Currency Albania – Withdrawing money, ATMs, paying with Credit Card

Travel Resources › Currency Albania – Withdrawing money, ATMs, paying with Credit Card

Find out about the currency in Albania and how you can get cash in the country and whether it is possible to make cashless payments.

Quick Guide – Money in Albania

In Albania you pay with the Albanian Lek (ALL). 100 lek is equivalent to around €1.00. The lek is divided into 100 quintals.

Cash is still the most important means of payment in Albania. I recommend always having a few Lek in your pocket for small purchases.

• The local currency is the Albanian Lek (ALL). Cash payments in ALL are common, EUR is also widely accepted.
• Card payments are accepted in larger cities in hotels and restaurants but remain the exception in rural areas.
• Cash in local currency can be obtained without any problems from ATMs at various banks in the larger cities (fees apply).

Since ATMs of now all major Albanian banks are charging hefty fees for cash withdrawal, I recommend withdrawing a larger amount of money at the beginning of your trip. If you are travelling from a country whose currency is Euro, you can also just take some Euros in cash with you for the trip. That might seem unusual but will save you on the fees and whatever you don’t need you can just take back home with you.

Currency in Albania – Albanian Lek

The official currency in Albania is the Albanian lek, which is abbreviated to ALL. After the currency reform in 1964, a zero was removed from the lek. However, even today there are still many Albanians who are not happy with the new currency (the new lek). I therefore recommend that you always check on your trip whether you are talking about 1 lek or 10 lek. Currently (July 2024) you get around 100 lek for 1 €. You can find the daily exchange rate here on XE Currency Converter.

You can get coins in Albania in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. You will see bills in much higher amounts, as these are available in 200, 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000 lek. What you will notice straight away is that it is not exactly easy to convert the currency in Albania due to the high numbers. I recommend downloading a currency converter to your cell phone so that you can always check how much your accommodation, food, or shopping will cost you.

Albanian currency – history

The Albanian lek became the official currency of Albania in 1926. The name „lek ” refers to the name Lekë Dukagjini, a national hero who fought against the Ottoman Empire. Since its introduction, the currency of Albania has undergone numerous changes, both in design and in value, mainly due to inflation. Initially, the lek was divided into 100 qindarek, but they are practically out of circulation.

Albania – Can I pay in Euros or Dollars?

Although the currency in Albania is the Albanian Lek, in some tourist destinations, hotels or resorts, you can pay in Euros or (less often) in Dollars. For the convenience of tourists, prices in such places are typically given in both Albanian lek and euros.

However, bear in mind that payment in euros or dollars may be less attracrtive. Tourist facilities set their own exchange rates, which are usually less favourable than exchange rates at banks or exchange offices. In practice, this means that you will pay more than when paying in Albanian lek.

In summary, although you can pay in euros or dollars in Albania, this is not the most cost-effective option. It is recommended to exchange currencies in exchange offices.

Withdrawing Money in Albania

Withdrawing cash from cash machines (ATMs) in Albania is easy in cities. In smaller towns and rural areas, it is a little more difficult. There are a few ATMs there, but you shouldn’t rely on them. It’s better to withdraw enough cash in the cities before heading to the smaller towns. The most commonly accepted credit cards at ATMs are VISA, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express.

You can of course also withdraw money in Albania using EC cards with the Maestro logo if you have a 4-digit PIN. When withdrawing money, set the language to “English” beforehand so that you understand everything. You should also know that V-Pay cards do not work in Albania. To make sure you can still get money, you should definitely get a credit card for your travels.

Fees Withdrawing Money in Albania

If you want to withdraw money from an ATM in Albania with your credit card, you should not forget one important factor: Your bank will usually charge you a foreign transaction fee of 1 to 4% of the amount withdrawn per withdrawal. This can quickly add up, especially on a longer trip.

Fees also apply when withdrawing money with your debit card. Most banks charge a fixed amount of between €5 and €10 per withdrawal. This can also add up in the long run. So make sure you check with your bank in Germany before your trip to find out what fees you will be charged.

Withdrawing money in Albania: How to avoid excessive fees

I will cover the fees charged by Albanian ATMs, which credit cards work and how to avoid high fees.

1. How much does it cost me to withdraw money in Albania?

Albania is one of the few countries where fees can be charged by your own bank and ATM. Banks charge between €0 and €10 per ATM transaction. There may also be a foreign currency or foreign transaction fee of between 0 % and 4 %. Both fees depend on your own bank, not on Visa, Mastercard or Albanian ATMs.

2. Take a credit card with you when travelling to Albania

EC cards with the V-Pay logo do not work at all in Albania. I therefore recommend at least a Visa or Mastercard credit card for a trip to Albania. They have the highest acceptance rate and the best exchange rate between the euro and the Albanian lek.

But remember that you will always need some cash in Albania. Tickets for public transportation, in many restaurants and cafes you can only pay with Albanian Lek in cash.

3. Tourist trap – Dynamic Currency Conversion

Always settle transactions with a card in Albania in Albanian lek!

Behind the most common tourist trap in the world is a simple question: “Settle in euros or in the local currency (Albanian lek)?” If you pay in euros outside the euro zone, the operators of ATMs, online stores and card readers are allowed to set the exchange rate themselves. Visa’s good daily rate is usually 4% to 13% cheaper than the DCC rate.

ATM operators even receive a commission for the DCC rip-off! Currently, one in five payments in foreign currencies is made with it.

Tip: Always settle card transactions in Albania in Albanian lek. Otherwise high additional fees may be incurred.

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Local Currency Exchange

The first option for changing your money is at the bureaux de change at the airport. You should compare the exchange rates here if there are several exchange offices. At Tirana Airport you will find an ATM and exchange office from BKT Forex. If you arrive in Saranda by ferry, you will find the Western Union Bank (Rruga Mitat Hoxha) near the ferry terminals. You can usually find bureaux de change in the larger towns. All you have to do is enter “Money Exchange” in Google Maps.

Large hotels also often offer you the opportunity to exchange your money (note: the exchange rate is usually very poor). Never change your money on the street. Also remember that you are not allowed to import or export the currency. Therefore, you cannot exchange your money in advance in your home country.

Paying with credit card

Cashless payments are now more common in Albania. In larger cities, you can often pay by credit card in hotels, stores and upmarket restaurants. In most cases, you will be charged a transaction fee of 1 to 4% of the invoice amount by your bank. Before you travel, ask your bank what costs you will incur for payments with your debit or credit card.

In Albania, however, the general rule is: always have enough cash with you. Especially if you are traveling in rural areas and in the mountains, you should have coins and small bills with you. Exchange problems can occur if you want to pay for something in these regions with bills that are too large. An ATM is also not always easy to find or close by.

Prices in Albania

To give you a small overview of what you should have available in cash for everyday life in Albania, I have listed a few prices here. I spent an average of around €50 – €60 per day (accommodation, food, activities). Car rental and gasoline were the most “expensive” items on my trip.

• Bed in a hostel: from €15
• Simple double room: from 30 € to 40 €
• Bottle of water (2L): € 0.80
• Beer (local): 1,50 €
• Food at the market: €1 to €3
• Meal in a cheap restaurant: from €5 to €8
• Meal in an expensive restaurant: maximum €15
• Cab ride: from €1.20 per kilometer
• Bus ticket: from € 0.40
• Petrol: €1.88 per liter
• Coffee: from 1 €
• Packet of pasta: from € 0.80
• Fruit yogurt: from € 0.50

Currency Albania – My conclusion

If you stock up on the right credit card before your trip to Albania, you shouldn’t have any problems getting cash when you get there. Just always make sure you withdraw money in a larger city, better a larger amount at once to avoid multiple fees. You should also always make sure you have enough small bills with you, as change is often scarce. If Euro is your home currency, you may just wanna take some -cash with you to Albania (no need to declare anything at customs if you carry below 10 000 €).

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