Marrying and Sponsoring an Albanian Citizen
Listen to this articleMarrying in Albania
If you are planning to marry your Albanian spouse in Albania and sponsor him or her to Canada, then you have come to the right place. This page provides basic details that as a Canadian you need to know before traveling to Albania to marry your Albanian spouse and sponsor him or her for permanent residency.
Marriage to an Albanian Citizen
Every country has its own laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to an Albanian citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps. The government imposes strict requirements on foreigners who marry Albanians as an indirect way of discouraging Albanian citizens from moving to other countries.
You must demonstrate to Albanian officials that you are not currently married to anyone else. Click here to learn more.
If you want to bring your Albanian spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry in Albania
Once notarized by the Canadian Embassy in Tirana, please take this form to the nearest post office and request that it be authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania. The post office clerk will advise you on the procedures of having the form returned to you once authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Birth Certificate
If you were born in Canada, you will also need a certified copy of your birth certificate. - Divorce Decree or Certificate
In cases of previous marriages, you must get a certified copy of your divorce decree or certificate with an “apostille” attached to it. - Your Canadian passport and a Copy of the Biographic Page;
- Personal Birth Certificate for your Future Spouse;
- Albanian Passport or ID card of your Future Spouse and a copy of the Biographic Page;
- Two Witnesses
The witnesses should not be related to you or your spouse by blood or marriage, and must be present at City Hall at the time the marriage will be registered. The witnesses must present proper identification.
A marriage may be registered between a man and a woman who are at least 18 years old. However, the Court of the city where the marriage took place, for specific reasons, may allow marriage before that age.
Before registering the marriage, the civil status officer makes an announcement by posting a notification sheet in places designated by the municipality or commune, showing the civil components of future spouses, and their place of marriage.
The announcement request is made by the future spouses, or by a person appointed by them with special power of attorney, 11 days before the planned date of the marriage registration. The announcement is made at the municipality where the future spouse has a permanent or temporary residence.
List of Albanian Consulates in Canada
How to call Canada from Albania
00 – 1 – Area Code – TEL #
Follow the dialing format shown above while calling Canada from Albania.
- 00 – Exit code for Albania, and is needed for making any international call from Albania
- 1 – ISD Code or Country Code of Canada
There are 18 area codes in Canada. The area code is the first three digits of your telephone number.
To call Albania from Canada
Dial 011 – 355 – Area Code – TEL #
The format should be as follows 011 + 355 + phone number
Please note that Canada does not operate a diplomatic mission in Albania. In an emergency, you should contact the Canadian Embassy in Rome, Italy using the information provided below;
Call collect from any country to (613) 996-8885 to reach the Emergency Operations Centre.
TTY: (613) 944-1310
E-mail: [email protected]
In a number of countries, you can also call the 24/7 Operations Centre toll-free
Sponsorship Review
Immigroup will review your completed spousal sponsorship application.. Immigroup will make sure you have not made any mistakes on your application or in gathering the documentation of your relationship. We will assess your sponsorship letter and give you peace of mind that you are submitting an application with a very good chance of success. Don’t lose sleep at night worrying about whether you’ve done enough. Call us at 1-866-760-2623 for a review.
