Keep Right, Skip the Pint: Albania for Irish Drivers in 2026

Albania has become one of the cheaper road trips in Europe: an empty southern coast and mountain villages that buses never reach. For an Irish driver, three things need sorting before the first kilometre, starting with the paperwork.

Licence plus permit

Albania is outside the EU, and Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs tells anyone driving there to bring an international driving licence. Ireland is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention only, so the permit issued in Ireland is the 1949 format. The U.S. State Department’s Albania page says “All international driving permits (IDP) issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention are accepted”, each for one year, after which an Albanian licence is needed. UK government advice, written for British licence holders, sees it differently, calling a 1968 permit useful and saying the 1949 one is not accepted any more. Bring your licence, the 1949 permit and your passport, and before paying a deposit check with the rental company which documents it accepts and that its insurance covers you. The driving permit checker covers other routes.

You’re on the other side of the road now

Ireland drives on the left, Albania on the right. The first day is the risky one: pulling out of a petrol station, a roundabout that now runs anticlockwise, the reflex glance over the wrong shoulder at a junction. Spend the opening hour on a quiet road instead of central Tirana, and make every turn a conscious decision until it stops feeling backwards.

A drink ban, not a lower limit

Article 184 of the Road Code bans driving after drinking. Ireland’s 0.05% leaves room for a small glass; Albania leaves none. A reading up to 0.3 g/l costs ALL 5,000-15,000, and above that the licence is suspended too. On a driving day, skip the pint.

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. Both Dublin and London warn that driving can be aggressive and erratic, that roads away from the routes between main cities are poor, and that unlit stretches make night driving best avoided. 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.

After any accident, even a minor one, stay at the scene until the police arrive. Dial 112 for emergencies, 127 for an ambulance and 128 for the fire service. The Albania driving guide covers equipment and border crossings.

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
• Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Albania travel advice (bring an international driving licence; road conditions; accidents): ireland.ie
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Albania (1968 IDP for British drivers, 1949 IDP no longer accepted, road conditions): gov.uk
• Road Code of the Republic of Albania, law no. 8378/1998, consolidated text including Law 58/2026, articles 140 and 184: qbz.gov.al
• Global Affairs Canada, Albania travel advice (112, 127, 128): travel.gc.ca
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (Ireland a party since 1962): treaties.un.org
• UN Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (Albania a party; Ireland not listed): treaties.un.org
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Ireland profile (0.05 g/dl): who.int