When is this document usually requested?
The translation is commonly used for a licence exchange, driving-rights verification, rental or another mobility-related application.
Service details
Sworn Albanian-to-French translation: driving licence
Need a certified translation for a French procedure? Your document is handled personally by the sworn translator, with turnaround confirmed after review.
Turnaround confirmed after review
Sworn Albanian–French translator
Secure handling of confidential files
What to know about Driving licence
These notes help you prepare a readable file and avoid unnecessary exchanges before translation.
Which file should you send?
Scan front and back in colour, flat and at high resolution. Every category, restriction, date, number and the photograph must be visible.
Is an apostille or legalisation required?
Driving licences are not usually apostilled. Still, confirm the exact document list with the receiving authority or organisation.
What should you check?
A missing reverse side, hidden category, glare over dates or an expired licence can make the translation unsuitable for the intended procedure.
Albanian and Kosovan licences: two very different regimes in France
This is the decisive point, and it often comes as a surprise. France publishes a list of non-EU countries whose national driving licences it recognises for exchange. In the version of this list updated on 2 March 2026 by the French road safety authority (Sécurité routière), Kosovo is listed for “all” categories, whereas Albania does not appear.
In practice: the holder of a Kosovan licence can apply for an exchange through ANTS (the French national agency for secure documents), provided the licence is currently valid and their driving privileges are not suspended in their home country. The holder of an Albanian licence, on the other hand, cannot obtain an exchange: once the period during which they may drive on their foreign licence after obtaining their residence permit has elapsed, they must retake the driving test in France. Check your personal situation on the official simulator before taking any steps, as the list is revised periodically.
The Albanian licence: what you need to know
The patentë shoferi is issued by the General Directorate of Road Transport Services (DPSHTRR). Since February 2024, its period of validity has been extended from ten to fifteen years, including for drivers over sixty-five, and the international driving permit is issued for three years.
An important point for the diaspora: renewal cannot be done remotely. The DPSHTRR states that the procedure must be completed in person at a regional directorate in Albania, that the service is not provided by embassies or consulates and that no power of attorney is accepted. An expired Albanian licence therefore cannot be sorted out from France.
So what is the translation for?
For a Kosovan driver, the sworn translation accompanies the exchange application: it allows the authorities to identify the categories, the dates of first issue, the restrictions and the medical notes shown on the licence.
For an Albanian driver, the translation remains useful in other contexts: car hire, insurance, proving driving experience to a French insurer, registering with a driving school to have prior experience taken into account, or a roadside check. It does not turn a non-exchangeable licence into an exchangeable one — no translation can — but it makes the document legible and enforceable.
How is your sworn translation prepared?
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01
Upload a clear scan
Upload every relevant page through the secure ordering area. For an initial question, use the contact form without attaching sensitive documents.
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02
Receive confirmation of price and timing
Hysni Bajraktari checks legibility, page count and the intended administrative use before confirming the turnaround and any required formalities.
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03
Receive the certified translation
The document is translated, signed and stamped by the sworn translator. A digital version is supplied, with a paper copy available on request.
Who translates, at what price, how fast, and where the translation is accepted: all of it is on the page sworn Albanian-French translator: prices and turnaround.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about translating Driving licence
Can my Albanian licence be exchanged for a French one?
According to the reciprocity list published by the Sécurité routière in its version of 2 March 2026, Albania is not included: exchange is not possible. As this list is updated periodically, check your situation on the official simulator on service-public.fr before starting any procedure.
And a Kosovan licence?
Kosovo appears on the same list for “all” categories. Exchange is therefore available, subject to the general conditions: the licence must be currently valid, driving privileges must not be suspended in the country of origin, and the application must be filed within the deadline following the issue of the residence permit.
Do I need to translate the front and back of the licence?
Yes. The back shows the table of categories, the issue and expiry dates for each, and the restriction codes. This is precisely the information the authorities examine: a scan limited to the front makes the translation unusable.
My Albanian licence has expired — can I renew it from France?
No. The DPSHTRR specifies that renewal is done only in person at a regional directorate in Albania, that it is not provided by diplomatic missions and that no power of attorney is accepted.