Driving in Albania with a Brazil Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A current Brazilian Carteira Nacional de Habilitação (CNH) that conforms to the 1968 Vienna Convention Annex 6 model is recognised in Albania for the vehicle categories it covers, while the holder has not been resident in Albania for more than one year. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is not legally required in that situation, but Brazilian transport guidance advises carrying a PID abroad. Translation is required only if the foreign document does not conform to a recognised international model.
Quick answer
For a Brazilian visitor using a valid current CNH, the central rule is recognition of the national licence itself. The Albanian residence threshold, rather than a fixed tourist-day period, controls how long the foreign licence can continue to be used.
Legal treatment of a Brazilian licence in Albania
Article 133 of Albania's Road Code allows holders of a foreign national driving licence or foreign international driving licence to drive vehicles for which that document is valid, provided they have not been resident in Albania for more than one year. The same article requires an official Albanian translation or equivalent only when the foreign licence or IDP does not conform to models established by international agreements to which Albania is a party.
Brazil and Albania are both parties to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Brazil's current CNH specification uses the Annex 6 numbering standard, which is the Convention model for domestic driving permits. This is the legal basis for treating a current compliant Brazilian CNH as a recognised national permit rather than requiring an IDP as a separate Albanian legal condition.
IDP requirement, recommendation and model
For a current Annex 6-compliant Brazilian CNH, an IDP is not legally required by the Albanian rules identified above. If the traveller chooses to carry one, the applicable document is the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP under Annex 7, and it must be presented with the valid Brazilian CNH.
Brazilian SENATRAN guidance takes a more cautious practical position and tells Brazilian drivers to obtain and carry a PID when driving abroad. That origin-side guidance is useful travel advice, but it is not the same as an Albanian legal requirement.
Visitor and resident rules
Albania does not express this foreign-licence rule as a fixed number of visitor days. Article 133 permits use while the driver has not been resident in Albania for more than one year, so max_visitor_days is not a fixed integer for this page.
After the one-year residence point, the visitor rule no longer supports continued driving on the foreign licence. Article 134 of the Road Code indicates an exchange route for residents with licences from countries covered by relevant UN conventions, which would include Brazil as a Vienna Convention party. However, the current DPSHTRR conversion service page describes a narrower group and does not expressly name Brazil, so the Brazil-specific conversion procedure should be confirmed directly with DPSHTRR before relying on an exchange.
Rental-car requirements
| Company | Published Albania requirement checked |
|---|
| SIXT | Full valid licence held for at least two years plus ID or passport. A non-Roman-script licence must be accompanied by an IDP. |
| Enterprise | Valid licence held for at least three years plus ID or passport and a major credit card. The checked Tirana terms do not list an IDP as a general requirement. |
| Avis | Valid licence held for at least two years. If licence details cannot be confirmed, Avis may require an IDP or a notarised official English translation. |
These are company policies rather than Albanian law. A Brazilian CNH is printed in Roman script, so the SIXT script rule does not itself trigger an IDP requirement, but carrying an IDP can still reduce uncertainty at pickup.
Police documents and insurance
Article 178 of Albania's Road Code requires the driver to carry the vehicle registration certificate, a valid driving licence for the category being driven, evidence of technical inspection and the compulsory-insurance certificate. If an IDP is used, the 1968 Vienna model is valid only together with the corresponding national licence.
The compulsory-insurance document is a vehicle-document requirement, not a statement that optional rental cover is mandatory. Enterprise's Tirana terms state that third-party liability protection is included in its rates.
Relevant exceptions
- A foreign licence or IDP that does not conform to a recognised international model must be accompanied by an official Albanian translation or equivalent document.
- The right to drive under Article 133 ends after more than one year of Albanian residence.
- Professional or special vehicle classes may require additional competence certificates where the issuing state requires them.
- Resident conversion guidance is not fully consistent across the current official sources for Brazil, so that procedure should be confirmed with DPSHTRR.
Official sources used
- Albania DPSHTRR, Road Code of the Republic of Albania, Articles 133, 134 and 178, https://www.dpshtrr.al/sites/default/files/downloads/dokumente/Kodi%20rrugor%20me%20ndryshime-ngjyr%C3%AB%20e%20kuqe.pdf, checked 2026-09-29.
- Albania DPSHTRR, Foreign Driving Licence Conversion, https://www.dpshtrr.al/leje-drejtimi/konvertimi-i-lejes-se-drejtimit-te-huaj, checked 2026-09-29.
- Albania DPSHTRR, International Driving Licence, https://www.dpshtrr.al/leje-drejtimi/leje-drejtimi-nderkombetare, checked 2026-09-29.
- United Nations Treaty Collection, 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic status, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/showDetails.aspx?clang=_en&objid=080000028003745e, checked 2026-09-29.
- Brazil CONTRAN Resolution 886/2021, CNH model and Annex 6 standard, https://www.gov.br/transportes/pt-br/assuntos/transito/conteudo-contran/resolucoes/Resolucao8862021.pdf, checked 2026-09-29.
- Brazil SENATRAN Portaria 1043/2022, 1968 Vienna PID model, https://www.gov.br/transportes/pt-br/assuntos/transito/arquivos-senatran/portarias/2022/Portaria10432022.pdf, checked 2026-09-29.
- Brazil Ministry of Transport, SENATRAN guidance for Brazilians driving abroad, https://www.gov.br/transportes/pt-br/assuntos/transito/conteudo-Senatran/coordenacao-geral-de-instrumental-juridico-e-da-fiscalizacao-cgijf1650, checked 2026-09-29.
- SIXT Albania rental information, https://car-rental.sixt.com/php/terms/view?language=en_US&liso=AL&rtar=000&style=&tlang=en_US&view=EPP, checked 2026-09-29.
- Enterprise Tirana City renter requirements, https://www.enterprise.com/en/car-rental-locations/al/tirana-city-je46.html, checked 2026-09-29.
- Avis Tirana Airport renter requirements, https://ci4-uk.avis.com/en/locations/al/tirana/tia, checked 2026-09-29.
Practical recommendation
Carry the original physical Brazilian CNH, passport, vehicle or rental documents and compulsory-insurance evidence. A 1968 Vienna IDP is not legally necessary when the CNH itself is Annex 6-compliant, but obtaining one is sensible because Brazilian official guidance supports carrying it abroad and rental desks may apply additional documentation checks. Residents should confirm the current Brazil-to-Albania conversion procedure with DPSHTRR before the one-year residence limit.
Last verified
This information was checked against the listed official and first-party sources on 2026-09-29.