Temporary Residence for Work — Company Founder / Manager

Year establishedPublished

2018

Governing lawPublished

Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette 97/2018, amended 108/2019, 294/2021 and Sept 2025); Law on Employment and Work of Foreigners

Responsible authorityPublished

Ministry of Interior (decision and permit), with an opinion from the Employment Service Agency

What the program providesPublished

One-year renewable North Macedonia residence and work permit for foreigners who found or manage their own Macedonian company

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Minimum agePublished

18 years

Clean criminal record requiredPublished

Yes

Local health insurance requiredUnknown

Unknown

Nationality restrictionsPublished

No

Basic eligibilityPublished

Found or manage a company registered in North Macedonia (LLC minimum capital EUR 5,000) and obtain a positive Employment Service Agency opinion; plus means of subsistence, accommodation and health insurance

Employment statusPublished

Self-employed

Generational limitPublished

Not applicable

Family sponsorshipPublished

Yes

Spouse includedPublished

Yes

Children includedPublished

Yes

Child age limitPublished

18 years

ChildrenPublished

Spouse and unmarried children under 18 via family reunification (Law on Foreigners Art. 107-108); dependent parents and disabled adult children in exceptional cases

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Processing timePublished

6–13 weeks

Can apply without travelingPublished

No

How you applyPublished

Type D visa plus residence application at a Macedonian embassy/consulate, or at the Ministry of Interior in North Macedonia

Required in-person stepPublished

Interview on request; residence permit issued in person by the Ministry of Interior in North Macedonia

What the processing time measuresPublished

Filing to decision: 30 working days at the Ministry, 60 working days via an embassy (Law on Foreigners Art. 75), extendable by 30; law firms report 1-3 months

Official application routePublished

https://investnorthmacedonia.gov.mk/work-visas-and-permits/

Minimum investmentPublished

$5,850

Minimum passive investment (July 2026)Published

None required

Minimum active investment (July 2026)Published

$5,850

Processing feeUnknown

Unknown

Application feeUnknown

Unknown

Total cost to applyUnknown

Unknown

Monthly income requiredUnknown

Unknown

Monthly pension income requiredPublished

None required

Monthly rental income requiredPublished

None required

Savings requiredUnknown

Unknown

Proof of sufficient fundsPublished

Yes

Local bank deposit requiredUnknown

Unknown

Minimum local bank depositUnknown

Unknown

Minimum investment as published (Sept 2026)Published

EUR 5,000 (minimum LLC share capital; the Law on Foreigners sets no investment threshold)

Other investment routes (Sept 2026)Published

EU or OECD nationals (incl. US) owning a flat or house worth at least EUR 40,000 get temporary residence (Art. 71(2)), but that time does not count toward permanent residence (Art. 129(4)). No citizenship-by-investment route is running.

Fees paidPublished

Before approval

Cost notesPublished

No official fee schedule found. Company formation needs minimum LLC capital of EUR 5,000, payable within one year of registration.

Stay required to keep statusPublished

274 days/year

Physical presence requiredPublished

Yes

In-country visit requiredPublished

Yes

Move-in windowUnknown

Unknown

Length of residencyPublished

12 months

Residency is lifetimePublished

No

RenewablePublished

Yes

Maximum durationUnknown

Unknown

Maximum duration is lifetimePublished

Yes

Stay rule (Sept 2026)Published

Renewal refused (and the permit may be revoked) if the holder was outside North Macedonia without justification for more than one quarter of the permit period

Tax residency rulePublished

Individuals with a permanent or temporary residence in North Macedonia, or staying 183 days or more in any 12-month period, are tax residents

Personal income taxPublished

10%

Time to permanent residencyPublished

5 years

Time to citizenshipPublished

7 years

Work for a local employerPublished

No

Start a businessPublished

Yes

Remote or freelance workUnknown

Unknown

Local healthcare accessPublished

Yes

University accessUnknown

Unknown

Can buy landUnknown

Unknown

Local bankingPublished

Yes

Permanent residence timeline basisPublished

Years stated

Citizenship timeline basisPublished

Years stated

Investment note (Sept 2026)Published

Competitor claim of a job-creation requirement not found in the Law on Foreigners; founders/managers are exempt from the labor-market test but count against the annual foreign-worker quota.

Plan B note (Sept 2026)Published

Aggregate absence limit of one quarter of the permit period means about 274 days a year in the country. PR after 5 years of continuous residence (no absence over 6 months in a row or 10 months in total) with Macedonian language; naturalization after 7 years under the amended Citizenship Law.

Official program websitePublished

https://investnorthmacedonia.gov.mk/invest-permit/

Investment source (Sept 2026)Published

https://portal.mdt.gov.mk/post-body-files/zakoni-mvr-file-EGe6.pdf | https://boshnjakovski.com/establishing-a-company-in-north-macedonia-a-for-limited-liability-companies-llc/

Plan B sources (Sept 2026)Published

https://portal.mdt.gov.mk/post-body-files/zakoni-mvr-file-EGe6.pdf | https://boshnjakovski.com/work-and-residence-permits-in-north-macedonia-complete-guide-for-foreign-workers-and-businesses/ | https://www.karanovicpartners.com/news/temporary-residence-and-employment-of-foreigners-in-north-macedonia-key-changes-under-the-2025-amendments/

Every fact on this page comes from the CitizensOS Mobility Asset Database (Sep 21, 2026 edition). A blank is shown as Unknown.