Albania for Chinese Drivers — Bring the IDP, Expect a 0.01 Limit

There is no side to relearn when you drive from China to Albania — both keep right. What a Chinese visitor needs to sort out instead is a document, a drinking rule with no room in it, and a realistic picture of the roads outside the cities.

The IDP is the practical key

An International Driving Permit is recommended, and for Chinese drivers it is more than a formality. A Chinese licence is printed in characters, so a rental agent or police officer cannot read it; the IDP is the recognised translation that makes your licence usable. You must obtain it in China before flying — it cannot be issued in Albania — and carry it with your original licence and passport. Your licence is valid for stays of up to 12 months. Check exactly what applies with the driving permit checker.

A drinking limit that means zero

Albania sets the alcohol limit at 0.01 — effectively a total ban, and stricter even than the low 0.02 you have at home. There is no safe single drink here. Enforcement steps up along the coast through the summer, penalties are immediate, and they can include licence confiscation on top of a fine, so keep alcohol entirely out of any day you plan to drive.

Roads to read carefully

Albania rates as challenging (3.8/5), and the reason is condition rather than rules. The motorways are modern, but rural roads are uneven, lane markings fade, and you will share them with livestock, unlit vehicles after dark and drivers who overtake on faith. Towns are a low 40 km/h, rural 80, motorway 110 — drive to the road in front of you, not the limit. Going about 10 km/h over typically costs ALL 5,000 (around €45) on the spot; the speeding fine calculator gives a quick estimate. The car must carry a warning triangle, reflective vest, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher. Petrol is roughly $1.52/litre, emergencies are 112, and signal drops in the mountains, so save offline maps before you leave. The full local detail is in the Albania driving guide.