Document checklist
Tuvalu → Albania: Leje unike si punëmarrës (Unique permit as an employee)
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
9 itemsIdentity
Copy of the travel document you entered Albania with
RequiredA photocopy of the valid travel document you used to enter Albania, including the pages with your personal details, your D-type visa (if you needed one), and your entry/exit stamps.
Recent passport-style photo
RequiredA photo taken no more than 6 months before you apply, 47mm x 36mm, facing forward on a white background, in focus, with a neutral expression and your eyes clearly visible.
Financial
Proof you've paid the unique permit service fee
RequiredA payment order uploaded with your application. The service fee is 8,000 lek for a permit valid up to 1 year, 9,000 lek for up to 2 years, or 10,000 lek for up to 3 years; a renewal costs 4,000 lek. Citizens of the United States, an EU member state, or Kosovo instead get a 5-year first-time permit for a 12,000 lek fee.
Accommodation
Proof of suitable accommodation in Albania
RequiredDocuments showing you have suitable accommodation in Albania that meets Albanian housing standards.
Employment
AKPA employment approval, or a D/PM entry visa
RequiredFor most nationalities, the National Employment and Skills Agency (AKPA) must approve your employment before the residence side of the application is decided, this happens automatically online once you apply. If your nationality is on Albania's visa-required list instead, you need a D/PM (employee) entry visa from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and no separate AKPA approval is needed. EU citizens don't need AKPA employment approval either, they tick a 'Declaration for employment' box when applying instead.
Employment contract with an Albanian employer
RequiredYour employment contract with a single employer, matching your professional training, and meeting every requirement the Albanian Labour Code sets for an employment contract. If you're applying under a reciprocal intergovernmental agreement instead, you can submit the relevant job-seeker categorisation document.
Proof of your professional qualifications
RequiredA diploma, certificate, or reference (or a self-declaration of your work experience) showing you have the professional skills the job in your employment contract needs.
Other
Translated and legalised documents from your home country
RequiredAny document from your home country or from a country where you had legal residence must be translated into Albanian, issued within the last 6 months, and certified and legalised as required by the applicable international agreements. If your nationality has a reciprocal agreement with Albania simplifying this documentation, that agreement's terms apply instead.
Unique permit application form (Annex 8)
RequiredThe unique permit application form for employees, filled in using the format set out in Annex 8 of the government decision (VKM), and submitted online through e-Albania.
Why applications on this route get refused
Incomplete documents or information
If the regional migration authority finds your uploaded documents or information incomplete, you're notified by email and given 30 days to complete them, failing to do so in time can result in refusal.
How to avoid it: Check every item on the list carefully, and respond quickly and fully if the authority emails you asking for more.
AKPA refused employment approval
For nationalities that need it, the National Employment and Skills Agency (AKPA) can refuse to approve your employment, which stops the unique permit application from being granted.
How to avoid it: Make sure your employment contract and qualifications clearly match the job you're applying to be approved for.
Missing the required D/PM entry visa
If your nationality needs a D/PM visa to enter Albania for employment, you must have entered with that visa rather than relying on AKPA approval alone.
How to avoid it: Check whether your nationality needs a visa to enter Albania before you travel, and apply for the D/PM visa in advance if it does.
Employment contract missing required terms
Your employment contract must contain every term the Albanian Labour Code requires for this type of document, a contract missing required terms doesn't meet the requirement.
How to avoid it: Ask your employer to check the contract against the Labour Code's required contents before you submit your application.
Sources
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Albania application fee.
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