Like many Americans, I had at all times dreamed up shifting to Europe. And in 2015, at 35, I determined to leave Texas for Spain.
Two years later, I based She Hit Refresh, a neighborhood that helps girls over 30 take the leap overseas. Since then, I’ve helped hundreds of ladies construct new lives in international locations like Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.
The hottest locations among the many girls I work with are inclined to have heat climate and versatile visa choices. Spain and Portugal prime the record as a result of they’re comparatively inexpensive for Western Europe, get pleasure from a relaxed tempo of life, and have residency pathways that do not require you to be independently rich or retired.
One country that few Americans may in all probability discover on a map, not to mention take into account shifting to, is Albania. But that is altering.
In current years, I saved listening to about Albania from members of my neighborhood. A handful had moved there and could not cease raving about it. Intrigued, I spent a month in Albania in 2024, primarily in the capital, Tirana, and alongside the coast. I needed to see what the excitement was about, and what I discovered really stunned me.
Albania will not be for everybody — no place is — however for a lot of Americans dreaming of a comfortable touchdown, it checks a whole lot of containers. Here’s why I take into account it the No. 1 overlooked destination in Europe for these hoping to relocate from the U.S.:
It’s surprisingly inexpensive
Albania is among the few locations in Europe the place you may nonetheless hire a snug residence for beneath $500 a month, in accordance with the ladies in my community. This low value of dwelling is among the greatest causes Americans are flocking there.
Take Cheryl Orlov, who moved from Redondo Beach, California, to Tirana. “Even though the cost of living is rising in Tirana, it’s still a fraction of what I paid in California,” she informed me. Her hire for a two-bedroom residence in Tirana, for instance, is lower than one sixth of what she’d been paying for a two-bedroom cottage in Redondo Beach earlier than she left California in 2023.
Groceries, eating out, and healthcare are additionally rather more inexpensive. For digital nomads and retirees alike, Albania presents a top quality of life that is more and more out of reach in many U.S. cities.
The seaside in Saranda, Albania.
Courtesy of Cepee Tabibian
You can keep for as much as a 12 months and not using a visa
One of Albania’s greatest benefits is that Americans can dwell there visa-free for up to 12 months, a uncommon profit in Europe.
You can hop on a aircraft tonight and begin your new life in Albania tomorrow, no paperwork required. This makes it ideally suited for many who wish to “test drive” life overseas with out navigating complicated visa techniques.
While in Tirana, I met with Denisa Kaca Bradley, founding father of Expats in Albania, to be taught extra about immigration choices. She defined that whereas staying past a 12 months does require paperwork, it is doable and her group helps newcomers with the method.
At her weekly meetups, I met dozens of Americans: solo girls, {couples}, and households. Many use Albania as a stepping stone. They keep for a 12 months or two earlier than shifting on to a different a part of Europe as soon as they’ve discovered the visa state of affairs elsewhere. Others select to remain long-term.
It’s naturally beautiful
From the rugged Albanian Alps in the north to the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea in the west and the Ionian in the south, the country’s panorama is breathtaking.
During my journey, I drove down the Albanian Riviera and visited Saranda, a vigorous seaside city with a lovely promenade. It was September and the climate was nonetheless heat sufficient to swim and sunbathe, however the seashores have been virtually empty — a uncommon deal with in comparison with locations like Spain or Italy. On a transparent day you may see Greece in the gap! The island of Corfu is only a 30-minute ferry trip away.
I did not make it to the northern mountains, however they’re excessive on my record for subsequent time. Remote villages, mountaineering trails, and beautiful landscapes make it a dream for outside lovers.
Cepee Tabibian with the Albanian metropolis of Vlorë in the background.
Courtesy of Cepee Tabibian
It feels native, however has a rising expat neighborhood
Until the early Nineties, Albania was largely closed off to the world beneath a communist regime. Tourism has solely actually picked up in the last decade or so. As a consequence, Albania nonetheless feels authentically Albanian.
At the identical time, Albanians are notably welcoming of Americans, one thing that stunned many expats I spoke with. The pro-America sentiment and friendliness to expats makes it simpler for newcomers to really feel at residence and join with the local people.
In cities like Tirana and coastal cities like Vlorë, there’s additionally a rising variety of foreigners placing down roots. Like Monica Miranda, an American who moved from Jersey City, New Jersey to Vlorë at 43 along with her canine. “I didn’t know much about Albania,” she informed me. “But the moment I arrived, something clicked. One month turned into two.” Monica has now lived in Albania for practically two years and just lately acquired her five-year residency card.
“I’ve built a supportive community of expats from the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and Latin America,” she stated. “We catch up a few times a week. It’s been an incredibly grounding experience.”
It will not be the first country that comes to mind, however for a lot of Americans I’ve met, Albania has develop into the precise place on the proper time.
Cepee Tabibian is the founding father of She Hit Refresh, a neighborhood and useful resource platform that helps girls aged 30+ move overseas, and the writer of “I’m Outta Here! An American’s Ultimate Visa Guide to Living in Europe.” As the daughter of Colombian and Iranian immigrants, Cepee grew up in Houston, Texas, earlier than turning into an immigrant herself in Spain.
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