Free Zones and Free Warehouses

Free zones and free warehouses shall be parts of the customs territory of the Republic of Albania or premises situated in that territory and separated from the rest of it in which:

• non-Albanian goods are considered, for the purpose of import duties and commercial policy import measures, as not being on Albanian customs territory, provided they are not released for free circulation or placed under another customs procedure or used or consumed under conditions other than those provided for in customs legislation;
• Albanian goods for which such provision is made under legislation governing specific fields qualify, by virtue of being placed in a free zone or free warehouse, for measures normally attaching to the export of goods.

The Council of Ministers may designate parts of the customs territory of the Republic of Albania as free zones.

The construction of any building in a free zone shall require the prior approval of the Minister of Finance. The Minister of Finance approves the establishment of free warehouses. Free zones shall be carefully defined and enclosed. The Council of Ministers shall define the entry and exit points of each free zone. The Minister of Finance shall define the entry and exit points of each free warehouse.

The Minister of Finance is the authority who authorizes the establishment and the activity of free warehouses.

The apllication for approval of the free warehouse activity is submitted in writing by the operator to the General Director of Customs which is accompanied by the necessary documentation on the basis of which it is judged for the economic need of using of the free warehouse and the implementation of the criteria set for the possibilities of protecxtion, security and development of commercial activity under optimal conditions.

List of documents:

• a copy of the legal documentation of the company which applies to administer a free warehouse;
• a detailed report on the description of the company's import and trading activity as well as what is foreseen to be carried out;
• a copy of the ownership documentation of proposed premises for free warehouse;
• Facility plan accompanied with the report that presents the conditions and measures for storage, observation, security of the premises and of the goods to be stored, the entry and exit points of the goods, the possibility of closure or sealing by the customs authorities. The report may be accompanied by photographic or video materials;
• presentation of the measurement system (measuring equipments) that enables the physical quantity verification at any moment if required by the customs authorities;
• List of tools available to the operator to meet the needs of carrying out the activity in the warehouse related to the handling, processing, measurement, transportation, control, storage and safety.
• Documentation that verifies the level of credibility to fiscal and legal bodies.