North Macedonia: all programs

North Macedonia in brief

North Macedonia is a landlocked Balkan country between Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Kosovo with about 1.8 million people. The capital is Skopje. The country has been in NATO since 2020 and is a European Union candidate, with accession talks opened in July 2022, but it is in neither the European Union nor Schengen. The state language is Macedonian, and Albanian also has official status in parts of the country. The denar is pegged to the euro, so prices are stable, and rent and large sums are often quoted in euros.

The country suits remote workers and small businesses who value 10% flat taxes, low prices and a European time zone, as well as those considering a citizenship with visa-free Schengen access.

How to move in 2026

• Visa - Russian citizens need a visa: visa-free entry for Russian passports ended on 15 March 2022. Without a separate visa you can enter for up to 15 days with a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa or a European Union residence permit, and in 2026 also with multiple-entry US, UK or Canadian visas.
• Your own company - many foreigners register a company at minimal cost and obtain residence as its managers.
• Work, study and family - separate grounds for a temporary residence permit renewed annually.
• Permanent residence - after 5 years of continuous residence with stable income, housing and Macedonian.

We handle the company, residence permit and renewals end to end.

Citizenship

Standard naturalisation comes after 7 years of living in the country from the first residence permit, with Macedonian and renunciation of previous citizenship. A citizen's spouse gets a passport after 3 years of marriage and a year of residence, without the language or renunciation. Emigrants and their children naturalise without the 7 years of residence.

Citizenship for special economic interest - €200,000 in a private fund or €400,000 in a business with 10 jobs - exists on paper but barely works: two people received it in 2024 and one in 2025. In June 2026 the interior ministry published amendments removing the fixed sums, and the European Commission demands scrapping the scheme entirely under threat of suspending visa-free Schengen travel. Details are on the page North Macedonian citizenship. The passport gives visa-free access to 127 countries, including Schengen, Japan, Singapore, the UAE and China for 30 days.

Taxes

Income tax is a flat 10% on salary, rent, dividends and capital gains, and gains on securities held over two years are tax-free. Corporate tax is 10%; small firms with turnover of 3-6 million denars, about €49,000-98,000, may pay 1% of turnover, and residents of technological industrial zones are exempt from profit tax for 10 years. VAT is 18%. These rates apply only to tax residents; citizenship by itself does not create residence.

Property

Foreigners buy flats and houses, including through a local company; agricultural land cannot be bought. A notary certifies the deal, title is registered in the cadastre, and a property transfer tax of 2-4% depending on the municipality is paid. Prices in Skopje are far below neighbouring Greece. We source and check properties on the page property in North Macedonia.

Business and accounts

A limited liability company is registered with the Central Registry in a few days; the minimum capital is €5,000, about $5,610. The 10% profit tax and the same rate on dividends make a local company convenient for a small business with European Union clients. We help with company registration, a business account and a personal account.

Cost of living

• Rent in Skopje - a one-bedroom flat in the centre and the best districts usually costs €250-350 a month, about $281-393, with a city median of about €280.
• Food - local produce, markets and cafés are inexpensive.
• Transport - buses and taxis are cheap, but a car is more convenient for travel around the country.
• Wages - low by European standards, so life is cheap for those earning abroad.

Where to live

• Skopje - the capital with offices, the airport and cafés; foreigners choose the centre, Karpoš and Taftalidže, Aerodrom and the slopes of Mount Vodno. More in the Skopje guide.
• Ohrid - the lake and a UNESCO-listed old town, a quiet life and summer tourism.
• Bitola - the second city in the south, closer to Greece, with affordable housing.
• Struga - a town on Lake Ohrid, popular in summer.

Practicalities

• Climate. Hot summers and cold winters; Skopje can suffer heavy smog in winter.
• Healthcare. The public system is weak, private clinics are inexpensive, and complex cases go to Thessaloniki or Belgrade.
• The sea. Greek beaches are 2-3 hours' drive from Skopje.
• Language. Macedonian is close to Bulgarian and Serbian, and English is spoken in business.

Who North Macedonia suits

Pros: 10% flat taxes, low prices and rents, simple company registration, proximity to Greece and the sea, and a passport with visa-free Schengen access. Cons: a visa for Russian citizens, a country outside the European Union and Schengen, winter smog, weak healthcare and a small job market, while investment citizenship is at risk of abolition. North Macedonia suits remote workers and small businesses with low costs. Write in the chat and we will work out the costs of a company and residence permit.