Saranda - Clearance
See Albania Formalities for detailed Clearance Information.
This is Albania’s southernmost port and a convenient place to clear in by boats coming from the south. Visitors are very welcome here.
Call the Port Captain on VHF Channel 11 or VHF Channel 16 on arrival. They will direct you to a berth, if available, on the ferry dock. Alternatively, boats can anchor off and dinghy in for clearance.
Note that the new ferry dock is very rough and if there is any surge entering the harbour can be rather unpleasant to tie alongside.
Use of an agent is necessary (see Clearance Agents) and if advised of your ETA and crew details, can arrange the necessary shore passes. These are all that is required as the crew of a boat. It is likely the agent will be on the dock to meet you when you arrive. The agent’s fee will include clearance costs and port fees.
Last updated: June 2023
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We have visited Sarande in June 2021.
Moored Med style anchor and stern to quay at the small indent after (to the north of) the fuel dock.
I suspect we were directed there as the ferry that uses this space was not operating due to the Covid restrictions and the fuel dock was occupied most of our stay there by megayachts bunkering fuel.
Our boat is a Lagoon L400 cat, and there was room at this small dock for two-three additional yachts.
Paid € 17 per night including electricity & water. The pedestal is behind a fence and you need long hose and cable (the agent offered a help if needed).
As others here I highly recommend Jelja Serani +355 694 859 383 info@sarandasummertours.com.
Helpful and efficient (also rented a car through her office).
Paid € 55 for formalities (entry & exit to/from Albania).
Joe Richardson says:
Oct 30, 2018 06:36 AM
On Sunday the 28th I left Corfu to check into Albania while transiting to Montenegro. Given various heavy weather systems around I was keen to be able to anchor on the cost of Albania. I had tried to contact Interalba-logistic.com but it seems they only work Monday to Friday so took a chance and turned up at Saranda. As I came alongside on the dock an agent was there to greet me. The Harbour Master had seen the AIS and rung an agent to help us. I confirmed the cost and was pleasantly surprised at 40 euros. Effectively you have to check into the port and country but also check out the port. 20 euros to check in and 20 euros to check out of the port. You can then Anchor along the coast but if you wish to go on land you need to check into the local port before doing so. The agent who was very good in Saranda was Jelja Serani +355 694 859 383 info@sarandasummertours.com
We had the same nice experience: Contacted Jelja at info@sarandasummertours.com in advance. She is the optimal combination of being professional, super effective, calm and friendly. Check in/out, was done in few minutes without our involvement. We hired a car for two days round trip, very interesting and friendly country/people.
Totally agree with comments about Jelja and her company – very professional 🙂
Sep 01, 2017 09:47 AM
We sailed from Corfu to Saranda and spent two nights. We used Jelja and her husband as agent (details in the agency section of noonsite), who were very friendly and helpful. After announcing our arrival at Port Control on VHF channel 11, they identified a berth for us. Some of the births are alongside, but we had to go stern-to with the anchor out. No problems. Jelja took care of the formalities, there was water and electricity. There are toilets in the port building. Cost: Euro 40 for the agent and Eur 13 per night for the port. The nights were calm and we could leave and enter the port without problems. You can visit Butrint by bus, highly recommended. Change some Euros to Lek close to the port to pay for bus fare (100 lek) and entry to Butrint (500 lek). We notified Jelja of our intention to depart and she got the papers ready for our next port. Note that it is also possible to anchor in the bay.
We just left Saranda after a very pleasant stay, and can’t recommend Jelja at Saranda Summer Tours highly enough. She is professional, knowledgeable and economical. It would absolutely be a blunder not to use her services when checking in and out.
This visit we anchored out and completed all formalities by coming to shore in the dinghy. No problem, and much nicer than being bashed up against the rough concrete dock by the ferry wakes and the surge.
We actually forgot to call the Harbor Master when we came in – just sailed in and dropped the anchor – and there were no problems about that…
What a lovely bay after coming from Vlore. We decided to stay an extra day after speaking to jelja (agent). We hired a car and enjoyed sight seeing and ruins, highly recommended. Agents extremely helpful. Paid 53 Euros for the first night and 13 Euros the second night. Many restaurants etc. Please stay and enjoy.
Suezette “Q”
**** out of possible 5 (just for lack of facilities like shower, toilets or laundry)
Date: 2016-07-15
Captain: Maciej Laskowski, Road Harbour (30)
Before getting to Saranda contact Saranda Summer Tours (info@sarandasummertours.com Address: Saranda Summer Tours, Lagja Nr 4, Rruga “Mitat Hoxha”, Porti, Sarande, Albania Phone: +355 69 485 9383, Tel / Fax: 00355 852 26768). The nicest and the most hospitable couple that own the place will help you out with all immigration/custom clearance.
They will make arrangements for your boat to moor at the ferry harbor. Be prepared for a Mediterranean mooring using your own anchor and lines. Go either bow or stern in. Somebody from SST will be on the dock to assist you with lines. That counts a lot!There’s 240V electricity on the dock (some extensions and socket multipliers may be need as there are only two electric pylons there) and limited water (you may need to ask SST to get water turned on when you needed it).
Also they will assist you with all information and help needed to visit the town or make any side trips. (I personally recommend the Blue Eye water source!)On the shore, close by, a number of nice restaurants serving variety of foods. Look up the tripadvisor.com for recommendations. A produce farmer market very close to the dock. Just go up from the marina gate and turn right.
Also a nice bakery very close by.The current price for Saranda Summer Tours service is €50 for the first day, which include clearing in and out upon the departure and a day of docking fees). Every next day at the marine is € 15.
(Visited July 2016)
I am a sailor from Italy. I have heard about Albania very often from my friends who had been there and I was really curious to visit it.
So, we left Bari on 10 April 2016 and sailed to Corfu where we stayed for 2 nights. We had been there a couple of times before that’s why our visit was short.
After that, we decided to stop in Saranda, which is the closest port to Corfu. We got contact with an agent there. Her name is Jelja Serani and she promised she would arrange everything for us. Jelja and her staff were waiting for us on the dock. They helped us to moor and prepared paperwork. They also gave us a map of the town marked with all the interesting sites and good traditional restaurants of the town. We were surprised when they offered us a delicious local dish on the boat.
The next day we visited the Roman ruins and the Blue Eye.
In the evening Jelja took us to a very nice restaurant outside the town named “Karahaxh” where we ate paid are. After two days we left Saranda with the best impressions and a promise to come back again.
A friend who had been in Saranda gave us Jelja Serani email info@sarandasummertours.com. She helped us with everything we needed. We stayed two days in Saranda beautiful city good food. We visited Butrint and Blue eye. Thanks, Jelja
3 August 2015. Second time in Saranda, Albania. Really glad to be back and this time with my family. I contacted again my port agent, Jelja Serani, who was very kind and helpful the first time we came to Saranda. She organized a tour for us to Gjirokastra town and Blue Eye Spring. We had a lovely time.
I recommend Jelja as an agent to all the sailors who plan to visit Albania. She will arrange everything for you. Contact her on +355694859383 or email info@sarandasummertours.com or send her a message directly from her website http://www.sarandasummertours.com
Posted on behalf of Tony Olin:
We left Corfu for the Albania port of Sarande, emailed agent Agim Zholi, agimzholi@yahoo.com, a very helpful fellow who will have everything organised for you on arrival, cost including four nights mooring €100. Tie up on the new ferry dock, 24/7 security close to everything.
Definitely worth a visit if in this area, The Blue Eye and the Amphitheatre of Butrint are a must-do. Electricity and water available, eat and drink well for cheap, great internet from a local phone shop, €14 for 10mb.
They usually take 50 euros for small boats up to 12 meters long this includes the harbour dues check in, check out an agency fee for 1 day. For the days that follow there is a calculation based on linear metres and the position of the berth. So, if stern-to 3 x width + 4 euros. If, alongside 3 x length + 4 euros. These are the prices used for small boats for bigger ones, the agency fee and harbour dues are of higher.
There are some grocery shops and fresh fruit and veg markets within walking distance of the port. There are several good restaurants close to the port and further around the bay, including bars. It was fairly cheap shopping and eating out. About half the cost of Corfu – cheap !!
I’m not sure about boating repairs and chandlers. There may be but I didn’t see any.
Contact for Saranda Summer Tours & Sailing is info@sarandasummertours.com
See http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Albania?rc=Formalities#ClearanceAgents for more information.
I have been to Albania 4 times over the last 2 years and discovered a very helpful lady that helps with all sailing issues, tours and just about anything. She helps with my sailing plans, told me the good shops and restaurants in Saranda and organised a couple of tours for me and my subsequent guests on following trips. She helped make all my trips to Saranda and onwards through Albania extremely pleasant.
Her name is Jelja Serani and she works for Saranda Sailing and Summer Tours. I contacted her via http://l.facebook.com/l/dAQFPF7rVAQEDT3nRVTcP5a6MBYkIQRXEiwGhS0YYYDzYfg/www.sarandasummertours.com
August 2013. We used Agim Zholi as our agent (Office phone & fax +35585225075, Mobile phone +355692566576). Very good experience. He is to be recommended. SMS him a day before you intend arriving with boat details and he will arrange everything. We paid him €30 for agent fees and €20 for 2 nights mooring at the quay.