Albania for Australians 2026: Keep Right, Zero Alcohol

Albania rewards a self-drive trip with a wild coast and mountain villages the buses never reach. For an Australian, three things change at once on the road; the paperwork is lighter than some advice suggests.

The permit question

Australia is a party only to the 1949 Geneva convention, so the IDP issued at home is a 1949 permit. The U.S. State Department’s country page for Albania says “All international driving permits (IDP) issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention are accepted”, and that a permit can be used for one year, after which an Albanian licence is needed. UK government advice, written for British licence holders, puts it differently: it calls a 1968 permit useful and says the 1949 one is not accepted any more. Carry your Australian licence, the 1949 IDP and your passport, and confirm with the hire firm before you book what it takes. The Driving Permit Checker covers your other stops.

Right-hand traffic

Australia drives on the left; Albania drives on the right. The risky moments come early: leaving a petrol station, entering a roundabout that now turns the other way, the reflex glance in the wrong direction. Do your first hour on quiet roads, not in Tirana.

Alcohol: from 0.05 to nothing

Article 184 of the Road Code bans driving after drinking. A reading of up to 0.3 g/l already costs ALL 5,000-15,000; from 0.3 g/l the licence is suspended as well. If you are driving, do not drink at all.

Low limits, rough roads

Article 140 sets 40 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h on secondary interurban roads, 90 km/h on main interurban roads and 130 km/h on motorways. UK advice warns of poor rural surfaces, unmarked roadworks, potholes and unlit vehicles at night, so drive to the road rather than the sign. Up to 10 km/h over costs ALL 1,000-3,000 and 10-30 km/h over ALL 2,000-4,000; the speeding fine calculator shows the bands.

Kit and phone numbers

Article 72 requires a warning triangle and a first-aid kit. After any accident, stay at the scene until the police arrive. Dial 112 for emergencies, 127 for an ambulance and 128 for the fire service, not Australia’s 000. The Albania driving guide has the full tables, and who pays driving fines abroad explains how a rental fine reaches you.

Sources

• U.S. Department of State, Country Information, Albania (“All international driving permits (IDP) issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention are accepted”), last updated August 27, 2026: cadataapi.state.gov
• Road Code of the Republic of Albania, law no. 8378/1998, consolidated text including Law 58/2026, articles 72, 140, 184: qbz.gov.al
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Albania (1968 IDP for British drivers, 1949 IDP no longer accepted, accidents, road conditions): gov.uk
• Global Affairs Canada, Albania travel advice (112, 127, 128): travel.gc.ca
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (Australia a party) and 1968 Convention (Australia not a party): treaties.un.org