Notary Fees for a Car in Albania: What You Pay in 2026

Notary Fees for a Car in Albania: What You Pay in 2026

For a car sale or gift contract in Albania, the notary fee is a percentage of the price with a floor: 0.30% up to 1,000,000 lekë, 0.25% from 1,000,001 to 5,000,000 lekë and 0.23% above that, with a minimum of 3,000 lekë. So on most used cars in the lower price range you pay the 3,000 lekë minimum. The vehicle registration directorate then charges its own fees, separately from the notary. This guide shows how the numbers fit together, who pays what, and which documents to bring so you do not make a second trip.

TL;DR

• The notary fee for a vehicle sale or gift contract is tiered: 0.30%, 0.25% or 0.23% of the value depending on the band, and never less than 3,000 lekë.
• A car priced at 1,000,000 lekë or less lands on the 3,000 lekë minimum or very close to it.
• Registration charges are separate. The official schedule lists 1,500 lekë for the ownership change and 1,000 lekë for seller-side registration.
• The new owner must register the change within 30 days of acquiring the car, at the office that covers their place of residence.
• Bring identification, the vehicle’s circulation permit, the acquisition document and the Secured-Transactions Registry confirmation.

Table of Contents

• How the notary fee for a car is calculated
• Who pays the notary, the buyer or the seller?
• Other charges on top of the notary fee
• Do you always need a notary?
• Documents to bring
• Step by step: from handshake to new permit
• How long does it take?
• Mistakes that cost money
• Promo: find and list cars with the paperwork in mind
• Perspective: budget for the paperwork before you fall for the car
• FAQ
• Sources

How the notary fee for a car is calculated

A notary in Albania does not set a price freely. The Notary Law says that fees for notarial acts are fixed by a joint instruction of the Ministers of Justice and Finance, must be displayed in every notary office and applied to each specific act. In practice that means two notaries should quote you the same tariff for the same contract, and the tariff should be visible on the wall or at the desk.

For the sale or gift of movable property, which includes a vehicle, the published notarial schedule gives three bands:

The same schedule sets a floor: the fee for vehicle sale or gift contracts may not be lower than 3,000 lekë.

Worked examples

The floor does most of the work for typical used-car deals.

• A car sold for 800,000 lekë. 0.30% of 800,000 is 2,400 lekë. That is under the floor, so the fee is 3,000 lekë.
• A car sold for 1,000,000 lekë. 0.30% of 1,000,000 is exactly 3,000 lekë, the same as the minimum.
• A car sold above 1,000,000 lekë. The lower rates of 0.25% and 0.23% apply to the higher bands. Ask the notary to show you on the written tariff how the bands apply to your price, and to give you the figure before you sign.

Because the fee follows the value declared in the contract, it is worth stating the real agreed price. The contract is the document the registration office relies on, and it is also your proof if the sale is ever questioned.

Who pays the notary, the buyer or the seller?

The tariff itself does not say who must pay. That is something the two parties agree on. Many private sellers and buyers split the cost, others leave it to the buyer because the buyer is the one who needs the document to register the car. Write the agreement into the deal before you meet at the notary, so the fee is not a surprise at the desk.

What is fixed by the registration rules is the duty to register. The obligation to register the change of ownership belongs to the buyer or new holder, who has 30 days from the date of acquisition to complete it.

Other charges on top of the notary fee

The notary is only the first stop. The registration directorate (DPSHTRR) publishes its own schedule of service fees. The lines that matter in a car sale are these:

All of these come from DPSHTRR’s official list of vehicle registration fees. Fees are updated from time to time, so check that page before you go.

What a simple private sale usually involves

Take a straightforward case: a private car priced under 1,000,000 lekë, same plates stay on the car, nothing special. Using the published schedules, the baseline is the 3,000 lekë notary minimum plus the 1,500 lekë ownership change, which makes 4,500 lekë. The seller-side registration line of 1,000 lekë is listed separately. A new circulation permit in the buyer’s name is a separate 2,500 lekë line, and plates only come into it if they are replaced. Which of these lines apply to you depends on your case, so confirm them at the counter.

Do you always need a notary?

The notary is the usual route, but it is not the only valid document. DPSHTRR accepts a valid ownership-acquisition document, and the list includes a sale or gift contract, an auction sale document, an inheritance certificate, a court or other legally authorised decision, or a tax sale invoice. A dealer sale typically comes with a tax invoice, which is why buying from a verified dealer can look different on paper from a private deal.

There is also a counter option. DPSHTRR has announced that it offers ownership transfer directly at its counters without a notary through its One Stop Shop service. If you want that route, ask the office about current conditions before you plan your day around it.

Documents to bring

Preparing the papers in advance is the cheapest way to save time. DPSHTRR’s official list for an ownership change includes:

1. Identification documents of the parties.
2. A valid ownership-acquisition document, such as the notarized sale contract.
3. Confirmation from the Secured-Transactions Registry, which shows whether the car carries a pledge or other charge.
4. The vehicle circulation permit.
5. The ownership certificate, when the circulation permit is an old model.

This list is taken from the official change-of-ownership page. For a sellers’ checklist with more detail, see our guide to the documents you need to sell a car in Albania.

Step by step: from handshake to new permit

1. Agree the price and who pays which fee. Put it in writing, including the notary cost split.
2. Check the Secured-Transactions Registry confirmation. A car with a registered charge is a problem you want to see before paying.
3. Meet at the notary with both IDs and the vehicle documents. Ask for the fee in writing before signing.
4. Sign the contract. This becomes your acquisition document.
5. Apply at the DRSHTRR office that has jurisdiction over the buyer’s place of residence.
6. Receive the circulation permit issued in the new owner’s name.

The key deadline is the 30 days. The new owner must register the ownership change within 30 days, so book the notary and the registration visit close together. For the full registration side, read our walkthrough on car ownership transfer in Albania and our guide to how to register a car in Albania.

How long does it take?

The notary part is normally a single appointment, because the contract is drawn up and signed at the office. The registration part happens afterwards at the DRSHTRR office and is bound by the 30-day window for the new owner, not by a fixed processing time that we can promise you. If you are importing a car or need temporary plates, the timeline is different, and our page on a provisional plate (targim provizor) explains that route.

Mistakes that cost money

• Missing the 30 days. The duty lies with the buyer, so the buyer should set the date, not leave it open.
• Arriving without the registry confirmation. The notary and the registration office both expect it, and a second visit costs you time.
• Declaring a different price than the real one. The contract is your evidence of what was agreed.
• Not asking for the written tariff. The Notary Law requires fees to be displayed, so you are entitled to see them.
• Treating the notary fee as the whole cost. Budget separately for the registration lines above.

Promo: find and list cars with the paperwork in mind

If you are buying, you can browse new and used cars on CarPulse by make, model, year, mileage, price and fuel type, save searches and contact sellers directly. Buyers do not pay to use the platform. If you are selling, VIN-based listing fills in the vehicle details automatically, and sellers pay for listing: the Basic plan is 14.99 € per month and Premium is 29.99 € per month, as published on the CarPulse pricing page.

Start on the CarPulse marketplace, filter for the price range you can afford once the notary and registration costs are added, and you will know the full budget before the first call to a seller.

Perspective: budget for the paperwork before you fall for the car

We see the same pattern on CarPulse again and again. Buyers compare asking prices to the euro and then discover the notary, the ownership change and the permit only on the day of the sale. The amounts are small next to the price of a car, but they are real, and they are easier to handle when you plan for them.

Our view is that a good listing makes this easy. That is why we built VIN-based listing, so the details of the vehicle are filled in automatically and accurately, and why we work with a network of verified dealers, so a buyer knows who is on the other side. Add AI price evaluation and a vehicle history check, and the buyer walks into the notary’s office with the facts already in hand.

Our advice to sellers: list with complete data, state the real price, prepare the documents in the list above, and agree on the fee split before the meeting. Our advice to buyers: ask for the document list before you travel, and register within the 30 days.

Henri

FAQ

What is the minimum notary fee for a car in Albania?

The notarial schedule sets the minimum for vehicle sale or gift contracts at 3,000 lekë. For a car priced up to 1,000,000 lekë, the percentage fee comes to 3,000 lekë or less, so the minimum is what you pay.

Is the notary fee separate from the registration fee?

Yes. The notary charges for the contract. DPSHTRR charges separately for the ownership change, which its schedule lists at 1,500 lekë including VAT, plus other lines such as the circulation permit when they apply.

How long do I have to register the car after buying it?

The new owner has 30 days from the date of acquiring the car. The application goes to the DRSHTRR office with jurisdiction over the buyer’s place of residence.

Can I transfer a car without a notary?

A notarized contract is one valid acquisition document, but not the only one. DPSHTRR also lists documents such as an auction sale document, an inheritance certificate or a tax sale invoice, and it has announced a counter service without a notary. Confirm current conditions with the office.

Where can I see the official notary tariff?

The law says that fees must be displayed in every notary office. Ask to see the tariff before you sign.

Sources

• Sherbime Noterie, notarial fee schedule
• Law on Notary, Albanian legislation
• Ndryshimi i Pronësisë së Mjetit, DPSHTRR
• Shërbime që kryhen nga Drejtoria e Regjistrimit të Mjeteve, DPSHTRR
• DPSHTRR ownership transfer without a notary, One Stop Shop

Recommended

• Car Registration in Albania 2026: Complete Guide
• The Documents You Need to Sell a Car in Albania
• Car Ownership Transfer in Albania: Steps and Documents