TIRANA, July 17 /ATSH/ – More than 150 Albanian citizens have already initiated procedures to claim pension benefits under the bilateral social security agreement between Albania and Italy, which came into effect on July 1, 2025.
Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhja, met today with Valeria Vittimberga, Director General of Italy’s National Social Security Institute (INPS), to discuss the progress in implementing the agreement.
The agreement allows for mutual recognition of social insurance periods and grants pension entitlements in line with each country’s national legislation.
“To date, most of the applications involve the aggregation of insurance periods for pension eligibility in Italy, as well as from individuals who fall short of the 15-year minimum contribution period required in Albania,” the minister explained.
The Albanian Social Insurance Institute has established all necessary systems to handle these applications efficiently and maintain direct communication with the Italian counterpart.
“The exchange of documentation between the two institutions will be conducted electronically, significantly shortening processing times and simplifying the service experience for citizens,” Gonxhja noted.
To ensure transparency and clarity, detailed instructions and manuals outlining the procedures for each applicant category have already been made publicly available.
This agreement marks a major advancement in the field of social protection and serves as a model of bilateral cooperation that Albania intends to replicate with other
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