directors and shareholders is entered into a public register — for example, in Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Malta and a number of other EU countries. In offshore jurisdictions, nominee services are also widely used to simplify corporate governance and protect ownership structures.

We provide nominee director and shareholder services for any jurisdiction we work with.

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