📜 Can I write my will by hand myself in Albania?

With conditions

Quick answer

Yes — a handwritten (holographic) will is valid even without a notary, but only if it meets three conditions. The double myth is that without a notary you have no will or that it is enough to type it and sign it — both wrong. Under the Civil Code (articles 393–394), a holographic will must be written entirely in the testator's own hand, must carry the full date (day, month, year) and the testator's signature at the end of the dispositions. If one is missing — even a part typed on a computer — the will is void. You must be 18 with full capacity to act; a minor aged 14–18 may make a will only for property earned through their own work. The notary is not a validity condition, but registration in the Register of Wills is what gives it force against third parties and brings the disposition into civil circulation.

📋 The rules

A holographic will must be written entirely in the hand of the testator — not typed, not written by anyone else (Civil Code, article 393).
It must carry the full date (day, month, year) and the testator's signature at the end of the dispositions; missing one makes it void.
The testator must be 18 with full capacity to act; a minor aged 14–18 makes a will only for property earned through their own work.
The notary is not a validity condition, but the Notary Law and the Register of Wills require registration for effect against third parties.
The will cannot infringe the reserved share of the heirs who are entitled to it under the Civil Code.

🔓 Exceptions

A person who cannot read their own handwriting cannot make a valid holographic will (article 394).
Besides the holographic form, the law recognises the will by notarial act and the secret will, each with its own form and conditions.
Dispositions that infringe the compulsory share of the reserved heirs may be reduced at their request.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

Here there is no fine — the “penalty” is that your wish is not carried out. If you write the will on a computer, dictate it to someone, or forget the date or signature, it is void, and the estate is divided as if there were no will — by intestate succession, not as you wished. If you keep it hidden and no one finds it, or someone who loses out destroys it, the effect is the same as not having it; that is why registration in the Register of Wills is the best protection. Even when it is valid, the will cannot override the reserved share of the children and spouse, so excessive dispositions can be reduced in court. The real consequences are borne by the heirs: long proceedings, notarial and court costs and family rifts. A single sheet written correctly by hand, dated, signed and registered avoids all of this.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Is a will written by yourself, without a notary, valid?

Yes, a holographic will is valid without a notary if it is written entirely in your own hand, dated and signed at the end. The notary is not a validity condition, but registering it gives it force against third parties and protects it from loss or destruction.

Can I type the will on a computer and sign it?

No, because the holographic form requires writing entirely by hand; a typed text, even if signed, does not meet the conditions of article 393. In that case the will is void and the estate is divided by intestate succession, as if it did not exist.

What happens if I forget the date or the signature?

The absence of the full date or of the signature makes the holographic will void under the Civil Code. Then your will is not carried out and the estate passes to the legal heirs, as if no will had been written at all.

At what age can I make a will?

You must have turned eighteen and have full capacity to act in order to make a valid will. A minor from fourteen to eighteen years old may make a will only for the property they have earned through their own work.

Can I leave everything to whoever I want?

Not entirely, because the law preserves a compulsory reserved share for the reserved heirs, such as the children and the spouse. Dispositions that infringe this compulsory share can be reduced at the request of those entitled to it.

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