Fintech & payments regulation in Albania (2026)
Fintech and digital payments in Albania: licensing regime.
Albania operates a comprehensive licensing regime for payment institutions and e-money institutions, grounded in a PSD2-aligned Law 'On Payment Services' and implemented through detailed Bank of Albania regulations. The country joined the SEPA geographical scope in November 2024 and issued its first open banking licence the same month, marking a significant step toward EU financial integration. An instant-payments infrastructure modelled on the Eurosystem's TIPS is under active development as of early 2025.
Legal framework
Law 'On Payment Services' (PSD2-aligned); Regulation 59/2021 on licensing of Payment Institutions and Electronic Money Institutions; supervised by the Bank of Albania
Key points: digital payments & fintech in Albania
PI & EMI Licensing
Regulation 59/2021 lays down conditions, documentation, and procedures for licensing Payment Institutions and Electronic Money Institutions in Albania; the Bank of Albania is the sole licensing and supervisory authority.
EMI Activity & Supervision
The Bank of Albania's Supervisory Council approved the Regulation 'On the Activity and Supervision of Electronic Money Institutions' on 21 December 2022; it entered into force on 1 March 2023, setting capital, safeguarding, and conduct requirements for EMIs.
SEPA Membership
Albania was formally admitted to the SEPA geographical scope on 21 November 2024, becoming one of the first Western Balkans enlargement partners to join; Albanian commercial banks began submitting individual scheme-adherence applications in 2025, with cross-border SEPA transactions scheduled to commence in October 2025.
bankofalbania.org europeanpaymentscouncil.eu bankofalbania.org
Open Banking
The Bank of Albania granted its first open banking licence to EasyPay (an EMI) in November 2024, enabling Payment Initiation Services; the first live PIS-to-bank transactions occurred in Q1 2025, with Union Financiar Tirana licensed shortly after.
Instant Payments Infrastructure
In January 2025 the Bank of Albania, in cooperation with the Bank of Italy, initiated development of a domestic instant-payment platform modelled on the Eurosystem's TARGET Instant Payment System (TIPS); the system is not yet live.
Operational Risk & Security Rules
Regulation 51/2024 'On operational risk management by banks, payment institutions and electronic money institutions' entered into force on 1 March 2025; a separate strong customer authentication regulation aligns with PSD2 Article 97 standards. No dedicated BNPL-specific regulatory framework has been enacted as of mid-2026.
Timeline of decisions
- Decision · officialSEPA Credit Transfer Goes Live for Albanian Banks, Operational Readiness Date
The European Payments Council approved the adherence applications of all eleven banks operating in Albania to the SEPA Credit Transfer scheme, with 5 October 2025 set as the Operational Readiness Date for live cross-border euro transactions. Albania's estimated annual saving for businesses is €20 million in the first year alone.
Bank of Albania
- Law · officialRegulation 51/2024 on Operational Risk Enters Force for Banks, PIs, and EMIs
The Bank of Albania's Regulation 51/2024, aligned with revised Basel Committee operational-risk standards, became binding for banks, payment institutions, and electronic money institutions, tightening cyber and operational resilience requirements across the digital payments sector ahead of SEPA live participation.
Bank of Albania
- Decision · officialBank of Albania Grants Albania's First Open Banking Licence to Easypay sh.p.k.
Following Law 55/2020's open-banking provisions, the Bank of Albania issued the country's first Payment Initiation Service Provider / Account Information Service Provider licence to electronic money institution Easypay, with a second licence to Union Financiar Tirana following days later, four years after the enabling law was enacted.
Bank of Albania
- Decision · officialAlbania Admitted to SEPA Geographical Scope by the European Payments Council
The EPC Board approved the inclusion of Albania and Montenegro in the SEPA payment schemes' geographical scope, the first EU-candidate countries in the Western Balkans to achieve this. The European Commission welcomed the decision the same day as a concrete milestone in Albania's EU economic integration path.
European Commission DG NEAR
- Law · officialLaw 100/2023 on Payment Accounts with Basic Features Published, Transposing EU PAD
Albania published Law No. 100/2023 in the Official Gazette, guaranteeing every consumer the right to a basic payment account at any bank, transposing the EU Payment Accounts Directive and deepening financial inclusion while further aligning Albania's legal framework with the EU acquis on payment services.
Bank of Albania
- Law · officialRegulation 14/2023: Ongoing Supervision Framework for Licensed Payment Institutions
The Bank of Albania adopted Regulation 14/2023 'On carrying out of activity and supervision of payment institutions', filling a post-licensing supervisory gap by defining conduct-of-business rules and compliance monitoring standards for the growing cohort of non-bank payment operators licensed under the 2020 payment law.
Bank of Albania
- Law · officialRegulation 59/2021: First Dedicated Licensing Framework for Payment Institutions and EMIs
The Bank of Albania Supervisory Council adopted Regulation 59/2021 (in force 1 January 2022) establishing the full conditions, documentation, and procedures for licensing payment institutions and electronic money institutions in Albania, implementing the market-access framework created by Law 55/2020 and triggering a significant increase in licensed EMIs.
Bank of Albania
- Law · officialLaw 66/2020 on DLT-Based Financial Markets Enters Force, First Crypto Law in Western Balkans
Albania became the first country in the Western Balkans to legally recognise and regulate crypto-assets when Law 66/2020 'On Financial Markets Based on Distributed Ledger Technology' took effect, enabling Initial Coin Offerings, Security Token Offerings, and licensed DLT exchange and wallet operations under oversight of the Financial Supervisory Authority (AMF).
Albanian Financial Supervisory Authority (AMF)
- Law · officialLaw 55/2020 on Payment Services: Albania Transposes PSD2, First in the Region
The Albanian Parliament adopted Law 55/2020, transposing the EU Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and making Albania the first country in the Western Balkans to introduce a PSD2-equivalent framework. The law opened the market to non-bank payment institutions and electronic money institutions, and created the legal foundation for open banking, including third-party PISP and AISP roles.
Bank of Albania
- Guidance · officialNational Retail Payments Strategy 2018-2023 Launched
The Bank of Albania published its National Retail Payments Strategy 2018-2023, setting targets to increase bank-account ownership from 38% to 70% and grow per-capita electronic payments tenfold. The strategy coordinated the digitisation drive across government and industry that preceded and motivated the landmark PSD2 and DLT laws, and exceeded all its targets ahead of schedule.
Bank of Albania
- Law · officialBank of Albania Regulation 44/2009: Foundational AML/CFT Compliance Framework for Payment Providers
Bank of Albania Regulation No. 44/2009 'On the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing' established baseline FATF-aligned AML/CFT obligations for all Bank of Albania-supervised entities, including payment service providers, grounding the fintech licensing regime in compliance standards that have been carried forward through all subsequent payment legislation.
Bank of Albania
Sources
- bankofalbania.org/Payments/Legal_framework/
- bankofalbania.org/Supervision/Regulatory_Framework/Licensing_Regulations/Document_Title
- bankofalbania.org/rc/doc/Regulation_on_licencing_of_PIs_and_EMIs_20359.pdf
- bankofalbania.org/Press/Press_Releases/Albania_officially_part_of_SEPA_geographical_sco
- europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/document-library/press-releases/albania-now-part-sepa-payment-schemes
- bankofalbania.org/Press/Press_Releases/SEPA_Commercial_banks_in_Albania_submit_applicat
- bankofalbania.org/Press/Press_Releases/Open_banking_Bank_of_Albania_grants_the_licence_
- bankofalbania.org/Supervision/Regulatory_Framework/Supervision_regulations/Regulation_5
- enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-welcomes-albania-moldova-montenegro-and-north-macedon
- pwc.com/al/en/Publications/The_Regulation_on_the_Activity_and_Supervision_of_
- smallworldfs.com/blog/2026/05/11/albania-s-fintech-push-gains-speed-with-open-banking-
- thefintechtimes.com/albanias-fintech-and-wider-digital-landscape-in-2026/
- balkanweb.com/en/banka-e-shqiperise-miraton-rregulloren-me-standardet-e-sigurise-pe
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Next topicOrientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026