Albania

Albania’s national currency is the lek (ALL). The Bank of Albania licenses and supervises commercial banks, non-bank financial institutions, foreign-exchange bureaus and savings-and-loan associations. These categories have different permitted activities: a microcredit or leasing firm is not automatically entitled to accept deposits from the public. Savings-and-loan associations are membership-based institutions whose lending and deposit arrangements follow their own framework.

The Albanian Deposit Insurance Agency (ADIA/ASD) insures qualifying deposits at member banks and eligible savings-and-loan associations under separate statutory conditions. Coverage depends on the type of institution and the depositor, not just on a familiar brand. Bank of Albania registers and the deposit agency’s membership information should be checked together before a person treats a proposed savings product as a protected bank deposit.