Berisha says US entry ban is over

Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha says the US entry ban imposed on him and his family in 2021 is no longer in force.

Berisha stopped short of calling it a formal lifting of sanctions, saying instead that relations had returned to normal.

“I came back. It is done,” he said.

The US embassy in Tirana has not yet confirmed whether the move is a full removal of the designation or a travel waiver.

Berisha was declared ineligible for US entry in 2021 by then secretary of state Antony Blinken over alleged significant corruption and undermining democracy.

A limited easing was reported in 2025, when US officials said exemptions could be granted for travel in line with American interests.

The designation became one of Albania’s biggest political disputes and shaped Berisha’s break with Washington after his return to the Democratic Party leadership.