Indian Licence in Albania 2026: RTO Permit, Then Keep Right

Albania has become a favourite self-drive destination for Indian travellers: a dramatic coastline, mountain roads and beaches that buses skip. What actually catches Indian drivers are three adjustments on the road, more than the paperwork.

The verdict for Indian licence holders

The IDP your RTO issues follows the 1949 Geneva Convention: India ratified that treaty in 1962 and has not joined the 1968 Vienna one. The U.S. State Department’s Albania page 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 that, an Albanian licence is needed. UK government advice, aimed at British licence holders, takes a different line, calling a 1968 permit useful and saying the 1949 one is not accepted any more. Carry your Indian licence, passport and the RTO permit, and before you book, check with the hire firm what it accepts from an Indian licence holder.

The biggest adjustment: switching to the right

India drives on the left; Albania drives on the right. The danger window is your first day: pulling out of a petrol station, joining a roundabout that now flows the other way, or glancing the wrong way at a junction. Spend the first hour on quiet roads, not in Tirana traffic.

An alcohol limit you should treat as zero

Article 184 of the Road Code bans driving after drinking, so the limit is zero, against India’s 30 mg per 100 ml. Even a reading up to 0.3 g/l costs ALL 5,000-15,000, and above that the licence is suspended. There is no “one beer with dinner” margin. If you are driving, do not drink.

Low limits, rough roads

Article 140 of the Road Code 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, potholes, unmarked roadworks and unlit vehicles at night, so drive to the road, not 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.

Before you collect the car

• Bring your Indian licence, passport and RTO permit, and check the insurance papers are in the car.
• Article 72 requires a warning triangle and first-aid kit; check the hire car has both.
• In an emergency dial 112; police 129, ambulance 127, fire 128. After any accident, wait at the scene for the police.
• Full rules are in the Albania driving guide; confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker.

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
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (parties: India, Albania): treaties.un.org
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Albania (1968 IDP for British drivers; 1949 IDP no longer accepted; road conditions): gov.uk
• UN Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (India not a party): treaties.un.org
• Global Affairs Canada, Albania travel advice (112, 129, 127, 128; wait for police after an accident): travel.gc.ca
• Road Code of the Republic of Albania, law no. 8378/1998, consolidated text including Law 58/2026, articles 72, 140, 184: qbz.gov.al
• India, Motor Vehicles Act 1988 s.185 (30 mg per 100 ml): indiacode.nic.in