This article discusses North Macedonia citizenship by descent, its procedure, eligibility criteria, and benefits.
North Macedonia is an excellent option to set up a corporate base thanks to its location on a major trade route. The country also boasts a highly skilled workforce, a favorable tax environment, and an upper-middle-income consumer base.
If you have North Macedonian roots, acquiring North Macedonian citizenship by descent can offer you a lot of personal and corporate opportunities. We’ve helped many clients help reconnect with their roots through our exclusive Citizenship by Descent Plan, and we’d love to help you do the same.
All you have to do is contact us, and we’d sort out the rest.
North Macedonia – Country Overview
Situated in South Central Balkans, North Macedonia is a small country surrounded by Greece, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Albania.
The area referred to as Macedonia is divided between three countries – North Macedonia, Greece, and Bulgaria.
Although part of Europe, North Macedonia is not yet a part of the EU. Although, since 2005, it has been a candidate for joining the EU.
Skopje is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia, and Macedonian is the official language. The current population of North Macedonia is a little over two million.
The Republic of North Macedonia boasts a highly diverse population comprising Albanians, Turks, Serbs, etc., in addition to ethnic Macedonians (majority).
If you have North Macedonian origin, read on to learn the benefits of acquiring North Macedonian citizenship through ancestry.
Benefits of Acquiring North Macedonia Citizenship by Descent
Travel Freedom
According to the Nomad Passport Index, the North Macedonian passport grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 130 countries, including Hong Kong, Turkey, etc.
Although the country is not part of the EU, its passport grants visa-free access to the EU Schengen zone.
Pass it on to Your Kids
North Macedonian citizenship can be passed down to future generations.
North Macedonia may not be an EU member state now, but we expect that to change in the coming years. So by acquiring North Macedonian citizenship by descent, you could be gifting your kids an EU passport in the making.
Strategic Geographic Location
One quality that sets North Macedonia apart from many perhaps more well known European countries is its geographical location.
North Macedonia is situated on a major trade route making it a primary base for investing and conducting business activities across Europe.
Business-Friendly Environment
North Macedonia is an excellent country for business investment and company incorporation, owing to its highly skilled workforce, favorable tax environment, and upper-middle income consumer base.
The country levies a flat 10% corporate and personal employment income tax rate.
Dual Citizenship
North Macedonia recognizes the right to hold dual nationality.
North Macedonia Citizenship by Descent
The foundation to obtain North Macedonia citizenship by descent is governed by the Citizenship Law and Article 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia enacted by the country’s government.
Ways to Obtain North Macedonian Citizenship
According to the citizenship law, North Macedonia citizenship can be acquired:
- By origin (descent)
- By birth on the territory of North Macedonia
- By naturalization
North Macedonian citizenship may also be acquired through international agreements.
Who Qualifies to Obtain North Macedonia Citizenship by Descent?
The new citizenship law of North Macedonia (and the old one) is primarily based on Jus Sanguinis, meaning that a child acquires citizenship if their parents are North Macedonian nationals.
According to the North Macedonia citizenship act, you can claim North Macedonian citizenship by descent:
- If both your parents were citizens of North Macedonia at the time of your birth, or
- If you were born in North Macedonia to one North Macedonian parent and both of your parents consented to you acquiring North Macedonian nationality.
A child born abroad, with at least one North Macedonian parent (the other parent could be unknown, a foreign national, or with unknown citizenship), acquires Macedonian citizenship if:
- Their parents submit a request to register the child in the citizen’s register before they turn 18, or
- They return to live in the Republic of North Macedonia with their North Macedonian parent before turning 18, or
- They submit a request between the ages of 18 and 23 to be registered in the citizen’s register.
You don’t need to demonstrate knowledge of the Macedonian language while acquiring Macedonian citizenship by descent.
Required Documents for North Macedonian Citizenship by Descent
You need to gather and submit the following documents to acquire citizenship in the Republic of North Macedonia.
- Child’s birth certificate
- Proof of parent(s)’ North Macedonian citizenship
- Consent of the parent who is not a North Macedonian citizen (if the child is a minor)
- ID card of the parent/guardian
- Power of attorney (if an authorized person submits the request).
You may be asked to submit additional documents like a clean criminal record, parents’ marriage certificate, etc.
Application Submission
You will need to submit the application for citizenship acquisition to the Ministry of the Interior according to your residence.
Foreign nationals living abroad can submit their applications to their nearest diplomatic and consular office of North Macedonia.
The Minister of Interior takes the decision regarding the acquisition of North Macedonian citizenship.
However, you can initiate an administrative dispute against the decision with the administrative court.
Get Your North Macedonian Passport
With an EU candidacy status, favorable taxes, and a business-friendly environment, North Macedonia might just be the next right piece for your offshore puzzle.
If you qualify for North Macedonian citizenship by descent but the thought of tracking down all the paperwork and dealing with the bureaucracy sounds intimidating don’t worry. We offer a special citizenship by descent package which can help make the whole process run a lot smoother. Make life easy on yourself and let us walk you through the entire process from start to finish.
How to Get North Macedonia Citizenship by Descent FAQ
Does North Macedonia allow dual citizenship?
Yes, North Macedonia enables the right to hold dual nationality.
Does North Macedonia have a Citizenship by Investment Program?
The Republic of North Macedonia recently renewed its citizenship by investment program, under which you can qualify to acquire citizenship of North Macedonia by investing over €200,000 in the country.
Whether it has to be a foreign direct investment, donation, installed into a government-approved fund, or real estate is yet to be determined.
The country hasn’t streamlined its investment program, so there are still a lot of grey areas that are best left to be figured out by professionals (like us!).
Not interested in investing that much money in a new program? No worries. You can also invest €200,000 or less and acquire Caribbean citizenship with far more benefits.
