North Macedonia · For your nationality or ancestry
North Macedonia Macedonian origin residence
First stay: 1 yr
Temporary residence for foreigners of Macedonian origin (Law on Foreigners Art. 117)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Macedonian origin residence is a for your nationality or ancestry route for North Macedonia. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Processing
- 30 working days
- First stay
- 1 yr
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Each extension runs for up to one year. Apply no earlier than 90 days and no later than 5 days before the permit expires.
Official Gazette of North Macedonia (editorial consolidated texts), via the Ministry of Digital Transformation portalOfficial Gazette of North Macedonia No. 193/2025
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
Permanent residence can be granted after five years of uninterrupted residence on a temporary permit, if you have regular means of support, housing, health insurance, no serious recent conviction and speak Macedonian well enough to be understood.
Processing30 working days
The Ministry of Interior decides within 30 working days if you apply to it, or 60 working days if you apply through a consulate. Either period can be extended by up to 30 working days.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Apply at a Macedonian consulate abroad. People already staying legally in the country can apply to the Ministry of Interior.
Presence rulesAbsence limits
An extension is refused if you were absent without good reason for more than a quarter of the permit's term.
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- At the time of the applicant's birth at least one parent was a citizen of North Macedonia.
- The applicant has no sentence of more than 6 months, no pending criminal case for such an offence, and is no threat to public order or security.
What you must show1
- The applicant has means to live, or support provided another lawful way.
Documents1
- The applicant has housing or the means to pay for it, and health insurance.
Steps1
- Apply with the Ministry of Interior; applicants staying legally in the country can apply from inside it.
After you arrive1
- The permit is granted for up to one year and can be extended.
What happens at day 183
How North Macedonia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 1 year at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in any 12-month periodStaying 183 or more days continuously or with breaks in any 12-month period makes a person resident for personal income tax.
- Foreign-source income
Residents of North Macedonia pay a flat 10% personal income tax on income earned in the country and abroad; for salary the tax base is gross pay minus the 28% employee contributions and a tax reduction of MKD 10,932 (≈ $200) a month (MKD 131,184 (≈ $2,400) a year in 2026).
All tax rules for North Macedonia Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
The applicant has housing or the means to pay for it, and health insurance
- Accommodation
The applicant has housing or the means to pay for it, and health insurance
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Temporary residence for a foreigner who had at least one parent who was a citizen of North Macedonia at the time of their birth. 1 2
Requirements
- At the time of the applicant's birth at least one parent was a citizen of North Macedonia. 1
- The applicant has no sentence of more than 6 months, no pending criminal case for such an offence, and is no threat to public order or security. 1
- The applicant has means to live, or support provided another lawful way. 1
- The applicant has housing or the means to pay for it, and health insurance. 1
- Apply with the Ministry of Interior; applicants staying legally in the country can apply from inside it. 1
- The permit is granted for up to one year and can be extended. 1
Stay
- Permit granted for up to one year and extendable.
- First stay: up to 12 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Foreigners who had at least one parent who was a citizen of North Macedonia at their birth.
Family
Family members can apply for family reunification.
Official sources
- Law on Foreigners, editorial consolidated text (Official Gazette 97/18, 108/19, 294/21, 284/23) · Official Gazette of North Macedonia (editorial consolidated texts), via the Ministry of Digital Transformation portal · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2023
- Law amending the Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette 193/2025) · Official Gazette of North Macedonia No. 193/2025 · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-09-18
Macedonian origin residence and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macedonian origin residence | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| CPLP residence Portugal | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Spanish nationality by descent and option Spain | – | – | – |
| Italian citizenship by descent Italy | – | – | Yes |
| Greek citizenship by descent Greece | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Macedonian origin residence?
Permit granted for up to one year and extendable.
How long does the Macedonian origin residence take to process?
The Ministry of Interior decides within 30 working days if you apply to it, or 60 working days if you apply through a consulate.
Can I bring my family on the Macedonian origin residence?
Family members can apply for family reunification.
Does the Macedonian origin residence lead to permanent residence in North Macedonia?
Time on the Macedonian origin residence counts toward permanent residence in North Macedonia, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
How are Macedonian origin residence holders taxed in North Macedonia?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Macedonian origin residence. The standard rules apply: Residents of North Macedonia pay a flat 10% personal income tax on income earned in the country and abroad; for salary the tax base is gross pay minus the 28% employee contributions and a tax reduction of MKD 10,932 (≈ $200) a month (MKD 131,184 (≈ $2,400) a year in 2026). Non-residents pay on income earned in North Macedonia.
More in North Macedonia
Nationality or ancestry visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Law on Foreigners, editorial consolidated text (Official Gazette 97/18, 108/19, 294/21, 284/23) · Official Gazette of North Macedonia (editorial consolidated texts), via the Ministry of Digital Transformation portal · checked 2026-10-11
- Law amending the Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette 193/2025) · Official Gazette of North Macedonia No. 193/2025 · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.