Nearly 2 million foreigners enter Albania in July

Nearly two million foreign nationals entered Albania in July 2026 alone, with the vast majority arriving for holidays, visits to relatives and other personal purposes.

According to data from the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), 1,955,099 entries by foreign nationals were recorded last month. Compared with July 2025, when the figure stood at 1,825,490, this represents an increase of 7.1%.

The largest flow came from Europe, with 1,833,396 entries. Southern Europe clearly dominated within the continent, accounting for 1,178,557 arrivals. This region represented around 64% of the European total, according to INSTAT, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

Central and Eastern Europe ranked second with 231,450 entries, followed by Western Europe with 224,975. Northern Europe accounted for 132,728 entries, while the region classified by INSTAT as Eastern Europe/Mediterranean recorded 65,686.

Outside Europe, the largest number came from the Americas, with 67,928 entries in July. East Asia and the Pacific recorded 16,723, Africa 9,041, the Middle East 8,533, and South Asia 6,487.

Almost all foreign visitors came for personal purposes. This category accounted for 99% of entries and increased by 7.3% compared with July last year. It includes holidays, visits to relatives, medical treatment, religious purposes and transit.

In contrast, entries for business and professional activities fell by 8.9% compared with the same period in 2025.

The flow remains high over a longer period as well. From January through the end of July 2026, Albania recorded more than 7 million entries by foreign nationals, 6.5% more than during the first seven months of last year.

INSTAT's figures measure entries, not unique individuals. This means that a person who enters Albania several times is counted as a new entry each time they cross the border.

Photo: Wikipedia