Dog-Friendly Albania: Travelling to Albania with a Dog

By The Hoomans
April 19, 2024

Planning a trip to Albania with your dog? Are you wondering if Albania is dog-friendly? We have read mixed reviews, so we opted for an Airbnb with a private yard for our first trip with our dog, Pedro the Westie. We are travelling through the Balkan countries with our dog, and Albania is the final stop on our three-month road trip.

Best Time of Year to Visit Albania

With beautiful beaches and breathtaking coastline, Albania has become a popular tourist destination for many Europeans as it remains very affordable compared to other summer destinations in the European Union. Winters in the coastal region of Albania are mild, with average high temperatures around 46°F (8°C), making it perfect for walking and exploring with your dog. We recommend visiting from April to June or September to November. Albania tends to get very crowded and hot during the summer months, especially in July and August, so we discourage travelling with a dog during this time.

We will be staying in Albania for two weeks at the end of May with our dog, Pedro the Westie. We have read mixed reviews on how dog-friendly Albania is, so we booked a house with a pool through Airbnb to have privacy and relax and hang out with Pedro.

Travelling to Albania with a Dog

We are driving to Albania in May from Montenegro, as part of our 3 month trip through the Balkans. We crossed the border leaving the European Union in Croatia when we drove from Austria. We were not asked to produce any documentation for our dog, Pedro, at the Croatia border, but we had everything in place. We strongly recommend always travelling with the necessary documentation and vaccinations and not leaving anything to chance.

Driving to Albania with a Dog

We will be driving from Kotor, Montenegro to Qerret, Albania via the Ulcinj-Shkoder border crossing. This border is between the cities of Ulcinj on the Montenegro side and Shkoder on the Albania side. The Lake Skadar, also called Lake Skutari or Lake Shkodra is the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula and covers 370 square kilometers.

Kotor, Montenegro to Qerret, Albania is 217 km and takes 4 hours, not including time spent crossing the border. Qerret is a coastal town nestled along the stunning Albanian Riviera.

Flying to Albania with a Dog

The Tirana International Airport is Albania’s only international airport.

The same rules apply regarding documentation, vaccinations, etc. whether you are driving or flying to Albania.

Travelling with a Dog from a Country Outside the European Union (EU) - Non EU Residents

Animal Health Certificate

If you are travelling to Albania with your dog from a country outside the European Union, such as the UK, USA, or Canada, you must ensure you obtain an Animal Health Certificate documenting your dog’s microchip and vaccinations from your country of departure. The Animal Health Certificate must issued by an official State vet in the country of departure not more than 10 days before your dog arrives in the European Union (EU).

If you are planning to be away for an extended period, ensure that you check the validity of the Animal Health Certificate, especially if traveling to other countries. If your dog’s rabies vaccination expires during your journey, it is necessary to get a booster shot before obtaining the Animal Health Certificate. The rabies vaccination must remain valid for the entire duration of your trip.

Microchipping

The microchip should comply with the ISO standard 11784.

Vaccinations

Rabies Vaccination

A rabies vaccination is mandatory for travelling with your dog to Albania. You need to make sure that your dog is vaccinated against rabies at least 3 weeks before your scheduled travel time. You don’t have to wait for the full 21 days if your pet has had yearly booster shots. Your dog needs to get a rabies vaccination every 12 months in Europe. If they have a 3-year vaccination, you will need to get them a rabies booster if the vaccination is older than a year.

Important Notes:

Please note that according to EU regulations, a rabies vaccination is not considered valid unless the animal is properly identified at the time of vaccination. In other words, it is essential that the microchip is implanted before the rabies vaccine is administered to ensure that your pet is identified prior to vaccination. A rabies vaccine given before microchip insertion is invalid.

Tapeworm (Echinococcus) Treatment

A tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment is not required to travel with your dog to Albania.

Rabies Titer Test (Blood Sample)

A rabies titer test is not required for dogs entering Albania from any country. Although it is not needed to enter Albania, a rabies titer test is a requirement to re-enter the EU and the UK from Albania or from a country listed on the high-rabies countries list (see below) as classified by the European Union.

The rabies titer test is also known as the rabies neutralizing antibody titer test. It checks for the presence of the antibody that neutralizes rabies in your pet’s blood. If the antibody is present in sufficient amounts, it signifies that the pet has been vaccinated and is immune to rabies. This test measures the effectiveness of the rabies vaccine on your pet.

The rabies titer test cannot be done until 30 days after the rabies vaccination.
It takes approximately 10 days for the laboratory to mail out the certification letter.
You must wait for 3 months from the date of the rabies titer test before returning to the EU and UK.
The EU will consider your pet’s titer test valid for the life of your pet as long as its rabies vaccination does not expire.

Important Notes:

Travelling with a Dog from a Country within the European Union - EU Residents

EU Pet Passport

The easiest way to travel through Europe with your dog is with an EU pet passport. EU Pet Passports can only be issued by an authorized veterinarian in the EU. When we initially travelled to Europe with our dog Pedro in April of 2023, we entered the EU with an Animal Health Certificate issued by our veterinarian in Canada. As Josef is an EU citizen we were able to register Pedro in the EU and get him and EU Pet Passport.

An EU pet passport is valid for life as long as your pet’s rabies vaccination is up-to-date. Only an authorized veterinarian located in the EU can record vaccinations in the EU pet passport with the exception of the Tapeworm (Echinococcus) Treatment, which can be recorded by a veterinarian outside the EU.

For more information on bringing your dog to Albania, please see:

Returning to the EU with a Dog from Albania

Although it is not needed to enter Albania, a rabies titer test is a requirement to re-enter the EU and the UK from Albania or from a country listed on the high-rabies countries list (see below) as classified by the European Union.

The rabies titer test must be performed in an approved laboratory in a Member State of the European Union. In other words, you should get the test done before you leave the EU.

High Risk Rabies Countries in Europe

High-risk rabies countries in the Balkans as classified by the European Union are:

For more information please see:

If you are returning from Montenegro to a country outside of the EU, such as the USA or Canada, please check the links below for any additional requirements: