Driving in Albania with a Moldova Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
Yes. A holder of a valid Moldova driving licence may drive in Albania for the vehicle categories covered by the licence while not resident in Albania for more than one year. Albanian law does not make an IDP a default requirement when the foreign licence meets the applicable international model. If it does not, an official Albanian translation or equivalent is required. Moldova issues 1968 Vienna Convention IDPs.
Quick answer
- National licence: usable when valid for the vehicle category and within the Albanian residence limit.
- IDP: not a default legal requirement for a conforming foreign licence.
- Translation: conditional on the document meeting an international model recognized by Albania.
- Residence: foreign-licence use is limited once Albanian residence exceeds one year.
How Albania treats a Moldova licence
Article 133 of the Albanian Road Code applies the general foreign-licence rule. A driver holding a foreign national licence or an international licence may drive the vehicles for which that document is valid, provided the driver has not been resident in Albania for more than one year. The law therefore recognizes the national licence itself as a possible legal basis for driving and does not require every foreign driver to hold an IDP.
Moldova has additional pair-specific treatment for resident conversion. Albania DPSHTRR lists Moldova among the states with bilateral arrangements for mutual recognition and conversion, and Moldova ASP records the agreement as in force from 11 June 2024.
IDP requirement, recommendation and model
An International Driving Permit (IDP) is not a default legal requirement under Article 133 when the valid foreign national licence meets the applicable international model. Moldova Public Services Agency (ASP) issues an IDP conforming to the 1968 Vienna Convention and states that it is valid for international driving only together with the Moldovan national licence.
The sources checked did not provide a Moldova-specific Albanian government recommendation to carry an IDP. Practical usefulness can still depend on the actual licence format and a rental company policy, but that should not be presented as a legal requirement.
Visitor and resident rules
Albania uses a residence-based rule rather than a fixed visitor-day allowance. Article 133 permits foreign-licence driving while the holder has not been resident in Albania for more than one year. Article 134 addresses the consequences once that residence period has been exceeded, so max_visitor_days is not represented as a fixed number here.
For conversion, Albania DPSHTRR accepts applications from holders of valid licences issued by states with bilateral or reciprocal arrangements who have an Albanian residence permit with a term over one year. The published procedure requires the valid foreign licence, identification and residence documents, a medical certificate and a notarized copy of the foreign licence accompanied by a certified translation. Moldova is expressly listed among the bilateral-agreement states.
Moldova ASP lists the agreement categories as AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE, with theory and practical tests recognized for conversion.
Rental-car requirements
Rental rules are contractual and can be stricter than the legal minimum. Only a named company whose Albania terms were checked is stated here, so no industry-wide IDP conclusion is drawn.
| Company | Requirement | Source checked |
|---|
| Enterprise Tirana City | Valid driving licence held for at least 3 years. Primary renter also provides ID card or passport and a major credit card. | Enterprise Albania location terms checked 2026-09-29 |
Police documents and insurance
The legal driving document verified for this pair is the valid national licence for the category being driven. If an IDP is used, Albania DPSHTRR says it must always be accompanied by the national licence. For special vehicles, Article 133 can also require the professional competence certificate or other competence evidence required by the issuing state.
No Moldova-licence-specific insurance consequence was verified from an Albanian authority. Enterprise Tirana states that third-party liability protection is included in its rental rates, but that is a rental-company term and is not used here to infer a general rule for privately owned vehicles.
Relevant exceptions
- If a foreign national licence or IDP does not conform to the international models recognized by Albania, Article 133 requires an official Albanian translation or equivalent unless a special international agreement provides otherwise.
- The right to drive is limited to vehicle categories for which the licence is valid.
- For special vehicles, a professional competence document can be required in addition to the driving licence.
- After more than one year of residence in Albania, the foreign licence no longer falls within the visitor-driving rule.
Official sources used
- Qendra e Botimeve Zyrtare, consolidated Albanian Road Code, Articles 133 and 134, verifies foreign-licence use, translation conditions and the residence limit. Official Road Code PDF, checked 2026-09-29.
- Albania DPSHTRR, foreign driving-licence conversion, verifies Moldova is a bilateral-agreement state and lists the conversion documents. Official conversion page, checked 2026-09-29.
- Albania DPSHTRR, international driving licence, verifies the 1968 Vienna framework, the requirement to use an IDP with the national licence and the residence limitation. Official IDP page, checked 2026-09-29.
- Moldova Public Services Agency, bilateral conversion list, verifies the Albania agreement categories and recognition of theory and practical tests. Official bilateral list, checked 2026-09-29.
- Moldova Public Services Agency, international driving permit service, verifies that Moldovan IDPs follow the 1968 Vienna Convention and must be used with the national licence. Official IDP service, checked 2026-09-29.
- Moldova Public Services Agency 2024 activity report verifies the Albania conversion agreement entered into force on 11 June 2024. Official ASP report, checked 2026-09-29.
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tirana City terms verify the named-company rental document requirements and its included liability protection. Enterprise Tirana City, checked 2026-09-29.
Practical recommendation
Carry the original valid Moldova national licence. If its format does not clearly match the international model applicable in Albania, verify the translation requirement with DPSHTRR before driving. A Moldova-issued 1968 Vienna IDP can be useful where a provider asks for one, but it must accompany the national licence. Check rental terms before pickup. If you establish residence in Albania, arrange conversion rather than continuing to rely on the foreign licence beyond the one-year residence limit.
Last verified
This information was checked against the listed sources on 2026-09-29. Driving-licence, residence and rental-company rules can change.