Albania

 Tirana, the capitol of Albania

About

Albania is currently residing in no-man's land, having formally applied for the EU in April 2009 (it's not expected to be included until 2015 at the earliest).  While that process is underway, it stands as an independent nation.  Tirana, the capital and financial center, is home to 600,000 of the 2.8 million total residents.  Though Albania is Europe's poorest and only Islamist country, the country was named No. 1 on Lonely Planet's List of Top 10 Countries to visit in 2011, and it's the homeland of some awesome beaches, mountains, and cities, all under a Mediterranean sun. 

Location 

Southeastern Europe, bordered by Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Greece 

Language 

Albanian 

Best For

- Any English-speaking international couples with money saved
- Nomadic couples looking to stretch their bank accounts 

Visa Information 

Albania applied to the European Union in 2009, but fortunately the process has not yet been finished.  Therefore, it's equal grounds for all nationalities in terms of work visas until the EU thing goes through.  EU nationals have less paperwork to fill out when applying for a work visa, so they might be preferred, but with the right skills it's open game. 

The Moneys

Seeing as it IS the poorest country in Europe, don't expect to make much, if at all.   But the beaches are pretty!  And your living expenses are cheap.  There are ferries to Greece and Italy, but the Lek to Euro conversion won't be in your favor...definitely have extra money saved for this one. 

 Who needs money when you have the beach? 

Jobs Available 

Teaching English is an option, with salaries ranging at $500-1000 per month.   There are a plethora of volunteer jobs available, and the majority of paid positions will be in the capital, Tirana.

"Real Jobs" are available, and if you get creative enough are probably your best bet. The Albanian-American Enterprise Fund, embassies, and these financial guys all require suits to sit in their offices. 

Volunteer jobs are plentiful, and there are quite a few HelpX listings for work exchange (gives that dollar legs). 

A lot of Albanians are migrating to Greece to work in the tourism industry.  Greece's current unemployment is 26.9%, so I'm just going to take a gander at this one and say tourism/hospitality jobs are few and far between. 

In Conclusion 

A beautiful country in which to be poor.