The labor market is "conquered" by Filipinos and Indians, work permits for foreigners increase 43%

The lack of local labor is increasingly pushing Albanian businesses to seek staff abroad. In recent years, the presence of foreign workers has increased significantly, especially from Asian countries, in sectors such as services (bars and restaurants), industry, and agriculture.

From waiters and maintenance workers to engineers and caregivers for children and the elderly, foreigners are becoming an increasingly visible part of the Albanian labor market.

According to data from the National Employment and Skills Agency (AKPA), a total of 18,156 employment applications for foreign citizens were approved online in 2025. Compared to the previous year, their number increased by 43.4%. AKPA stated that 14 thousand work permits for foreign citizens were issued for the first time in 2025, indicating the high influx of foreigners coming to work in the country.

For 2025, the highest increase in requests was for employees from the Philippines and India.

18% of the job applications approved online by AKPA were from the Philippines. Jobs from India also accounted for 18% of the total approved online applications.

Approved work permit applications for citizens from Egypt accounted for 15% of the total, while from Turkey 9%, Kosovo 4% and Italy 3%.

In 2025, 3,251 work permits were issued to Indian citizens, almost twice as many as the previous year, and 3,279 permits were issued to citizens from the Philippines.

Foreign citizens seeking employment in Albania, according to the law "On Foreigners", must obtain a Single Permit, which includes the approval of an employment permit + issuance of a visa + residence permit.

Only employment permits are approved online by AKPA, while the issuance of visas and residence permits are approved by the relevant institutions. Therefore, the provision of foreigners with a Single Permit (residence in Albania for employment purposes) is finalized by the Border and Migration Directorate of the State Police.

Citizens from Kosovo and Italy follow simplified employment procedures

In 2025, according to State Police data, the number of citizens from Kosovo with a residence permit in the country reached 6,076 residents, which constitutes about 22% of the total. Compared to 2024, their number increased by 32%.

Unlike other citizens, following the agreement signed between the governments of Albania and Kosovo in 2022, Kosovo citizens can obtain a 5-year biometric Residence Permit, which also serves as a Work Permit. The document is obtained through a simplified online procedure and eliminates the need for separate applications or frequent renewals of the work permit.

For this reason, some employments of Kosovo citizens no longer go through the same procedure of approval of work permits by AKPA as third-country nationals, thus also affecting the reduction of the number of requests registered by the agency. Also, the majority of citizens from Kosovo and Italy operate their businesses in the country, for this reason they do not need to apply for an employment permit online.

After Kosovo, the highest number of foreign citizens with residence permits in 2025 was from Italy with 3,776 people, accounting for 14% of the total number of foreigners. Compared to 2024, their number increased by 75%.

Likewise, Italians, as EU citizens, do not need employment approval from AKPA. The employer or the person themselves only makes the declaration of employment, and the law recognizes the right to employment under the same conditions as Albanian citizens, except for jobs that expressly require Albanian citizenship.

According to the legislation “On Foreigners” after 5 years of legal and continuous residence, a foreigner may meet the conditions for a permanent permit; this permit document is replaced every 10 years by an automatic procedure. The status of a long-term resident is not lost just because the 10-year card expires.

So, in practice, an Italian citizen does not have to apply for employment every year, like citizens of countries subject to labor market control. But he may have to renew his residence permit according to the term of the contract, until he obtains a permanent permit./ Monitor