Albanian single permit cancellation after a job change
Under article 72 of Albanian Law 79/2021 a single permit can be cancelled for different work or a terminated contract; the employer notifies within 2 weeks.
A single permit can be cancelled when the foreigner does work other than that for which it was issued, ends the contract and leaves the job, or stays unemployed beyond three or six months within 12 months. The employer reports the end of employment within 2 weeks, under article 72 of Law 79/2021.
How a cancellation arises in practice
A worker receives a single permit for a defined job. The employer moves him to different work, or the contract ends and he leaves without the employer's notice going in on time. In either case the border and migration authority may cancel the permit under article 72(1), and the foreigner loses the right to stay.
The basis is Law 79/2021 on Foreigners of 24.6.2021, as amended by Law 43/2025 of 26.6.2025. The consolidated text is published by the State Police.
Grounds for cancellation and invalidity
The law separates cancellation by order (article 72) from invalidity that applies automatically (article 71). Permanent residence holders are exempt from the different work ground.
| Situation | Basis | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Doing work other than that in the permit | Article 72(1)(dh) | Possible cancellation |
| Ending the contract and leaving the job | Article 72(1)(e) | Possible cancellation |
| Permit obtained by fraud or false information, or documents later proven inaccurate | Article 72(1)(a) and (b) | Possible cancellation |
| Absence of over 180 uninterrupted days within one year | Article 72(1)(d) | Possible cancellation, except posting by the employer, study, illness, childcare or military service |
| Activity not started within 3 months of issue | Article 71(ç) | Permit becomes invalid, force majeure excepted |
| More than 6 months of uninterrupted stay outside Albania | Article 71(c) | Permit becomes invalid, force majeure excepted |
For employers, point dh needs particular care: a change of duties that looks internal can take the worker outside the permit.
Unemployment limits
Unemployment alone does not cancel the permit. Article 72(2) sets two thresholds:
- For holders with under three years of lawful work in Albania, the permit is cancelled only when unemployment exceeds three months within 12 months.
- For holders with three or more years of lawful work, the limit is six months within 12 months.
A worker who leaves one employer therefore has time to find new work, but it is counted within a 12 month window, not afresh for each break.
Notice deadlines for the employer
Three rules govern notice and apply together:
- Article 134(1)(ç): the employer notifies the authorities of both the start and the end of a foreigner's employment within one week.
- Article 72(1): when employment ends, the employer informs the authorities that issued the permit within 2 weeks.
- The Law 43/2025 addition: where the worker was declared through the tax system, declaring the end of employment there notifies the migration and employment authorities automatically.
The working deadline is therefore one week. Article 134(1)(c) also requires the employer to keep copies of the residence document and records of compliance with labour rights, available to the migration authorities and the labour inspectorate. On a finding of illegal employment, article 134(3) presumes an employment relationship of at least 6 months unless the employer proves otherwise.
Appeal and procedure
A cancellation order is appealed under article 73 to the superior authority, which decides within 30 days. An appeal to the administrative court follows. Procedures for issuing, refusing, renewing and cancelling the residence permit are set by instruction of the minister responsible for public order, under article 72(4).
For keeping the permit, see the guide to single permit renewal and permanent residence, and for the first application the guide to the employer's single permit procedure. Open vacancies are on the job board.
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