Albania
Travel Destination – Albania
Albania offers rich European culture and natural beauty without the crowds. Sitting along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, Albania features the beaches of the Albanian Riviera, the historic cities of Berat and Gjirokastër, and the dramatic Albanian Alps. Travellers can explore ancient ruins, vibrant local markets, and scenic hiking trails, all within a relatively compact and accessible country.
Albania has a developing healthcare system, with the best facilities in major cities such as Tirana. Preparation is important to prevent health concerns relating to food and water hygiene, routine infections, and general travel-related risks.
Health Risks
Pre-travel preparation
Before travelling to Albania, it is advisable to schedule a consultation with a travel health professional. This allows your vaccination history to be reviewed, ensures routine immunisations are up to date, and provides personalised advice based on your travel plans. Whether you are visiting coastal resorts, exploring historic towns, or hiking in mountainous regions, tailored advice can help reduce health risks during your trip.
Ideally, this appointment should take place six to eight weeks before departure to allow time for any recommended vaccines. However, even if your trip is approaching soon, a consultation can still provide important last-minute guidance. Travellers should also arrange comprehensive travel insurance that includes cover for medical care and evacuation if needed.
Food and water hygiene
Albanian cuisine is known for its fresh Mediterranean flavours, from grilled meats and seafood to seasonal vegetables and locally produced cheeses. While food safety standards are generally good, especially in cities and established tourist areas, travellers should still take practical steps to reduce the risk of gastroenteritis and other food- and water-borne illnesses.
Maintaining good hand hygiene is one of the most effective preventive measures. Hands should be washed with soap and water before eating or after using the bathroom, or cleaned with an alcohol-based sanitiser when handwashing facilities are not available. Choosing food that is freshly cooked and served hot helps reduce the risk of contamination, while caution is advised with buffet-style meals, street food, or dishes that may have been left at room temperature.
Raw or undercooked meats, seafood, and eggs should be avoided, and dairy products are safest when pasteurised. Fruits and vegetables are best eaten when peeled or thoroughly washed. Bottled or filtered water may be preferable, particularly in remote areas. Taking these simple precautions allows travellers to enjoy Albanian cuisine while minimising the risk of illness.
Insect avoidance
Mosquitoes, ticks, and sand flies are present in Albania, particularly during the warmer months and in rural or coastal areas. These insects can occasionally transmit infections such as West Nile virus, Lyme disease, leishmaniasis which is spread by sand flies, and very rarely Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, which is associated with tick exposure in certain parts of Eastern Europe. While the overall risk to travellers remains low, prevention of insect bites is an important part of travel health planning.
Reducing exposure begins with using an effective insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on all exposed skin. Wearing long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, and closed footwear can provide an additional barrier, particularly when walking in grassy, wooded, or rural environments where ticks are more common. Travellers spending time outdoors, including hiking or camping, should be especially mindful to check their skin and clothing for ticks after activities.
Accommodation choices can also reduce risk, with air-conditioned rooms or those fitted with insect screens offering protection from mosquitoes and other insects. Taking these precautions consistently can significantly lower the already low risk of insect-borne infections in Albania.
Rabies prevention
Rabies is present in Albania and is a serious viral infection that affects the brain and nervous system. It is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, most commonly through bites or scratches. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal, making prevention and prompt treatment essential.
In Albania, rabies is mainly associated with wild animals such as foxes, as well as stray or unvaccinated dogs. Travellers should avoid contact with all animals, including pets that appear friendly, as it can be difficult to assess whether an animal is infected. Feeding or approaching animals, particularly in rural areas, should be avoided.
For some travellers, such as those spending extended time outdoors, working with animals, or travelling to remote regions where access to healthcare may be limited, a travel doctor may recommend pre-exposure rabies vaccination. If a bite, scratch, or saliva exposure occurs, the wound should be washed immediately with soap and water, and urgent medical care should be sought without delay. Early treatment after exposure is highly effective in preventing the disease.
Our Travel Doctors
Our fully qualified doctors have an interest in travel medicine and immunisations. And they know travel. Their expert advice will be tailored for you, your travel companions and your trip.
Which shots do I need for Albania?
Hepatitis A
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Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver spread through contaminated food and water or close contact with an infected person. Symptoms may include fatigue, nausea, abdominal discomfort, and jaundice. Vaccination is recommended for most travellers, particularly those who plan to eat outside major hotels or stay for extended periods. The vaccine is safe, effective, and typically given as a two-dose course for long-term protection.
Measles
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Measles is a highly contagious viral infection spread through the air, causing fever, cough, and a widespread rash, and can lead to serious complications. Travellers should ensure they have received two documented doses of a measles-containing vaccine, particularly those born during or after 1966.
Routine vaccinations
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Routine vaccinations are a key part of travel health preparation, even when visiting destinations with relatively low health risks such as Albania. Diseases that are uncommon in Australia, including measles, still occur internationally and can spread in settings such as airports, public transport, and crowded tourist areas.
It is important to be up to date with routine vaccines such as tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and measles, with hepatitis B often considered depending on travel plans and individual risk factors. A travel health consultation can assess whether booster doses are needed based on age, medical history, and travel plans. Maintaining routine immunisations not only protects individual travellers but also helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases across borders.
Albania
Other health risks in Albania
Gastroenteritis
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Gastroenteritis, commonly known as travellers’ diarrhoea, can occur in Albania, although the overall risk is relatively low, particularly in major cities and established tourist areas where food safety standards are generally good. It is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites spread through contaminated food, water, or poor hygiene practices. Symptoms may include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and sometimes fever, typically developing within one to three days after exposure.
Most cases are mild and resolve within a few days without specific treatment. The most important aspect of management is maintaining hydration, ideally with oral rehydration solutions. Travellers should seek medical attention if symptoms are severe, persistent, or associated with dehydration, blood in stools, or high fever. Preventive measures such as careful food selection, safe drinking water, and good hand hygiene significantly reduce the risk.
Rabies
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Rabies is present in Albania and is a serious viral infection that affects the brain and nervous system. It is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, most commonly through bites or scratches. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal, making prevention and prompt treatment after animal bites essential.
In Albania, rabies is mainly associated with wild animals such as foxes, as well as stray or unvaccinated dogs. Travellers should avoid contact with all animals, including pets that appear friendly, as it can be difficult to assess whether an animal is infected. Feeding or approaching animals, particularly in rural areas, should be avoided.
For some travellers, such as those spending extended time outdoors, working with animals, or travelling to remote regions where access to healthcare may be limited, a travel doctor may recommend pre-departure rabies vaccination. If a bite, scratch, or saliva exposure occurs, the wound should be washed immediately with soap and water, and medical care should be sought without delay. Early treatment after exposure is highly effective in preventing the disease.
Non-infectious conditions
Crime and unrest
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Crime can occur in Albania, particularly petty theft such as pickpocketing, bag snatching, and theft from vehicles or accommodation, especially in busy areas like Tirana, public transport hubs, beaches, and tourist sites. Travellers should keep valuables out of sight, avoid carrying large amounts of cash, and use hotel safes where available. Extra caution is advised when using ATMs and when out at night, particularly in less crowded or poorly lit areas.
Remain alert in crowded places and avoid distractions that could make you a target. Use reputable transport providers, especially after dark, and avoid walking alone in unfamiliar areas. When driving, keep doors locked and do not leave belongings visible in the car.
Protests and demonstrations can occur and may become unpredictable, so travellers should avoid large gatherings, monitor local updates, and follow the advice of local authorities.
The Australian government's website Smartraveller provides up to date advice regarding the risk of travel to Albania. It's advisable to review this advice in the early planning stages of your trip and to check it regularly while travelling.
Deep vein thrombosis
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Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a deep vein, most commonly in the legs. It can occur during long periods of immobility, such as long-haul flights from Australia to Europe, including Albania, where sitting for extended periods slows blood flow in the legs. This reduced circulation increases the risk of clot formation.
DVT may not always cause symptoms, but when it does, these can include leg pain, swelling, warmth, or redness. A serious complication can occur if part of the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism, which requires urgent medical attention.
To reduce the risk, travellers should move regularly during flights, stand and walk when possible, and perform simple leg exercises while seated to promote circulation. Staying well hydrated is important, while excessive alcohol intake should be avoided as it can contribute to dehydration. Wearing loose, comfortable clothing can also help. Travellers with additional risk factors, such as a personal or family history of blood clots, recent surgery, pregnancy, or certain medical conditions, may benefit from wearing compression stockings or seeking personalised medical advice before travel.