Albanian Residency Paperwork, and A New Food Allergy
A New Baker’s Yeast Allergy / Intolerance
Let’s start with last things, first.
I aim to post every week to ten days, but I’ve been away from blog for nearly three weeks. To say I have been under the weather would be an understatement. Three times in the last month I’ve managed to poison myself with yeast. I don’t use the word poison lightly. My body now treats it as one of the most vile things on the planet.
The first time I thought I had food poisoning or a stomach bug. The next time, I thought it was a relapse from whatever had been ailing me. When it happened a 3rd time, I could easily ascertain culprit. After being so sick, I’d been eating cautiously and infrequently. The only thing I’d eaten all the three times was baked goods with yeast in it. (In case you’re wondering about wheat, I tolerate pasta with no issues.)
Fingers crossed I’ve analyzed this correctly, because I will be beside myself if it happens again.
I’ve no doubt missed blogs that I usually read, failed to comment, and failed to acknowledge comments. I apologize for my absence.
Filing For Residency
We engaged a lawyer to help us navigate the residency application process. (Unlike in the U.S., here the lawyers charge by the job, not by the hour.) We arrived in the country July 1st, and by August 4th, all of our documents were uploaded into the system.
There are several ways to apply for residency: as a retiree, a property owner, a digital nomad, or as someone who will open business. As jobs are scarce here, and many young Albanians have left the country to find work, these residency programs are designed to bring outside money into the country to support businesses already here, and in the case of opening business, putting Albanians to work.
We applied based on property ownership.
Required Documents
Application form
Receipts showing we paid the fees to file
A declaration stating why we want residency.
The documents proving we own property.
Proof of health insurance
Bank statements from an Albanian bank showing a required amount of funds
Photocopies of our passports
4 passport-type photos
Dealing with the Immigration Office
By September 1, our lawyer informed us that we needed to take all of our documents and present them to the immigration office in Shkodër - about an hour away from us. It was not without its hiccups.
First, we were told by our lawyer to go on Wednesday. The office was not open on Wednesdays; it was open Tuesdays and Thursdays. So we headed back the following day. The immigration officer took issue with how our lawyer worded the declaration for why we want residency. It was worded as a request instead of declaration.
I emailed her and told her what happened. She was very surprised, claiming they’d used this same format for years. (Maybe the immigration officer was a new guy?) She re-did the declaration to meet his requirements.
Given that we’d taken a taxi the first two trips and it was getting pricey, we decided to rent a car. We could rent a car for three days, for less than the price of the two taxi rides. Third time was the charm! He accepted our documents and now we wait.
