North Macedonia's visa D: get the residence approved first, then the visa
The long-stay visa follows a Ministry of Interior decision on your temporary residence. Here's which reason fits an American, what it costs, and how the paperwork runs from a U.S. consulate to a residence card.
Americans can spend 90 days in any six months here without a visa. Past that, you need temporary residence for a specific purpose, and there's no retiree or digital nomad category to fall back on.
The visa D in six numbers
$80
Visa D fee, 2026
€70; €35 for kids 6 to 12
60 working days
Ministry decision, filed at a consulate
30 if filed inside the country
30 days
Stay allowed on the visa D
single entry; report within 5 days
1 year
Longest temporary permit
renewed a year at a time
$45,400
Home value for the property route
€40,000; EU and OECD citizens
5 years
To permanent residence
continuous temporary residence
Pick your reason
Where your money comes from decides your permit
North Macedonia grants temporary residence for a purpose, and you may stay only for that purpose. Find yours first.
Pension, savings or investments
There's no retirement visa. The route that fits is owning a home: residents of EU or OECD countries, which includes the U.S., who own an apartment, house or residential building worth about $45,400 (North Macedonia sets it at €40,000) can qualify. You'll also need health insurance.
A job with a Macedonian employer
Your employer drives the process and the Employment Agency weighs in. Since September 2025, job-based applicants don't have to prove means or insurance.
Remote income from the U.S.
There's no digital nomad visa; a 2021 proposal still hadn't reached parliament by mid-2026. Registering a company doesn't give you residence on its own, but a founder can be hired by their own company and apply as an employee.
Family, study and other reasons
Close family of Macedonian citizens, students, researchers, volunteers and people getting medical treatment each have their own ground.
Planning on a Macedonian passport? Read this first
Naturalization takes at least seven years of legal, continuous residence, and the Law on Citizenship requires you to renounce your previous citizenship or prove you'll be released from it. For Americans who want to stay American, permanent residence after five years is the realistic finish line.
The paperwork, in order
From a U.S. consulate to a residence card
- Build your file around your reason for staying (the list is below).
- Apply in person at North Macedonia's embassy in Washington, D.C., or a consulate general in Chicago, Detroit or Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. Your residence application goes in with the visa D application, between six months and 15 days before you travel.
- Wait for the Ministry of Interior. It has 60 working days to decide on files lodged abroad.
- Collect the visa D and fly. It's single-entry and covers up to 30 days in the country.
- Report to the Ministry within 5 days of arrival. The permit follows within 25 days, according to Stojkovic Attorneys.
Refused? You have eight days to appeal. Two professional guides also say you can file directly with the Ministry after arriving visa-free, but the State Department tells Americans to get the visa before they go, so check with a local lawyer before counting on it.
What goes in the file
A passport with room to spare
Valid at least three months past the visa, and 90 days past the residence period you're asking for.
Travel medical insurance
Coverage for your whole stay, including medical repatriation.
Criminal record certificate
Only from the country you lived in for the last 12 months. Moving straight from the U.S.? That means a U.S. check.
Proof of means
Required unless you're applying on a job or as immediate family of a Macedonian citizen. We couldn't find a published minimum amount.
Proof of housing
Evidence of where you'll live once you arrive.
Proof of your purpose
The paperwork behind your reason for staying, such as a property title, a job or a school place.
Once you're there
Keeping the permit, and what it means for your taxes
Register, then renew on time
You have to be registered with the police within 48 hours of arriving. Hotels handle it; in a rental, your landlord or you report it online or at the station. Skipping it can bring a fine of up to about $285 (€250). Renewals go in between 90 and 5 days before your permit expires, and since September 2025 you can't file once it has lapsed.
Taxes
Holding temporary residence, or spending 183 days in any 12 months, makes you a tax resident, taxed on worldwide income. The rate on income from work and self-employment is a flat 10%. The U.S. isn't among North Macedonia's 49 tax treaty partners, so plan both returns before your first year, not after.
Help with the parts outside the permit
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach who checks whether your medications and specialist needs can be met where you're headed, before you commit to the move.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Arranges international health plans for Americans living abroad, the kind of coverage a residence file may need to show.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Online U.S. tax filing built for Americans who live overseas.
North Macedonia visa D: common questions
Does North Macedonia have a retirement visa?
No. Americans living on a pension or savings usually qualify through the property route instead: residents of EU or OECD countries, including the U.S., who own an apartment, house or residential building in North Macedonia worth at least €40,000 (about $45,400) can get temporary residence. It's issued for up to one year and renewed a year at a time, and you'll need health insurance.
Do Americans need a visa to live in North Macedonia?
Yes, for anything past 90 days in a six-month period. U.S. citizens can visit visa-free for tourism or business for up to 90 days within six months. To stay longer, you need temporary residence for a specific purpose, such as a job, study, family, or owning a home worth at least €40,000 (about $45,400), plus the long-stay visa D that goes with it.
How much does the North Macedonia visa D cost?
North Macedonia's Foreign Ministry sets the visa D fee at 70 euros, about $80 as of September 2026, or 35 euros (about $40) for children 6 to 12. Fees for the residence permit itself are separate, and we couldn't confirm them from an official source.
Can I keep my U.S. citizenship if I become a Macedonian citizen?
Not through regular naturalization. It takes at least seven years of legal, continuous residence, and North Macedonia's Law on Citizenship requires you to renounce your previous citizenship or prove the renunciation will be granted. Permanent residence, available after five years of continuous temporary residence, lets you stay long term without giving up your U.S. passport.
When do I renew a North Macedonia residence permit?
File between 90 and 5 days before your permit expires. Since amendments to the Law on Foreigners took effect in September 2025, you can't file once the permit has lapsed. Temporary permits run for up to one year at a time.
Can I apply for North Macedonia residence after entering visa-free?
Possibly, but confirm it first. Two professional guides say you can file directly with the Ministry of Interior inside the country, where the decision deadline is 30 working days. The U.S. State Department, however, tells Americans staying more than 90 days to get the proper visa before arrival. A local immigration lawyer can tell you which applies to your case.
How long does it take to get a North Macedonia visa D?
When you apply through a North Macedonian embassy or consulate, the Ministry of Interior has up to 60 working days to decide on your temporary residence, and the visa D is issued after that approval. Apply at least 15 days and no more than six months before your trip, and allow extra time to gather documents.
Does North Macedonia have a digital nomad visa?
No. The government floated one in 2021, and as of mid-2026 the proposal still hadn't gone to parliament. Remote workers use another ground, such as owning qualifying property or being hired by a company they set up in North Macedonia. Registering a company by itself doesn't give you residence.
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