Taking your dog to Albania: what the border asks for, the rabies titre test to do before you leave the EU, sandflies, street dogs and where dogs are welcome.
Two farm dogs live at Wonderful Camping, and hardly a week goes by without guests arriving with a dog of their own, sometimes a cat too. Getting a pet into Albania is simple. Getting it back into the EU takes planning, and that part has to start before you leave home.
Here is what we tell dog owners who write to us, from the paperwork to the heat.
01What your dog needs to enter Albania
Your dog needs an ISO microchip (the standard 15-digit type) and a rabies vaccination given at least 30 days before you arrive. Travellers from the EU normally show the EU pet passport at the border, since it records both. If you come from outside the EU, you also need a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel.
Albania does not ask for a rabies titre test on the way in. Rules can change, so check with your vet or the Albanian embassy a few weeks before you travel.
02The titre test: do it before you leave the EU
For pet travel, the EU treats Albania as a high rabies risk country. To bring your dog back into the EU, or into the UK, it needs a rabies antibody test, usually called the titre test.
A vet takes a blood sample at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and sends it to an EU-approved laboratory. The result must show at least 0.5 IU/ml. If the test is done before you leave and recorded in the pet passport, your dog can come straight home at the end of the trip.
If you only do the test in Albania, your dog has to wait three months after the blood sample before it can enter the EU. Leave a few weeks for the lab result, and book the vet early. The test stays valid for life as long as the rabies booster is always given on time.
Heading to the UK, Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway afterwards? Your dog also needs a tapeworm treatment from a vet one to five days before arrival.
03Health: sandflies, ticks and heat
Leishmaniasis, a disease spread by sandflies, is found all around the Mediterranean, Albania included. Ask your vet about a repellent collar or spot-on that works against sandflies, and put it on a week or two before you leave. Sandflies bite at dusk and at night in the warm months, so keep your dog inside the van or tent in the evening.
Ticks are common in long grass from spring to autumn, so keep up the tick treatment and check your dog after walks.
Summer is the bigger everyday risk. The coast often reaches 35°C, and asphalt gets hot enough to burn paws. Walk early and late, carry water on every outing, and never leave a dog in a parked vehicle. Vet clinics are easy to find in Durrës and Tirana, and we are happy to point guests to one.
04Street dogs and shepherd dogs
You will see free-roaming dogs in towns and villages. Most are calm and keep their distance. Keep your dog on the lead in town, and do not feed strays at your pitch, or you will have company all night.
In the mountains, large shepherd dogs guard sheep and goats. They are working, and they take it seriously. Give flocks a wide berth, walk around them rather than through them, and keep your own dog close.
05Where dogs are welcome
Most campsites in Albania accept dogs, and many restaurants with outdoor terraces will bring a bowl of water without being asked. Hotels are mixed, so check before booking.
There is no general ban on dogs on beaches, but in July and August the popular beaches are packed. Go early in the morning or pick a quieter stretch. Ferries from Italy carry pets in kennels or pet-friendly cabins, which sell out in summer, so book them together with your ticket. Our driving guide covers the ferry crossing in more detail.
If you want to wild camp with your dog, read the rules in our guide to camping in Albania first. National parks and protected areas are stricter.
06Camping with a dog at Wonderful Camping
Dogs and cats are welcome at the camp. Our own two farm dogs keep an eye on things, and geese and chickens wander the grounds, so keep your dog on the lead around them. There is a path all the way round the lake for morning and evening walks, shade under the trees, and electricity at every pitch if your dog likes a fan in August.
Durrës is fifteen minutes away, and the port is close if you arrive by ferry. See the camp or message us with your dates, and tell us you are bringing a dog so we can give you a quiet pitch.
