Article 9 of Albania's Citizenship Law: what naturalisation for state interest requires

The current text of Article 9 (after the 2026 amendment)

Article 9 of Law No. 113/2020 was rewritten by Law No. 49/2026 (published in the Official Gazette No. 116 of 5 June 2026, in force 15 days after publication) and is now titled naturalisation for state interest (Natyralizimi për interes shtetëror).

As it now stands, a foreign national may acquire Albanian citizenship outside the Article 8 conditions on age, language and historical knowledge, and the period of lawful residence in Albania, where the Albanian state has a special interest in establishing a stable connection with that person because of their qualities, abilities and specific favourable circumstances, or because of their private or public activity.

• Legal basis: Article 9, Law No. 113/2020 (as amended in 2026)
• Title of the provision: naturalisation for state interest
• Who it applies to: foreign nationals who are not a threat to public order or national security
• Trigger: a special state interest in the individual, identified by the competent minister

What is waived, and what is not

The provision expressly sets aside three Article 8 conditions: age, language and historical knowledge, and the period of lawful residence in Albania. In other words, this route does not require seven years of residence or the language test.

It does not set aside the remaining Article 8 conditions: the housing standard, lawful and sufficient income, the absence of a final sentence of three years or more, and not being a threat to public order or national security. Whether those still have to be met, and how they are evidenced, depends on the implementing decision of the Council of Ministers, which we have not seen published; until it appears, we do not draw conclusions about them.

• Expressly waived: age, language and historical knowledge, lawful residence period
• Not expressly waived: housing, income, criminal record, public order and national security
• Implementing decision (Council of Ministers) not seen published as of October 2026
• Until it is published, we make no statement that 'all conditions can be waived'

Matters requiring case-by-case verification

• The form of contribution required and the evidence expected
• Whether and to what extent family members may be included, and any age limits
• How applications are accepted, reviewed, and how the oath and registration are completed
• The breakdown of fees, fund-handling arrangements and payment milestones
• Whether the text relied upon is the version currently in force

Where official practice is not publicly stated, we make no commitment of any kind, and we state clearly in discussion which points are verified and which remain to be verified.

Why no fixed procedure is published

Article 9 is drafted as a discretionary power rather than a standard application form. Discretionary provisions are not accompanied by a published fee schedule, a guaranteed timeline or a fixed evidence list, because the assessment depends on the facts of the case and on the judgement of the competent authority.

That has a practical consequence: an adviser who presents a fixed package, a fixed price and a guaranteed outcome under Article 9 is describing something the legal text does not provide. What we can do is establish the facts, present them against the requirements of the provision and coordinate the process — while stating plainly which points remain unverified.

• No published fee schedule for applications under Article 9
• No guaranteed timeline
• No fixed document list — the evidence depends on the facts presented
• The outcome rests with the competent authority and the presidential decree

Questions we ask before discussing this route at all

We start with the applicant's actual profile: what they do, where their business or professional activity is registered, what recognition or institutional engagement exists, and which family members would be included. Only where there are facts that can be presented under the provision do we move on to discussing the route.

We also check the text of the provision currently in force and any amendment affecting it, because a discretionary provision that has been narrowed by amendment cannot be argued on the old wording.

• The applicant's business, professional or institutional activity
• Any recognition, award, publication or formal appointment
• Which family members would be included and their ages
• The version of the provision currently in force