North Macedonia
North Macedonia visa and residence permit guide
- 14 visa types
- checked 25 October 2026
How visas for North Macedonia work
North Macedonia is not part of the Schengen area and applies its own Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette 97/2018, last amended in 2025). Short visits are handled through the visa regime run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassies and consulates, while every stay longer than 90 days requires temporary residence approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVR). The long-stay visa D is not a stand-alone permit: a mission issues it only after the MVR has approved temporary residence, and it gives a single entry with a right to stay up to 30 days, valid for up to six months, so that the holder can travel in and collect the residence permit.
Whether a short trip needs a visa depends on nationality and is set by the government's visa regime; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes a country-by-country "Do you need a visa?" tool, and its missions answer individual questions. Nationals of countries that do need a visa apply at a North Macedonian mission; at the border, the MVR may issue a transit or short-stay visa of up to 15 days only exceptionally, for national-interest or humanitarian reasons or where a ratified treaty provides for it.
Temporary residence is granted for a specific purpose: employment, seasonal work, posted work, study, student exchange, training and internships, research, volunteering, medical treatment, family reunification, family of a North Macedonian citizen, origin from North Macedonia, ownership of a home worth at least EUR 40,000, placement in a care home for the elderly, or humanitarian reasons. Each purpose has its own conditions on top of the general ones: means of subsistence, accommodation, health insurance, no threat to public order and, in most cases, a clean criminal record for the previous year. Depending on the purpose, the request is filed at a mission abroad or directly at the MVR in Skopje or a regional police office.
The MVR decides within 30 working days of receiving a request, or 60 working days when it comes through a mission, with a possible extension of 30 working days. The standard fee set for a first permit is MKD 6,210 in total. Temporary residence is approved for up to one year at a time and each extension also lasts up to one year. After more than five years of continuous temporary residence on a qualifying ground, a foreigner can apply for permanent residence.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday, family visit or business meeting of up to 90 days: check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' country list to see whether your nationality needs a short-stay visa.
Job with an employer in North Macedonia or in your own company: temporary residence for employment, based on a positive opinion of the Employment Agency. Seasonal farm or tourism jobs use the seasonal employment route; staff sent by a foreign employer use the posted worker route.
Full-time school or university studies: temporary residence for education; student exchange programmes, internships and research have their own grounds.
Joining a spouse or parent: family reunification if the sponsor is a foreign resident, or the route for family members of North Macedonian citizens.
Buying a home worth at least EUR 40,000: the property owner route for EU and OECD nationals. Living in the country for more than five years: permanent residence.
Fear of persecution or serious harm: asylum at the border, a police station or the Asylum Sector of the MVR.
Visa types for North Macedonia
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Visa-free entry and short-stay visa for tourism and private visits
Whether a short tourist, family or business trip to North Macedonia needs a visa depends on nationality and is listed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' country-by-country visa information.
Maximum stay: Visa-free stays: up to 90 days. Border visa: up to 15 days. - Medical treatment visa Temporary residence for medical treatment (Law on Foreigners, art. 103)
Patients who need treatment in North Macedonia lasting longer than a visit can obtain temporary residence for medical treatment.
Maximum stay: Up to one year, renewable while treatment continues.
Study and training
- Student visa Temporary residence for schooling, studies or learning the language of instruction (art. 92)
Foreign pupils and full-time students in North Macedonia need temporary residence for schooling or studies, approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for up to one year and renewable.
Maximum stay: Up to one year, renewable for the duration of studies. - Researcher visa Temporary residence for scientific research (Law on Foreigners, art. 99)
Researchers coming to North Macedonia for a research project need temporary residence for scientific research.
Maximum stay: Up to one year, renewable while the conditions are met. - Internship and trainee visa Temporary residence for specialisation, professional development or practical training (art. 96)
Graduates coming for professional development as trainees, and students abroad who need a practical placement to complete their degree, can obtain temporary residence for specialisation, professional development or practical training.
Maximum stay: One year, renewable; you must leave when the programme ends.
Work
- Work visa Temporary residence for employment (Law on Foreigners, art. 83–87)
To work for a company in North Macedonia, or in your own company there, you need temporary residence for employment.
Maximum stay: Approved for the period of employment; each extension up to one year. - Seasonal work visa Temporary residence for seasonal employment (Law on Foreigners, art. 89)
Seasonal workers in North Macedonia need temporary residence for seasonal employment, approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Maximum stay: For the season agreed in the contract; not counted towards permanent residence. - Intra-company transfer visa Temporary residence for posted workers (Law on Foreigners, art. 91)
Employees sent by a foreign company to work temporarily in its branch or unit in North Macedonia, or to deliver services to a local client, use temporary residence for posted workers.
Maximum stay: For the period of the posting; each extension up to one year.
Family
- Family reunification visa Temporary residence for family reunification (Law on Foreigners, art. 107–110)
A foreigner living lawfully in North Macedonia can bring a spouse and minor children through family reunification if he or she holds permanent residence or temporary residence approved for one year for employment, posted work, research, volunteering or origin.
Maximum stay: Up to one year, extended for the same period as the sponsor’s residence. - Spouse and partner visa Temporary residence for close family members of North Macedonian citizens (art. 115–116)
Foreign spouses, children and certain dependent relatives of North Macedonian citizens obtain temporary residence for close family members of a citizen.
Maximum stay: Up to one year, renewable.
Residence
- Golden visa and residence by investment Temporary residence for owners of a flat, residential building or house (art. 119)
Nationals of EU or OECD member states who have acquired ownership of a flat, residential building or house in North Macedonia worth at least EUR 40,000 can obtain temporary residence for one year, renewable.
Maximum stay: One year, renewable. - Residence permit Temporary residence permit (Law on Foreigners): general rules, other grounds and extension
Any foreigner who wants to stay in North Macedonia longer than 90 days needs temporary residence approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a specific purpose.
Maximum stay: Usually up to one year per approval; each extension up to one year. - Permanent residence Permanent residence of a foreigner (Law on Foreigners, art. 129–130)
A foreigner who has lived in North Macedonia continuously for more than five years on temporary residence can apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for permanent residence.
Maximum stay: Unlimited stay; the permit document is renewed.
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection Asylum: refugee status and subsidiary protection (Law on International and Temporary Protection)
North Macedonia grants asylum as refugee status under the 1951 Refugee Convention or as subsidiary protection for people facing a real risk of serious harm.
Maximum stay: Applicants may stay until a final decision; refugees receive an ID card valid at least three years.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether I need a visa for North Macedonia?
Use the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' country-by-country "Do you need a visa?" tool or ask a North Macedonian mission; the answer depends on the government's visa regime for your nationality. For anything longer than 90 days, such as work or studies, temporary residence must be approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
What is the visa D and who needs it?
The visa D is a single-entry long-stay visa issued by a North Macedonian mission after the Ministry of Internal Affairs has approved temporary residence. It allows a stay of up to 30 days and is valid for up to six months. Its purpose is to let the person enter and complete the residence procedure; the residence permit itself is what covers the longer stay.
How much does a temporary residence permit cost?
The national services portal lists MKD 50 for the request, MKD 1,230 (EUR 20) for the approval decision, MKD 930 (EUR 15) for the permit and MKD 4,000 for the permit form, a total of MKD 6,210. Taxes set in euros are paid in denars at the daily exchange rate, so the denar amounts can shift slightly.
How long does the residence procedure take?
The Ministry of Internal Affairs must decide within 30 working days of receiving a request at its own offices, or within 60 working days when the request was filed at a mission abroad. In exceptional cases the deadline may be extended by another 30 working days.
Can I apply for residence from inside North Macedonia?
For several grounds, yes. Employers can file employment requests with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, students who are already staying lawfully can apply there, and sponsors can file family reunification requests. Some grounds, such as internships and training, volunteering and the property owner route, can only be requested at a mission abroad.
When can I get permanent residence?
After more than five years of continuous temporary residence, provided you have not been abroad for six consecutive months or for more than ten months in total. Time spent on some grounds, such as seasonal work, studies or property ownership, does not lead to permanent residence, and you must show stable income, health insurance, accommodation and knowledge of Macedonian.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 25 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.