Albania for Italian Drivers 2026: Ferry Over, Leave the Wine

Albania is only a ferry crossing from Bari or Brindisi, so plenty of Italians skip the rental desk and bring their own car. On paper it is an easy trip; the details below are what change once you roll off the boat.

Licence, permit and the car’s papers

Italy and Albania are both parties to the 1968 Vienna Convention, and a foreign licence can be used in Albania for up to one year. UK travel advice says a 1968 international driving permit is useful alongside the licence and that Albania no longer accepts the 1949 model, so if you carry a permit, make sure it is the 1968 version. If you drive your own car over, UK advice says you must carry a green card as proof of insurance; ask your Italian insurer for one before you sail. Carry the licence, passport and car documents together.

Zero alcohol is the real catch

Albania bans driving after drinking: the limit is zero, against the 0.05% you know from Italy. A glass of wine with lunch before driving on does not survive the border. Under the Road Code as amended by Law 58/2026, a reading up to 0.3 g/l costs ALL 5,000-15,000, and higher readings add licence suspension.

Low limits on rough roads

Towns are 40 km/h, secondary rural roads 80, main interurban roads 90 and motorways 130. The number is rarely the problem: UK advice describes driving as hazardous and often aggressive, with poor surfaces in rural areas and, at night, unmarked roadworks, potholes and vehicles without lights. 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 gives an estimate. If you are involved in an accident, even a minor one, stay at the scene until police arrive.

Numbers to save

Police 112, ambulance 127, fire 128. Download offline maps, as rural signal drops out. The Driving Permit Checker and the Albania driving guide cover the rest.

Sources

• Road Code of the Republic of Albania, law no. 8378/1998, consolidated text including Law 58/2026 (speed limits, speeding and alcohol penalties): qbz.gov.al
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Albania: safety and security (1968 IDP useful; 1949 IDP not accepted; one-year limit; green card; road conditions; stay at an accident scene): gov.uk
• Global Affairs Canada, Albania travel advice (112, 127, 128): travel.gc.ca
• UN Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (Albania 2000, Italy 1996): treaties.un.org
• Codice della Strada art. 186 (Italy’s 0.5 g/l limit): normattiva.it