North Macedonia permanent residence

Permanent residence is not granted to a foreigner whose temporary residence is for seasonal work, daily migrants, transferred workers or workers sent by service providers for cross-border services; schooling or studies; student exchange; specialisation, professional development or practical training; volunteering; scientific research; family reunification with a sponsor staying for research or volunteering; placement in a care home for the elderly; medical treatment; humanitarian reasons; or ownership of a flat, residential building or house. It is also excluded for persons under temporary protection, asylum seekers without a final decision and people whose status is governed by the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic and consular relations.

Permanent residence is granted to a foreigner who has stayed in North Macedonia continuously for more than five years on the basis of a temporary residence permit and who, before applying, has not been outside the country for six consecutive months or for periods adding up to more than ten months. In special or exceptional temporary circumstances this limit can be extended. Persons under international protection can also apply after five years of continuous stay with that status. A foreigner whose stay is in the interest of North Macedonia can be granted permanent residence before five years.

Time on residence for schooling, studies, student exchange, specialisation, professional development or practical training counts only by half, and only once you meet the conditions of articles 129 and 130 on another ground. For persons under international protection, half of the period from the asylum application to the final decision counts if it took no more than 18 months, and the whole period if it took longer.

You show stable and regular means without social assistance (bank statement, employment contract with employer and registry confirmations, or other monthly income), health insurance, accommodation (property, a notarised lease or sufficient funds), and a court certificate from the place of residence in North Macedonia that you committed no criminal offence punishable by at least one year in prison during the five years before the request. Knowledge of Macedonian sufficient to communicate easily is shown with a school certificate from education in Macedonian, a certificate of a completed Macedonian course for foreigners or another document from an authorised institution. The police officer handling the file verifies the five-year continuous stay ex officio.

The services portal lists MKD 50 for the request, MKD 3,690 for the decision granting permanent residence (an administrative tax of EUR 60), MKD 930 for issuing or extending the permit (EUR 15) and MKD 6,150 for the permit form, set by the decision on MVR form prices in Official Gazette 71 of 3 April 2025. The total is MKD 10,820. Nationals of Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo pay taxes under their bilateral travel agreements.

When the sponsor holds permanent residence, permanent residence through family reunification is granted only to close family members living in a genuine marital or family union, and to dependent members of the close family. A refusal can be challenged: the services portal lists a 30-day period for an appeal and a 30-day period for a lawsuit before the Administrative Court in Skopje.