Alcohol License
Licensing for producing, importing, distributing or selling alcoholic beverages — different requirements depending on where you sit in the supply chain.
Where You Sit in the Supply Chain Changes What You Need
“Alcohol license” covers several distinct activities, and the requirements differ substantially depending on where your business sits in the supply chain. Producing alcohol (a distillery, winery or brewery) is licensed differently from importing or wholesale-distributing it, which is licensed differently again from retail sale in a bar, restaurant or shop. Production and import additionally bring excise duty registration into play — a separate obligation from the license itself, and one of the areas that draws the closest regulatory attention.
Albania For Business Sh.p.k. supports alcohol businesses through licensing at every stage of the supply chain — confirming the right category for your activity, preparing the application, and coordinating excise registration where it applies.
ALCOHOL LICENSE APPLICATION
fixed service fee
PACKAGE OF ALCOHOL LICENSE APPLICATION INCLUDES:
- Eligibility assessment for your specific activity — production, import/wholesale, or retail sale
- Determination of the correct license category and issuing authority
- Preparation of the license application and supporting documentation
- Excise tax registration support, where applicable
- Premises compliance documentation for retail or hospitality activity
- Fit-and-proper documentation for directors
- Liaison with the licensing authority throughout review
- Post-licensing compliance setup guidance
License Categories by Supply Chain Position
| Category | Covers |
|---|---|
| Production | Distilling, brewing or wine-making — requires a manufacturing license plus excise tax registration |
| Import / wholesale distribution | Bringing alcohol into Albania or distributing in bulk — requires excise registration, customs compliance and a trade license |
| Retail sale | Bars, restaurants and shops selling to the end consumer — a municipal retail permit alongside standard business registration |
Excise Duty — A Recurring Theme
Production and import/wholesale activity bring excise tax registration into play — a separate obligation from the license itself, typically requiring a bonded warehouse arrangement or equivalent customs compliance for imported stock, and accurate ongoing reporting of quantities produced or imported. This is an area of continuing regulatory attention, and errors here tend to be treated more seriously than most other compliance gaps, given the direct revenue implications for the state. Retail sale generally doesn’t carry its own excise registration, since duty is already accounted for earlier in the supply chain.
What the Regulator Requires
- For production: manufacturing premises meeting hygiene, quality and safety standards, plus excise registration.
- For import/wholesale: excise registration, customs compliance, and appropriate storage/warehouse facilities.
- For retail: a municipal retail alcohol permit, suitable premises, and compliance with any local restrictions on hours of sale or proximity to schools and similar sensitive locations.
- Fit-and-proper directors and beneficial owners across all categories.
- Compliance with restrictions on sale to minors, including required signage at retail premises.
Excise duty rates, customs bonding requirements, municipal retail permit conditions, and locational restrictions on retail sale are set by current Albanian tax, customs and municipal regulation, and should be verified before this page is published or relied upon for a specific application.
Alcohol Licensing, Step by Step
- Eligibility & category assessment — we confirm which category applies to your activity and the correct issuing authority.
- Premises & compliance review — we confirm your premises, storage or manufacturing facility meets the applicable requirements.
- Excise registration, where applicable — set up alongside the license for production and import/wholesale activity.
- Application & documentation prepared — the full application package is prepared to the authority’s requirements.
- Filing with the licensing authority — the application is formally submitted.
- License granted & compliance setup — once granted, we help set up ongoing reporting and renewal tracking.
What We Need From You
- A description of your activity — production, import/wholesale, or retail sale.
- Details of your premises — manufacturing facility, storage/warehouse, or retail location.
- Your municipality, for retail applications.
- Details of your ownership and management structure.
- Expected volumes, for production and import/wholesale activity subject to excise registration.
Fee Schedule — Additional & Ongoing Services
Beyond the fixed package above, the following services are priced individually. Your adviser confirms an exact quotation once your structure, nationality and banking preference are known.
| Service | Indicative Fee |
|---|---|
| Alcohol license application — retail (as above) | From €400 fixed service fee |
| Import / wholesale distribution license (incl. excise registration) | from €800 |
| Production license (distillery, winery, brewery) | from €1,200 |
| Excise tax registration (standalone) | from €400 |
| Premises eligibility review (retail location restrictions) | from €150 |
| License renewal support | from €200 |
| Ongoing excise compliance monitoring (monthly) | from €250 / month |
For production and import, excise compliance is where the real regulatory risk sits, not the license application itself — underpaid or misreported excise duty tends to be treated far more seriously than an ordinary compliance gap, given the direct revenue implications. For retail, the equivalent risk is premises eligibility: opening in a location that doesn’t meet distance or zoning restrictions can mean a permit is refused after you’ve already committed to a lease. Both are worth confirming before capital is committed, not after.