Starting a business in Albania: real opportunities, hidden risks, and what you really need.

In recent years, an increasing number of Italian entrepreneurs have been looking to Albania as a strategic country for internationalization , attracted by its streamlined bureaucracy, low labor costs, and significant development in tourism and the manufacturing sector.

Starting a company in Albania is, operationally, a relatively simple process. But starting it correctly , avoiding conceptual, fiscal, and banking errors, requires a comprehensive vision that integrates Italian and Albanian regulations and international conventions.

Rogai & Partners , with its operational presence in both Italy and Albania, supports SMEs at every stage: from initial planning to full cross-border operations, up to ongoing management.

Why Italian SMEs are looking to Albania

Albania offers:

• a fast-paced bureaucratic environment;

• low operating costs;

• a strategic geographical position;

• a growing openness to Italian business.

  
  

But these opportunities must be managed methodically : many companies make mistakes because they underestimate the effects in Italy, think that simply "changing headquarters" is enough to change their tax residence, or fail to handle the banking and documentation aspects correctly.

The main steps for opening a company in Albania

1. Preliminary documentation

• Member's identity document

• Albanian Tax ID Number (NID)

• Delegation or power of attorney, if necessary

• Administrator's choice (can be Italian)

• Definition of the corporate purpose

• Real registered office (not virtual)

But be careful. Even at this stage, it's crucial to coordinate these elements with your Italian tax situation : what appears formal actually has implications for the company's residency and the potential risk of disputes from the Revenue Agency.

2. Articles of Association and Bylaws

The incorporation process in Albania is digital and very quick. But this very speed can become a risk if you don't pay attention to:

• powers and delegations of the administrator

• fund transfer methods

• governance structures

• risks related to CFCs and foreign investment

• lack of coherence with Italian assets

The firm intervenes here with a "double" reinterpretation: civil and fiscal, Italian and Albanian , to avoid formally valid but fiscally dangerous structures.

3. Registering with QKB

The equivalent of the Chamber of Commerce. The process is simple (24–48 hours), but must be aligned with Italian data to avoid accreditation issues, disputes over intragroup transactions, or bank blockages.

4. Opening the VAT number (TVSH)

A straightforward tax system, but with different operational mechanisms (deadlines, deductibility, tax management). Proper management requires up-to-date knowledge of local rules and their interactions with Italian law (e.g., double taxation or the treatment of intra-Community supplies).

5. Bank account

Albanian banks adopt very strict AML (anti-money laundering) procedures. Before opening an account, the following are required:

• commercial contracts

• complete documentation of members and directors;

• Company registration certificate at QKB;

• The physical presence of the administrator of the Albanian company.

The most common mistakes (not to make)

From the experience of Rogai & Partners , here are the most common mistakes made by Italian companies:

1. Treating Albania as a mere tax shortcut;

2. Ignore the tax consequences in Italy (residency, permanent establishment, CFC);

3. Do not foresee real economic substance ;

4. Underestimating banking and AML compliance.

5. Relying on solutions found online or on professionals not specialized in cross-border taxation

The Rogai & Partners approach

The firm supports Italian SMEs with:

• direct operational presence in Albania;

• mixed Italian-Albanian team;

• coordinated tax, legal and banking consultancy;

• already validated corporate structure models;

• continuous assistance even after incorporation.

  
  

The goal is not just to "open the company", but to design a solid, sustainable and fiscally secure operation , in line with the entrepreneurial objectives.

Conclusion

Opening a company in Albania can be an excellent way to access foreign markets from a hub in the heart of the Balkans.

But doing so without expert guidance means exposing yourself to fiscal, banking, and operational risks that can emerge even months or years later.

Evaluating, structuring, and coordinating are the three key words for operating successfully between Italy and Albania.

Are you considering expanding into Albania or need to revise your existing business? Studio Rogai & Partners can offer you a confidential preliminary and operational analysis , thanks to its field experience and regulatory expertise on both fronts.

p. Rogai & Partners STP Srl

Accountant Lorenzo Rogai

For any further information, please contact Rogai & Partners Sh.PK and Rogai & Partners stp Srl

www.studiorogai-al.com and www.studiorogai.it