According to Serbian Economist, Albania has revised its rules for foreigners, significantly simplifying the process of applying for residence and work permits. Under the new regulations, foreign nationals can now submit their applications entirely online, and a temporary confirmation of their right to stay must be issued within one business day of application. This was reported by the Albanian state agency ATA.
The reform applies to foreign residents as well as entrepreneurs and employees applying for residence and work permits. The authorities have standardized the lists of required documents, allowed financial and supporting documents to be submitted in Albanian or English, and clarified procedures for specific categories of employment.
Albania is taking another step toward a more liberal regime for foreign business and long-term residency. For entrepreneurs, the most important aspect is that the administrative part of the process becomes faster and more predictable, while for residents, it is that some of the previous delays between submitting documents and confirming legal status are being eliminated. This is particularly important for the real estate market, small businesses, services, and remote work, where the foreign presence in the country has grown significantly in recent years.
Against the backdrop of this reform, Albania remains a country with a relatively significant foreign presence. According to INSTAT, as of the end of 2024, there were 21,940 foreigners with residence permits in the country. The main reason for obtaining permits was employment—54.3%, followed by family reunification—24.5%, other grounds—16.3%, education—4.0%, and humanitarian reasons—0.9%.
Official INSTAT statistics show that the largest groups of foreigners with residence permits in Albania in 2024 were from Kosovo—4,592 people, Italy—3,763, as well as Turkey, India, and the Philippines.
https://t.me/relocationrs/2713
The government is continuing its work on a systematic upgrade of Ukrzaliznytsia’s rolling stock, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced.
“As part of this upgrade, 100 new Ukrainian-made cars are to be delivered—including compartment cars, accessible cars, and new-generation cars with a service life extended by 20 years. The total cost of the project is approximately 6.5 billion UAH. Delivery will take place in phases through May 2028,” Svyrydenko wrote on her Telegram channel.
The first new cars are already carrying passengers as part of the flagship train that Ukrzaliznytsia will launch on Tuesday, April 28.
“Over 150 Ukrainian enterprises, including those near the front lines and relocated ones, are involved in the production, which I had the opportunity to tour last October. This provides jobs for over 10,000 Ukrainians and supports the national economy. The product, manufactured in Ukraine, benefits the domestic economy and logistics—going straight from the factory to the tracks,” the prime minister added.
She noted that the new railcars meet modern comfort standards: they feature improved shelves, air conditioning, changing tables and baby playpens, ramps, and upgraded batteries that allow the temperature to be set in advance before passengers board.
In Kyiv’s primary housing market in 2026, apartments with European-style layouts have effectively become the new standard of demand. According to an analytical study by the development company Intergal-Bud, their share of the demand structure is 60–70% depending on the segment, and in certain comfort+ and business-class projects, it already exceeds 75%.
As the company notes, the trend, which began as early as 2022, became firmly established in 2025–2026. While the share of demand for apartments with European-style layouts was about 38% in 2022 and 52% in 2024, it exceeded 60% in 2025 and continued to grow in the first quarter of 2026.
Changes to the “єОселя” state program, which took effect in February 2026, served as an additional growth factor. The new area standards stipulate 52.5 square meters for a family of 1–2 people plus 21 square meters for each additional family member, while the maximum housing area eligible under the program is significantly limited. If an apartment exceeds the established standard by more than 10%, the buyer effectively loses the opportunity to take advantage of preferential financing or is forced to cover the significant difference in cost on their own.
“Classic layouts with long hallways, large unproductive areas, and small, isolated kitchens are becoming economically unviable. Today, buyers value not the number of square meters, but the lifestyle the apartment offers. A spacious kitchen-living room, separate bedrooms, a minimum of hallways, and thoughtful zoning are no longer just a bonus but a basic requirement. “This is particularly noticeable among families who are buying a home to live in themselves, rather than as an investment,” the study quotes Elena Ryzhova, Commercial Director of Intergal-Bud.
According to the company’s data, among the largest category of first-time homebuyers—people under 40—one in two chooses one- or two-bedroom apartments with open-plan layouts ranging from 38 to 60 square meters. The primary motivation is purchasing a home for personal residence. Buyers over 40 are more likely to choose two-bedroom or ergonomically designed three-bedroom apartments ranging from 65 to 85 square meters, where privacy, separate functional zones, and comfort for the whole family remain key factors.
Intergal-Bud estimates that, for the same floor area, a European-style layout provides 15–20% more usable space compared to traditional layouts, and the space efficiency ratio exceeds 85% versus 65–70% in older housing stock. This also means lower costs for repairs, heating, and maintenance.
At the same time, supply is not yet keeping up with demand. According to the company’s analysts, only one in seven apartments in new buildings fully meets the criteria for a true Euro-style layout—a spacious kitchen-living room, separate bedrooms, no “dead” hallways, and logical functional zoning.
The company believes that apartments with excess square footage and outdated layouts have already fallen out of active demand, while compact and functional European-style layouts continue to sell quickly even in challenging market conditions.
According to Intergal-Bud’s estimates, in 2026–2027 the market may face a shortage of high-quality finished housing specifically in the segment of functional comfort-class apartments, which best align with the new demand structure. The company cites the updated terms of the “єОселя” program, the limited number of new projects, rising construction costs, and accumulated pent-up demand as the main market drivers.
“Intergal-Bud” is one of Ukraine’s largest real estate development companies, operating in the residential real estate market since 2003. The company is implementing projects in Kyiv, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Uzhhorod, and other cities. The developer’s portfolio includes dozens of residential complexes, and its main focus remains on the construction of comfort-, comfort+, and business-class housing.
Nova Poshta, part of the NOVA Group and the leader in express delivery in Ukraine, increased its revenue from ordinary activities for January-March 2026 by 26.9% compared to the same period in 2025, reaching UAH 14.98 billion.
According to Nova Poshta’s published report, its net profit increased 4.4-fold to UAH 1.28 billion.
Gross profit rose by 20.7% to UAH 2.71 billion, while operating profit decreased by 10.3% to UAH 0.79 billion.
The report notes that in January–March 2026, net cash flows from investing activities generated a profit of UAH 1.68 billion, compared to a loss of UAH 0.48 billion in the previous year.
In February 2026, the company sold a 99.24% stake in its subsidiary Novobox LLC for UAH 1.46 billion. According to YouControl data, the new owner is the Cypriot company NP Holdings Limited, whose beneficiaries, like those of Nova Poshta, are Volodymyr Poperechnyuk and Vyacheslav Klimov. After the sale, the company was renamed “Nova Box.”
Nova Poshta’s equity grew over the year from 11.7 billion UAH to 13.4 billion UAH.
It is noted that in the first quarter of 2026, the company opened 2,600 new parcel lockers, 36 branches, and 329 parcel pickup and drop-off points.
By the end of 2026, the company plans to expand its network of parcel lockers by 6,000 units and open 300 mini-branches across the country.
As reported, in 2025, Nova Poshta increased its revenue by 21.6% compared to 2024—to 54.2 billion UAH, while net profit rose by 4.4%—to 2.6 billion UAH.
The company’s gross profit in 2025 increased by 15.7% compared to 2024—to 11.4 billion UAH, while operating profit also rose in 2025 by 25.8%—to 5.2 billion UAH.
The number of parcels and shipments delivered last year grew by 7.4%—from 486 million to 522 million—including international shipments, which rose by 52.6%, from 19 million to 29 million.
Ukraine and Norway are establishing their first joint production facility for Ukrainian drones. Several thousand mid-strike drones are planned to be manufactured in Norway, with the first deliveries expected by summer, according to the Ministry of Defense’s website.
The agreement was signed in Kyiv by Norway’s Ambassador to Ukraine Lars Ragnar Aalered Hansen and Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defense for European Integration Serhiy Boev.
The agreement also provides for the development of comprehensive industrial cooperation, including research.
The project will be funded by the Norwegian side. In total, Norway plans to allocate over $1.5 billion this year to purchase Ukrainian-made weapons for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The first systems manufactured in Norway are expected to be delivered to Ukraine as early as this summer.
“Norway gains the opportunity to produce technologies that have proven their effectiveness, while Ukraine receives the drones necessary to seize the initiative on the front lines. This is a true win-win partnership,” noted Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
In turn, Tore Onshuus Sandvik emphasized that “supporting Ukraine’s fight is the most important thing we are doing for Norway’s security. This is a collaboration that benefits both countries.”
According to him, the experience gained through this project will allow Norway to expand its production capabilities in a critically important area.
The Ministry of Defense notes that mutually beneficial technological and industrial cooperation with partners is one of Ukraine’s top priorities.
The amount real estate agents earn per transaction in the world’s largest cities varies by nearly four times, even though property prices remain relatively high. This is according to a study by the global real estate agent network AgentWise.
According to the study, Paris ranks first in terms of an agent’s earnings per transaction: with an average property price of approximately £669,950 and a 5.5% commission, the average real estate agent’s earnings amount to £36,847. Next are New York with £25,824, Singapore with £22,515, Berlin with £18,618, and Madrid with £15,692 per transaction.
London is at the other end of the spectrum. Despite having one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, the average agent commission there is only 1.7%, which amounts to approximately £9,963 in income per transaction, with an average home price of £586,050. Figures are slightly higher in Dubai—£9,993—while in Toronto, the average income for a realtor from a sale is estimated at £10,018.
The study shows that an agent’s income level depends not so much on the price of the property itself as on local regulations, market structure, and the intensity of competition among agencies. In the most competitive markets, such as London and Dubai, agents have to work with minimal margins even when property prices are high.
