APPLICATION FAQS

Albania attracts people from all corners of the world due to the lifestyle, geographical position, interesting culture and traditions. The beautiful landscape, numerous castles, the seaside and the interesting architecture play their part when it comes to attracting students as well. As an international student, you will be glad to know that Albania, enjoys perfect weather. Albania is widely known as the country that enjoys all four seasons throughout the year. So, if you’re planning to stay for a whole year in Tirana, you will need all four types of clothes. In general, in Tirana and other cities of Albania, summers are hot, winters are cold, where the temperature rarely drops below 0, and spring and fall are often the perfect balanced seasons. Overall, student life in Tirana is an authentic experience and will likely be able to meet your expectations. Tirana relishes an active nightlife and a wide range of recreational activity options. With numerous student-friendly places, extracurricular activities, and its festivals, Tirana is the perfect place where you can balance both study and social life. The official language of the country in Albanian, with more than 95% of the population speaking it as their first language. Although many speak English, especially in the larger cities, it is always easier if you can speak a little, or just the basics, of the Albanian language, while in your stay in Tirana. Interacting with locals will help you enhance your Albanian language skills and it’s always safer being able to ask for directions in the language the majority understand here. But even if you cannot speak Albanian, do not worry, you will find your way because Albanians are accustomed to internationals.

An international mobility requires several documents, which are necessary for a successful journey. The list below includes the most important documents required from the European University of Tirana: – Curriculum Vitae in English – Transcript of Records from Home University, officially translated in English (Apostille sealed – means the document can be used legally in a foreign country) – Motivation letter in English – Valid Passport – Penal Record, in original copy, officially translated in English – Personal certificate – English test, for Master students only – B2 level required The legal office in UET is responsible for the starting phase and the relation with the related public institutions.

Students with a Schengen country citizenship are not required to obtain a visa. They will apply for a Residence Permit upon their arrival in Albania. It is mandatory to submit the Residence Permit Application within the first 30 days of stay in the territory of Albania. Students who do not have a Schengen country citizenship must obtain a study visa at the nearest Albanian embassy. The documents required for student visa application are as following:
– Document certifying registration / admission to an Albanian educational institution;
– Guarantee proving the coverage of living expenses and education or Grant Agreement in the case of an Erasmus mobility;
– Health insurance document for the whole duration of the stay;
– Document certifying accommodation in the territory of the Republic of Albania;
– Document proving the knowledge of the language in which he/she will conduct the studies;
– Copy of Certificate of Judicial Status (Criminal Proof) Legalized according to the regime with the state that issued this document.

Tirana is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the distance. The European University of Tirana does not offer accommodation facilities for national or international students. However, we provide several recommendations for the international students. What would an international student get a place of stay in Tirana?

– One option would be to hunt and find a temporary option of accommodation early enough before travelling to Tirana – so you can stay there until finding the right permanent place (use information offered online by agents, social media or write to the International Relations Officer at your host university). Booking and Airbnb are very common sites you can search.
– Before arriving to Tirana, do not forget to arrange your transportation from the airport to the city center and do not forget to write down the name and address of the place you will need to go.
– When in Tirana/UET, set up in advance an appointment with the International Relations Officer who can help you with information about student-friendly places for rent nearby.
– When in Tirana, appoint meetings with landlords to visit apartments Where to stay during the your first days in Tirana? Temporary Accommodation means that you guarantee yourself a place until finding the permanent apartment to stay in Tirana. Temporary accommodation options for students in Tirana are:
– Cheap hotels (www.booking.com)
– Low-cost hostels (Mosaic Home, The Maze Hostel, Trip’n Hostel etc.)
– Youth hostels (Destil Hostel)
– Private B&B (Garden B&B, Stephen Center B&B etc.)
– Guest house (www.booking.com)

An international student in Tirana, according to the 2020 estimations, will need around 550 EUR/month in order to meet the necessary living expenses. As the official statistics reveal, international students in Tirana tend to spend about 200-250 € every month for their accommodation, apart from the costs of living. If the student decides to share the accommodation, that the cost would be lower. However, if you prefer to get a fully furnished apartment, you should expect to pay a higher rent. For example, in Tirana you can expect to spend around 400 – 500€ for a fully furnished apartment including bills.

Most of the international students in Tirana choose to live in private forms of accommodation. Living in a private apartment means a greater privacy and less rules and procedures, unfortunately a lower level of socialization. To find a place, you can require support on your hunt from the International Officer or Erasmus Buddy in your host institution. A different way is posting your ad for requiring an apartment in different portals and in social media groups of the city where you study at – especially Facebook. It is advised to use join the Erasmus Student Network group in Facebook, and distribute your posting there, while personalizing it for the city you are studying at – Tirana. Shared apartments and Airbnb: For those who are arriving to Tirana alone, shared apartments with other international students of UET are often a good option, as you can live cheaply and meet new people. Living in a shared apartment means sharing a kitchen and a bathroom. Please get in touch with other international students and stay connected to the international community at UET. Airbnb option tends to be more costly, however there are plenty of Airbnb-s which are available to international students.

Health Insurance is required for the whole duration of stay in Albania. Health Insurance can either be purchased in the home country, ensuring that the insurance includes the country of Albania, or can be purchased upon arrival in Albania, with the assistance of the Legal office at the European University of Tirana. Companies such as SIGAL and INSIG are highly recommended, if you decide to purchase insurance in Albania.

Being an international student means more than just tackling new areas of study. It entails all kinds of life lessons, too: how to live independently, how to manage your own budget, and how to travel without mom and dad. How to book cheap airfare is one of the biggest challenges for most travelers and can be especially trying for those who don’t yet understand how complex this process can be. Some tips can be found below: a. Familiarize with the ticket options As a student, you have the choice of either booking the same tickets available to anyone or booking student-only fares. It’s important to look at both fare types whenever you book a flight, because neither type is guaranteed to be cheaper than the other, and the rules for using each fare differ. b. Where to buy flight tickets Consider three main options such as travel agencies, airlines or online-travel booking sites. The cheapest regular fares are often sold directly through the airlines’ own websites, where you can access sale fares that might not be available through other providers. Rather than checking the website of every airline to find the cheapest flight, you can compare fares on multiple airlines at the same time by using an online travel-booking site such as Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity. Depending on the city of departure, the lowcost airfares such as WizzAir or RyanAir are highly recommended. c. Fly at less popular times You can find cheaper flights by flying to a destination during a less busy time of the year and less busy times of the day. Popular destinations such as Europe have distinct high seasons when more travelers visit, and, during these popular times, prices for flights go up to meet the demand. If you can travel to a place when it’s less popular to visit—during the weekdays, rather than on a weekend, for example—you may be able save 50 percent or more. d. Book early If you book early, you may be able to lock in a fare with a lower surcharge. Travel agents advise booking as soon as you know your plans, especially for holiday travel, travel over school breaks, and travel to destinations during peak season. For general travel, it’s a good idea to book at least 21 days in advance.

The application period for a student is decided by the Ministry of Education and Art issued by an Order published in August each year. Usually, the enrollment date would be beginning of September for BA cycle and end of September for MA cycle.

The European University of Tirana offers three International Study Programs : Bachelor in Business Informatics BA-Informatike-Ekonomike.pdf (uet.edu.al) , Bachelor in Finance BA-Finance.pdf (uet.edu.al), Bachelor in Informatics Engineering BA-Inxhinieri-Informatike.pdf (uet.edu.al) and MA in Corporate Governance. In addition, among the other study programs, UET offers several courses in English, open to all International Students. A list of these courses is provided under Annex Nr. 1. Regarding the infrastructure, UET has an Office for Projects and Internationalization which operates mainly in English language. They open vacancies for internships which are highly recommended to be international students. They are the office responsible for Erasmus exchange. UET General Secretary Office; UET IT Office; UET Contract Office are the three main offices which you as a student will have the main contact. The staff speaks English and is trained in dealing with International Students in previous years (over the years UET has hosted 40+ international students). Learning Management System (LMS) is a personalized learning platform for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation, and delivery of UET courses, training programs, or learning and development programs. You can have it as an app in your smartphone. The UET Website is in English language as well. The social media (Office for Projects and Internationalization UET) is in English language.

Erasmus+ programme offers the opportunity to study for a semester or two in an International European university to all individuals who are already studying in an affiliated university in their home country (such as UET). This funding scheme does not support students which are not currently enrolled in studies. The idea behind Erasmus exchange programmes is for students to enrich their academic knowledge, professional practice, intercultural and language understanding in a foreign country, in this case Albania. The eligible students to study in Albania through Erasmus+ are those who: – Are currently enrolled in a home university which is a member of Erasmus Charter for Higher Education; – Studies at home university lead to a recognized degree in Albania; – Want to become a subject of student exchange under a mutual agreement of both universities (sending and UET) for specific mobility action. UET has currently 30+ Interinstitutionla Agreement with European HEI. UET has sent more that 350 students to study on 1+ semester in such partner HEIs, funded by Erasmus + KA1 Programme, EU. When looking for information on available Erasmus+ funds and cooperating universities in Albania under Erasmus+ then: – Contact your university International Office or Erasmus+ office; – Contact for information about Erasmus+, national agencies for Erasmus+ of home country. For students who study through Erasmus+ in Albania or other country, their studies last from 3 up to 12 months (up to one academic year), in one of the three study cycles: Bachelor or equivalent studies, Master or equivalent studies, and Doctoral studies.