Albania on a Polish Licence — No IDP, but 140 Drops to 110 & a 0.01 Limit

Poland to Albania is a gentle corridor for the paperwork and a sharp one for the speedometer. You keep to the right, your EU licence is accepted with no International Driving Permit, and you can carry it alongside your passport for stays of up to 12 months. The adjustments that matter are speed, alcohol and surface.

Speed is the headline. Polish motorways run to 140 km/h, among the highest in Europe; Albania caps its motorways at 110, rural roads at 80 and towns at a strict 40. That is a big mental recalibration, and the enforcement is real — fixed cameras and mobile radar both operate. A typical 10-over penalty is about ALL 5,000 (≈ €45), paid on the spot, so carry cash or a card. You can model a fine before you travel with the Speeding Fine Calculator.

The alcohol limit tightens too. Poland already runs a low 0.02; Albania goes lower still to 0.01, which is effectively zero. There is no usable margin, so if you are driving, don’t drink — enforcement is genuine on the coast through summer, and penalties reach licence confiscation.

The third thing is condition rather than law. Albania’s roads are improving but rate at the challenging end: the new motorways are good, yet rural surfaces are uneven, markings fade, and you will meet unpredictable overtaking, livestock and the occasional unlit car after dark. The 80 km/h rural limit often overstates what the road can take, so drive to the surface, not the sign.

Your car must carry a warning triangle, reflective vest, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher; Albania checks at the roadside. Fuel is roughly $1.52/litre, cheapest at supermarket stations, and the emergency number is 112 — download offline maps, as rural signal is patchy. The full picture is on our Albania driving guide, and if a desk queries permits you can confirm your status with the Driving Permit Checker.