Albania fines any alcohol at the wheel (ALL 5,000-15,000 up to 0.3 g/l). Limits: 40 km/h in towns, 80-90 km/h on open roads, 130 km/h on motorways; novices 0.0 and 90 max.
Albania 2026: No Alcohol Allowance, Motorways at 130 km/h
Data verified:
4 min readAlbania drives on the right side of the road. The minimum driving age is 18. The motorway speed limit is 130 km/h. Foreign drivers should carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside their valid national licence.
Albania writes no alcohol allowance into law: article 184 fines the lowest band, up to 0.3 g/l, and a drink taken after 22:00 costs more, because night offences carry a one-third to two-thirds surcharge.
Driving Difficulty: Albania
Road quality improving but rural roads rough, unpredictable drivers
3.8/5 · Challenging (TyreMap difficulty index)
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Albania’s Road Code does not tolerate a drink and then a drive. Article 184 opens with a flat ban on driving after drinking alcohol, and its lowest penalty band starts at any reading up to 0.3 g/l. Speed is the other surprise: towns are held to 40 km/h, while the motorway ceiling is 130 km/h. A July 2026 amendment, Law 58/2026, added limits for new drivers and made repeat drink-driving a lifetime loss of the licence.
💡 Compare limits: World Speed Limit Map — Albania’s limits by road type, next to other countries.
Emergency Numbers in Albania
Police: 112 | Ambulance: 127 | Fire: 128
After any accident, stay at the scene until the police arrive; the UK Foreign Office warns that leaving can bring charges and fines.
Speed Limits in Albania
Article 140 of the Road Code sets these maximums for cars, which road owners may lower with signs:
| Road | Limit |
|---|---|
| Motorway (autostradë) | 130 km/h |
| Main interurban road | 90 km/h |
| Secondary and local interurban road | 80 km/h |
| Built-up area | 40 km/h |
New drivers: since Law 58/2026, anyone who got a category B licence within the last 24 months is limited to 90 km/h on motorways and main interurban roads and 80 km/h elsewhere outside built-up areas. Breaking these novice rules costs ALL 5,000-15,000 plus a one-month suspension (article 117/1).
Speed checkpoints must be marked in advance with signs or light signals, and average-speed systems, tachograph records and motorway passage records are all accepted as evidence (article 140, point 6).
Speeding Fines and Penalties
Article 140 grades speeding fines by how far over the limit you were:
- Up to 10 km/h over: ALL 1,000-3,000
- 10-30 km/h over: ALL 2,000-4,000
- 30-50 km/h over outside towns, or 20-40 km/h over in a built-up area: ALL 5,000-15,000, a 1-3 month suspension and penalty points
- More than 50 km/h over outside towns, or more than 40 km/h over in town: ALL 10,000-20,000, a 3-6 month suspension and penalty points
Repeating either of the two top bands within two years suspends the licence for 8-18 months. Speed racing, aggressive manoeuvres and failing to slow down near schools, junctions and in poor visibility fall under article 139, where Law 58/2026 raised the fine from ALL 10,000-40,000 to ALL 20,000-60,000.
Other fines in the Road Code:
- Hand-held phone: ALL 5,000-15,000 (article 171); a second offence in the same year brings a three-month suspension
- Running a red light: ALL 20,000-30,000 (article 144)
- No seatbelt or child restraint: ALL 5,000-15,000 (article 170)
Drink-Driving Laws
Article 184 bans driving after drinking and sets these bands:
- Up to 0.3 g/l: ALL 5,000-15,000; drivers with under three years’ licence, taxi and bus drivers and drivers of vehicles over 3.5 t also lose the licence for 3-6 months
- 0.3-0.5 g/l: ALL 10,000-20,000 and a 3-6 month suspension
- 0.5-0.8 g/l: ALL 10,000-20,000 and a 12-24 month suspension
- 0.8-1.5 g/l: ALL 20,000-40,000 and a 12-24 month suspension
Above 0.5 g/l the driver is treated as drunk and the file goes to prosecutors. Offences between 22:00 and 07:00 carry fines one-third to two-thirds higher. Since Law 58/2026, a driver caught above 0.5 g/l who has been punished for drink-driving before loses the licence for good, and novice drivers must stay at 0.0.
Seatbelts, Phones and Equipment
Everyone in a car fitted with seatbelts must wear them. A phone may be used only through a device that does not need the hands, and since 2026 the hand-held ban also covers cyclists, mopeds up to 50 cc and e-scooters.
Article 72 requires a car to carry a portable warning triangle and a first-aid kit.
Licence and Insurance
The UK Foreign Office says a 1968 International Driving Permit may be useful alongside a UK licence and that the 1949 IDP is not accepted. Staying beyond a year means applying for an Albanian licence. If you bring your own car, carry a green card as proof of insurance. The minimum driving age is 18.
Tyres
The Road Code sets no winter-tyre dates. For mountain routes and tread advice, see Tyre Laws in Albania.
Road Conditions
The UK Foreign Office describes rural road surfaces as poor and warns about unmarked roadworks, potholes and unlit vehicles after dark; street lighting is scarce outside towns. It also describes driving as often aggressive and erratic, so leave room and avoid confrontations.
Sources
- Road Code of the Republic of Albania, law no. 8378 of 22 July 1998, consolidated text including Law 58/2026 (Official Publications Centre, 24 July 2026): qbz.gov.al — articles 72, 117/1, 139, 140, 144, 170, 171, 184
- Law no. 58/2026 of 18 June 2026 amending the Road Code, Official Gazette no. 157 of 22 July 2026: qbz.gov.al
- UK Foreign Office, Albania travel advice — driving: gov.uk
- UK Foreign Office, Albania travel advice — emergency numbers: gov.uk
Related tools
Speed Limits in Albania
| Road Type | Cars | Trucks (>3.5t) |
|---|---|---|
| Urban | 40 km/h | 40 km/h |
| Rural | 80 km/h | 70 km/h |
| Motorway | 130 km/h | 90 km/h |
Note: 80 km/h on secondary and local interurban roads, 90 km/h on main interurban roads
Speed Enforcement in Albania
What tourists actually face on the road
Tolerance
km/h
Foreign Plates
Limited
Radar Apps
Legal
Dashcams
Legal
Growing camera network. Police checks on SH8 coastal road and A2. On-the-spot fines; insist on official receipt.
Traffic Fines in Albania
| Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Mobile phone use while driving | ALL 5,000-15,000; 2nd offence same year: 3-month suspension |
| No seatbelt | ALL 5,000-15,000 |
| Running a red light | ALL 20,000-30,000 |
| Speeding (1-10 km/h over) | ALL 1,000-3,000 (up to 10 km/h over) |
| Speeding (11-20 km/h over) | ALL 2,000-4,000 (10-30 km/h over) |
| Speeding (21-30+ km/h over) | ALL 5,000-15,000 + 1-3 month suspension (30-50 over outside towns / 20-40 over in town); ALL 10,000-20,000 + 3-6 months beyond that |
Penalties may vary by region and circumstances. Always check current local regulations.
Mandatory Equipment in Albania
Winter tyres in Albania — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in Albania whenever conditions are wintry — When conditions require.
- Tread minimum: 1.6 mm — Albania sets no separate winter figure.
- Accepted marking: None specified in the Highway Code
- Studded tyres: banned
Checked against national legislation, 30 Sep 2026 · Full Albania tyre law · Compare all countries
Licence Requirements for Foreign Drivers
UK FCDO: 1968 IDP useful; 1949 IDP no longer accepted; Albanian licence needed after one year add note: Spain's DGT does not list Albania among countries accepting a Spanish licence without an international permit and tells drivers outside the EU/EEA to carry one; Spain issues only the 1949 model, which GOV.UK says Albania no longer accepts. eu_licence_valid=True is not supported by an official source for all EU states.
Emergency Numbers in Albania
These numbers are free to call and available 24/7. When calling, state your location and the nature of the emergency.
Tyre Laws in Albania
Winter tyre requirements, tread depth rules, and studded tyre regulations.
View tyre regulationsAvoid a fine in Albania
Who pays a driving fine abroad, the hire-car admin-fee trap, and how to appeal.
Read the fine guideDriving in Albania on a foreign licence
Nationality-specific licence, IDP & rules — pick where your licence is from:
Renting a Car in Albania?
Compare prices from all major rental companies. Free cancellation on most bookings.
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- Road Code of Albania, law 8378/1998 as amended to law 58/2026 (consolidated text, Official Publications Centre)
- Law 58/2026 amending the Road Code (Official Gazette no. 157, 22 July 2026)
- UK Foreign Office — Albania safety and security (driving)
- UK Foreign Office — Albania getting help (emergency numbers)
Recent changes to this page
- Checked against the consolidated Road Code published by the Official Publications Centre (text of 24 July 2026, including Law 58/2026). Corrected: motorway limit 110 → 130 km/h (art. 140); '0.01% BAC' → driving after drinking is prohibited, fines from the first band up to 0.3 g/l (art. 184); speeding fines were overstated (art. 140: ALL 1,000-3,000 up to 10 km/h over, not ALL 5,000); phone fine ALL 5,000-15,000 (art. 171); red light ALL 20,000-30,000 (art. 144); seatbelt ALL 5,000-15,000 (art. 170); emergency numbers police 112, ambulance 127, fire 128. Added the Law 58/2026 changes (novice limits, lifetime ban for repeat drink-driving, racing fine ALL 20,000-60,000). Removed unsourced items: EUR conversions, camera tolerance, fuel prices, vest and extinguisher duty, studded-tyre ban.
- Title, description and introduction rewritten from this page's own data (no shared template wording).
- Replaced the speeding-fine calculator link: that tool covers 17 countries and Albania is not one of them, so the link could not answer the question it promised. It now points to the speed-limit map, which does cover Albania.
Frequently Asked Questions
Article 140 of the Road Code caps cars at 130 km/h on motorways, 90 km/h on main interurban roads, 80 km/h on secondary and local interurban roads and 40 km/h inside built-up areas. Signs can set lower limits. Drivers who got a category B licence in the last 24 months are held to 90 km/h on motorways and main interurban roads and 80 km/h elsewhere outside towns.
Article 184 prohibits driving after drinking alcohol. A reading up to 0.3 g/l already costs ALL 5,000-15,000; 0.3-0.5 g/l costs ALL 10,000-20,000 plus a 3-6 month suspension. Above 0.5 g/l a driver counts as drunk and the case goes to prosecutors. Novice drivers must stay at 0.0.
Up to 10 km/h over: ALL 1,000-3,000. 10-30 km/h over: ALL 2,000-4,000. 30-50 km/h over outside towns or 20-40 km/h over in town: ALL 5,000-15,000 plus a 1-3 month suspension. Beyond that: ALL 10,000-20,000 and 3-6 months (Road Code article 140).
Law 58/2026, published in the Official Gazette on 22 July 2026 and in force 15 days later, added novice-driver limits (0.0 alcohol, lower speeds), a lifetime licence ban for repeat drink-driving above 0.5 g/l, and raised the fine for speed racing and aggressive driving to ALL 20,000-60,000.
Only without holding it. Article 171 allows devices that do not need the hands; a hand-held phone costs ALL 5,000-15,000, and since Law 58/2026 a second offence in the same year brings a three-month licence suspension. The ban now also covers cyclists and e-scooter riders.
The UK Foreign Office says a 1968 IDP may be useful alongside a UK licence and that the 1949 IDP is not accepted. If you stay longer than a year you need an Albanian licence. Bringing your own car also requires a green card as proof of insurance.
Dial 112 for police. The UK Foreign Office lists 127 for an ambulance and 128 for the fire service.
Article 72 of the Road Code requires cars to carry a portable warning triangle and a first-aid kit. Seatbelts are compulsory, and not wearing one, or not restraining a child, costs ALL 5,000-15,000 under article 170.
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