Officer Career

An active duty officer of the Armed Forces is an Albanian citizen who has completed higher military education at the country and abroad, or the Albanian citizen who has completed higher civilian education, and the respective military course, not less than one year at the Military Academy, who swears the military oath, and is commissioned as such by order of the Minister of Defence.

The military ranks for officers in the Armed Forces are classified into low, high, and highest ones. For officers commissioned as active duty officers, the ranks are:

Minimal and maximal time in a rank until promotion to the next rank is as follows:

The commissioning as active duty officer and granting of the first rank to an officer is carried out by order of the Minister of Defence. The rank of second lieutenant is granted to students who complete higher military education in military academies in the country and abroad, equalized to them, and are commissioned as active duty officers. Military ranks from second lieutenant/ensign to colonel/captain are granted by order of the Minister of Defence, under career commissions’ proposals. The highest ranks are granted to officers by decree of the President of the Republic, and by proposal of the Minister of Defence.

The military officer is eligible for next promotion when he/she meets the following criteria:

a)   Time limit in a certain rank;
b)   Required education and qualification in military and civilian schools and courses;
c)   Annual work performance results.

Officers, candidates for promotion, are eligible to be appraised and evaluated by the career and ranks’ commissions for each rank as below:

a)   Officers at the rank of First Lieutenant/Lieutenant Junior Grade through colonel/captain twice;
b)   Officers at the rank of Brigadier General and above only once.

Education and qualification criteria to receive the rank are: