Household goods to Albania: free of import duties if you have owned them for six months, and declare cash from 10,000 euros
If you move to Albania, your used household goods enter the country free of import duties. The condition: you have owned them for at least six months, and they keep the same use. Customs asks for, among other things, a list, proof of your deregistration and a lease in Albania. Alcohol, tobacco and professional goods are excluded. Cash from 10,000 euros must be declared, both to Albania and to the EU.
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If you move to Albania, your used household goods enter the country free of import duties. Albania is not an EU member, so the border is a real customs border. But Albanian customs has a relief for people who move their residence to Albania: you have owned your belongings for at least six months, and you use them in Albania for the same purpose. You hand in a list and a few pieces of evidence. Cash from €10,000 must be declared, both to Albanian customs and to EU customs.
When are your household goods duty-free?
Customs calls the scheme "Ndërrimi i vendbanimit", change of residence. Personal belongings of someone moving their normal residence to Albania are free of import duties.
| Condition | What applies |
|---|---|
| You come to live in Albania | the relief applies only to a genuine move |
| Ownership | the goods were yours for at least six months in your previous country, before the day you stopped being resident there; exceptions are possible |
| Use | the same purpose as in the Netherlands: your household goods remain household goods |
| Residence in the Netherlands | proof of at least one year of uninterrupted residence, for example a lease or a statement from the municipality |
| Quantity | used goods in a reasonable quantity |
Excluded from the relief are alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles and professional goods. Portable instruments for the arts or a liberal profession may come along. A car does fall under it, with stricter rules. Read car and driving licence in Albania.
Which documents does customs ask for?
The application uses the form in annex 8 to customs decision VKM 651/2017. With it, customs asks for:
- The list. An overview of your used belongings.
- Your deregistration. Proof that you have deregistered in the Netherlands, such as an extract from the BRP.
- Your residence in the Netherlands. Proof of at least a year of living in the Netherlands.
- Your identity. A copy of your passport or ID card.
- Your address in Albania. A residence statement from the Albanian municipality, and for foreigners a lease in Albania.
- Your right of residence. For foreigners, customs lists an Albanian residence permit, and an employment contract.
The customs page was written for the old residence permit. Since 2025, as a Dutch national you no longer receive a permit but a registration certificate as an EU citizen. Whether customs accepts that certificate, and whether you also need an employment contract if you are not employed, is not stated. Ask customs before your shipment leaves. Read residence routes in Albania.
Two things are not on the customs page. There is no deadline within which you must import the goods after settling; so do not count on a year of leeway. And it does not say whether the relief also covers VAT, the Albanian TVSH rate of 20 percent. Have customs or your mover confirm that, in writing.
What may you bring as a traveller?
If you travel yourself, the normal customs traveller allowance applies. What you bring in your luggage is tax-free up to:
| How you travel | Limit per person |
|---|---|
| By plane or boat | €430 |
| Over land | €300 |
| Children under 15 | €150 |
You may bring medicines for personal use for at most two months, with a prescription and a written statement to customs. Shorter periods apply to some psychotropic drugs: seven or thirty days. The prescription is in Albanian and English, signed and stamped. Read taking medicines across the border.
Are you taking cash?
If you travel into or out of Albania with €10,000 or more in cash, you declare it to customs, before passport control. You do this on form RTVK, free of charge. It also applies to bearer securities, precious metals and valuables.
| Not declared, first time | Fine |
|---|---|
| €10,000 to €19,999 | 20,000 lek (about €220) |
| €20,000 to €49,999 | 40,000 lek (about €440) |
| €50,000 or more | 60,000 lek (about €660) |
For a repeat offence the fine is 10 to 50 percent of the amount, and criminal proceedings may follow as well. The same limit applies on the EU side: if you leave the EU with €10,000 or more, you declare it there. If you take the ferry from Italy or Greece, you leave the EU in that port.
Transferring money is usually simpler. Albania's currency is the lek; on 26 October 2026 one euro was 90.80 lek according to the Bank of Albania. How to open an Albanian account is explained in banking and payments in Albania.
A dog or cat travels with its own papers, and needs a blood test for the way back. Read pet to Albania.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.2: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Albania or go straight to step 4.2 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Dogana, the Albanian customs — the relief on a change of residence (ndërrimi i vendbanimit), with the six months, the documents and what is excluded — dogana.gov.al
- Dogana — passenger handbook, with the traveller allowance, medicines and pets — dogana.gov.al
- Ligj 92/2014 on VAT, article 48 — the standard VAT rate (TVSH) of 20 percent — tatime.gov.al
- Dogana — declaring cash from 10,000 euros, with form RTVK and the fines — dogana.gov.al
- European Commission — declaring cash when leaving the EU from 10,000 euros — taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu
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