Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha made the application to Czech Prime Minister-in-resignation Mirek Topolánek, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, in Prague.
"There is a long way ahead for Albania and I hope it will be crowned with success," Topolánek told a news conference.
In a report released in November, the European Commission said Albania needed to make more progress in strengthening the state administration and courts, and in fighting organised crime and corruption.
The Commission had urged Albania to wait until after parliamentary elections on 28 June to make its application, saying that polls in post-Communist Albania had never been certified free and fair by international observers.
Albania's bid follows that of fellow Balkan state Montenegro, which applied in December, and may be followed by Serbia later this year.
Albania and Croatia joined the US-led NATO security alliance earlier this month.
The EU enlargement process may also be slowed by some current members' hesitance to take in more members after past waves of enlargement.
Early entry is seen unlikely for any countries but Croatia, which is in an advanced stage of negotiations, and possibly crisis-hit Iceland, which may be put on a fast-track membership path.
(EurActiv with Reuters.)
