Your Sarandë move checklist

Unusually easy for Americans. US citizens get an automatic 12-month visa-free stay on entry — you can legally live in Albania for a year with no permit at all, which is why many start here informally. For longer-term status, Albania has a dedicated Type D long-stay visa and pensioner residence permit: show pension income of at least ~ALL 1,200,000/yr (~EUR 13,000 / ~$14,000/yr, i.e. ~$1,100/mo), a notarized lease or property (min ~20 sqm/person), Albania-valid health insurance, an Albanian bank account receiving the pension, and a criminal-record check. Apply via the e-Albania portal (largely digitized since 2022), typically within 30 days of entry; the permit is valid one year and renewed annually. The visa-free year plus a low, clear pension bar make this the easiest entry on the list.

The weakest pillar here. Sarandë's public hospital is not recommended for serious emergencies or major surgery — limited resources and dated equipment — and local private care covers only routine needs (cash, affordable). For anything significant, expats travel: Vlorë or Tirana (~2.5-3.5h by road), where the JCI-accredited American Hospital Tirana is Albania's best private facility (English-speaking, broad specialties, can arrange air evacuation). Crucially, Corfu, Greece is a ~45-min ferry away and Corfu General Hospital is a major step up; Italy (Bari/Brindisi) and Athens are the other referral points. Medical-evacuation insurance is strongly advised, not optional, for a 55-70 couple.

A double-edged story. Albania imposes ZERO tax on foreign pensions, so pension-funded retirees pay no Albanian income tax on that income — very attractive. BUT there is NO US-Albania tax treaty and no totalization agreement, so you lose treaty protections (residency tie-breakers, coordinated relief): US citizens still file US returns and rely on the Foreign Tax Credit / FEIE, and certain income types can face exposure in both countries without treaty relief. For a pure-pension couple the local-tax picture is simply 0%, but the absence of a treaty adds complexity and risk for other income — get cross-border tax advice.

Among the hardest to reach. Sarandë has no airport; the nearest is Tirana (TIA), ~4-5h by road (or fly via Corfu, Greece in summer). There are no nonstop flights from Albania to the US — every routing connects through a European hub (Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Rome), totaling roughly 15-18h+ door to door once you add the long transfer from Sarandë to Tirana. This is a destination for retirees who don't need to pop home often.

Reasonably safe for daily life, with caveats. Albania sits at US State Dept Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), citing crime and 'targeted violence associated with drug networks and organized crime'; a 2026 US Embassy alert also flagged possible Iran-linked targeting of US-associated venues. In practice, violent crime against foreigners is low and Sarandë is well-touristed and walkable. Everyday risks are petty: waterfront pickpocketing in summer, inflated prices, aggressive driving. The blood-feud tradition is real but confined to northern districts and local families — not a south-coast concern. Solo women generally feel comfortable, though the Riviera draws more unwanted male attention than rural Albania.

Classic Mediterranean (Köppen Csa) on the Ionian coast. Summers are hot, sunny, and dry — averages ~28-31C/83-88F, July nearly rainless, warm sea (~24-26C/75-78F). Winters are mild but distinctly cool and wet: January highs ~12C/53F (lows near 4-5C/40F), and December is genuinely rainy (~170mm). So 'warm year-round' overstates it — it's a 2-3 month cool, damp winter, not tropical — but no freezing and lots of sun the rest of the year.

Small, young, and seasonal. Albania's foreign-resident scene is modest and growing, concentrated in Tirana and along the Riviera; Sarandë has a thin year-round expat/retiree community that swells with summer tourism. English is widely spoken by younger Albanians and in tourism, easing daily life, but formal support networks are limited and Albanian is needed for bureaucracy. Winters are quiet — many tourist businesses wind down — so off-season can feel isolating for a couple seeking community.