Europe’s newest tourism hotspot could see major changes for visitors after joining the European Union, writes Vinicius Costa in the American travel magazine Travel Off Path.
For nearly a decade now, Albania has been a beacon of freedom for travelers, especially digital nomads looking for hassle-free ways to extend their time in Europe. As you probably know by now, the Schengen Area comes with plenty of perks, but also some pretty frustrating limitations.
With 29 countries now belonging to Schengen, Americans can only spend 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across most of Europe.
That’s perfectly fine if you’re doing one summer trip to Spain every year, but start stringing together four or five month-long getaways, and before you know it, you’re pulling out spreadsheets trying to stay on the EU’s good side and avoid an overstay ban.
That has never been an issue in Albania.
Americans can stay for up to one full year visa-free, with no extra paperwork whatsoever, regardless of how much time they’ve already spent elsewhere in Europe.
Within the next few years, possibly before the decade is out, that could all change.
Albania On Track To Become An EU Member
Albania is currently one of the most relaxed countries in Europe to visit.
It’s not part of the European Union, which means it gets to set its own immigration rules, from deciding which nationalities can enter visa-free without having to answer to Brussels, to offering far more generous stay allowances than its EU neighbors.
That includes a particularly sweet deal reserved exclusively for Americans, and no one else:
The privilege to stay in the country for an entire 365 days, without requesting previous authorization, and without the usual visa documentation. In other words, as a U.S. passport holder, you can just pack up your bags and relocate to Albania tomorrow, up to a year, easy as that.
By the way, if you’re flying to Europe soon, make sure you’re up to speed with the latest travel rule changes on the Entry Requirements Checker. Don’t just assume you know because you’ve been to Europe before.
They now vary wildly depending on the country you go to.
Europe’s Top New Tourism Hotspot Faces Major Visitor Rule Changes Upon EU Entry
The post Travel off Path: Europe’s Top New Tourism Hotspot Faces Major Visitor Rule Changes Upon EU Entry appeared first on RTSH English.
