Children of foreign citizens who are born in Albania will have the opportunity to immediately receive Albanian citizenship. This is one of the goals of the new draft law the Albanian Government has approved, and is expected to be discussed in parliamentary committees.

The Government proposes some changes to the citizenship law of 2020, by adding some articles, which essentially ease the procedures to obtaining an Albanian passport for those children of foreign couples who are born in Albania, as well as Albanian children who are born in foreign countries.

Article 7 of the law will be expanded with a third point, which states that if the parents have a regular residence permit in Albania, the child they give birth to can receive Albanian citizenship.

This practice is exercised by many other countries in the world, such as Canada or the United States, while European countries usually grant citizenship to children born within their territories, after the parents have been provided with a passport of the respective country.

Another change is foreseen in the eighth article of the law on citizenship. The added paragraph provides that any immigrant who comes to work in Albania and has a child with Albanian citizenship, can also receive citizenship even if she/he does not speak the Albanian language.

These legal changes also pave the way for children of Albanian parents abroad who want to play for the Albanian national football team to receive the document even earlier and who until now, could not get an Albanian passport before turning 18.

In the accompanying report, it is said that his change will have a positive impact on the efforts made by the Albanian Football Federation to attract talents that can be an added value for the national football team.