Retired Italian citizens living in Albania demand more legal facilities

But things are not that easy. Carmine Iampietro is an Italian pensioner who has been living in Albania for years.

With his pension from Italy he can lead a good life in Albania, with lower prices. But Carmine says it is difficult to receive a residence permit in Albania.

“It is difficult for Italians to transfer to Albania, because Albania demands one owned property or one contract. This is unfair, because my pension and a rented home should be enough. Not every pensioner has the money to buy a home. Why shouldn’t we overcome this obstacle”, said Carmine Iampietro.

Carmine used to be a motorcycle professional driver and then a race mechanic. Since he lives in Albania, he wants to follow the Albanians laws. There is a double taxation agreement between both countries, and that recognizes spending of pensioners so that they can avoid taxation in Italy.

“The Pension Institution in Italy takes back taxes that are to be paid and those in the residing country. They issue an application with our personal data, with which we go to the Albanian tax office. They should stamp it, making me subject of the Albanian fiscal system. But the Albanian authorities don’t recognize this application. We need the Albanian government to recognize this application, because it makes our life here easier”, Iampietro says.

Many European states are creating policies to attract pensioners from developed countries, offering fiscal facilities in exchange of their moving in.

Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania and Tunisia are developing specific programs, which Albania maybe should follow.

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