The number of citizens who would choose to leave Kosovo permanently if given the opportunity has increased since the previous public opinion survey. This is according to research conducted by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in May 2026.

In the survey, 28 percent of respondents said they would move to another country, compared with 16 percent in December 2024. Of those surveyed, 62 percent said they would continue living in Kosovo, while 8 percent had not made a decision.

Despite the increased willingness to emigrate, the share of citizens who would choose to remain in Kosovo continues to be significantly larger than that of those who would leave.

Data by age show that the inclination to move abroad is highest among young people. In the 18-24 age group, 44 percent said they would leave, while 46.3 percent said they would remain in Kosovo. Among citizens aged 25-34, 37.1 percent would emigrate, while 50.8 percent would continue living in the country.

Willingness to leave declines significantly with age. Among people aged 45-54, only 22.3 percent would emigrate. This figure falls to 15.2 percent among those aged 55-64 and to 11.6 percent among citizens aged 65 and over.

The results show no major differences between men and women. Living in another country would be the preferred option for 28.5 percent of men and 26.5 percent of women. Meanwhile, 61 percent of men and 62.5 percent of women said they would remain in Kosovo.

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Media reports indicate the official number of injured remains unchanged at 16,740, while 6,462 people have been rescued. The number of people left homeless stands at 17,907, according to the data.

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From waiters and maintenance workers to engineers and caregivers for children and the elderly, foreigners are becoming an increasingly visible part of Albania’s labor market.

According to data from the National Agency for Employment and Skills (AKPA), a total of 18,156 employment requests for foreign nationals were approved online for 2025.

Compared with the previous year, their number increased by 43.4%. AKPA said that 14,000 work permits for foreign nationals were issued for the first time in 2025, indicating the high influx of foreigners coming to work in the country.

For 2025, the biggest increase in requests was for employees from the Philippines and India.

18% of the employment requests approved online by AKPA were from the Philippines. Employment from India also accounted for 18% of the total approved online requests.

Approved work permit requests for citizens from Egypt accounted for 15% of the total, while Turkey made up 9%, Kosovo 4%, and Italy 3%.

In 2025, 3,251 work permits were issued for Indian nationals, nearly twice as many as a year earlier, and 3,279 permits for citizens from the Philippines.

Foreign nationals seeking employment in Albania, under the law “On Foreigners,” must obtain a Single Permit, which includes approval for employment + visa issuance + residence permit.

AKPA only approves employment permits online, while visa issuance and residence permits are approved by the relevant institutions.

Therefore, the issuance of a Single Permit to foreigners (residence in Albania for employment purposes) is finalized by the Border and Migration Directorate of the State Police.

Citizens from Kosovo and Italy follow simplified employment procedures.

In 2025, according to State Police data, the number of citizens from Kosovo equipped with residence permits in the country reached 6,076 residents, accounting for about 22% of the total. Compared with 2024, their number increased by 32%.

Unlike other foreign nationals, following the agreement signed between the governments of Albania and Kosovo in 2022, citizens of Kosovo can obtain a 5-year biometric Residence Permit, which also serves as a Work Permit.

The document is obtained through a simplified online procedure and eliminates the need for separate applications or frequent work permit renewals.

For this reason, part of the employment of citizens from Kosovo no longer goes through the same work permit approval procedure by AKPA as citizens of third countries, also affecting the decline in the number of requests recorded by the agency.

Likewise, most citizens from Kosovo and Italy operate their own businesses in the country, and for this reason they do not need to apply for employment permits online.

After Kosovo, the highest number of foreign nationals equipped with residence permits in 2025 was from Italy, with 3,776 people accounting for 14% of the total number of foreigners. Compared with 2024, their number increased by 75%.

Italians, as EU citizens, also do not need employment approval from AKPA. The employer or the individual only makes an employment declaration, and the law recognizes their right to employment under the same conditions as Albanian citizens, except for jobs that explicitly require Albanian citizenship.

According to the legislation “On Foreigners,” after 5 years of lawful and continuous residence, a foreigner may meet the conditions for permanent residence; the document for this permit is replaced every 10 years through an automatic procedure. Long-term resident status is not lost simply because the 10-year card expires.

So, in practice, an Italian citizen does not apply every year for an employment request, unlike citizens of countries subject to labor market controls. But they may need to renew their residence permit according to the term of the contract, until they obtain permanent residence. / Monitor

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