16 Nov North Macedonia Citizenship Investment [2023 Guide]
Don’t be surprised if North Macedonia’s citizenship-by-investment program becomes one of the most sought-after in the world. With a fantastic location in southeastern Europe, the country enjoys an enviable climate and landscape, a growing economy, excellent agriculture and trade opportunities, and the prospect of joining the EU.
North Macedonia’s Citizenship by Investment program involves a minimum donation of €200,000 plus fees. Just 1,000 applicants are approved each year, so early application is recommended.
This article shows you how to apply for citizenship in North Macedonia and outlines the many benefits of life in this corner of Europe. It covers these areas:
- North Macedonia Citizenship by Investment Options
- Benefits of the North Macedonia Citizenship by Investment Program
- North Macedonian citizenship by investment requirements
- Steps to obtain North Macedonia citizenship
- North Macedonian citizenship by investment Fees
- How strong is a North Macedonia passport?
- Which countries can I go to with a Macedonian passport?
North Macedonia Citizenship by Investment Options
This is the perfect time to invest. North Macedonia is actively encouraging business and growth, and yet its current position outside the EU makes the required investment fees relatively low.
The North Macedonia Citizenship by Investment program offers two options: a €200,000 donation to a government fund or a €400,000 investment in new facilities in the country. In both cases, there are additional due diligence, application, processing and agent fees.
The program is overseen by the Fund for Innovations and Technology Development of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Benefits of the North Macedonia Citizenship by Investment Program
These are the main benefits of the North Macedonia Citizenship by Investment Program:
- You will be able to visit all the countries in Europe’s Schengen area, along with visa-free access to Turkey, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and many more destinations, and e-visa eligibility to India and several other places.
- Your citizenship can be passed down to future generations.
- You will gain early access to a growing and strategically positioned trade market in Europe, with North Macedonia’s EU membership application underway and NATO membership recently acquired.
- With your North Macedonian passport, you will enjoy residency and citizenship in an upper-middle income European country with a welcoming social and business culture and a favourable tax environment.
- The scheme has a quick processing time of just two to five months.
- No minimum residence period in the country is required, and there is no requirement to speak the local language.
- If you conduct business here, you will be able to access a highly skilled workforce and will benefit from fast company registration.
North Macedonian citizenship by investment requirements
The government of North Macedonia actively welcomes entrepreneurs and wealthy, talented individuals. The aim of the program, from the government’s point of view, is simple: to boost the economy through foreign direct investment.
Applicants must be aged at least 18, and applications can include spouses and dependent children. Dependent children under 18 can apply for citizenship by descent once both or one of their parents has received citizenship.
Steps to obtain North Macedonia citizenship
To apply for North Macedonian citizenship, you will need to work with an agent such as Huriya Private, who will assist you with application forms, calculation of the appropriate fees and all the supporting documentation.
Required documents include birth and marriage certificates, a signed prospectus, share redemption documents from the fund you are investing in, police certificates of clearance, a resume/curriculum vitae (CV) and evidence/proof of your funding source and financial standing.
In summary, the application process for North Macedonian citizenship by investment involves these steps:
- Contact Huriya Private to discuss the current requirements for citizenship by investment in North Macedonia.
- Initial due diligence checks will then be completed.
- Sign the client agreement and pay any relevant fees.
- Once all necessary requirements have been fulfilled, your application for North Macedonian citizenship will be submitted to the government.
- After three to five months, your application should be approved.
- Your investment and outstanding fees will now fall due.
- Once full citizenship is achieved, you will receive your passport and will enjoy all the benefits of citizenship in North Macedonia.
North Macedonian citizenship by investment Fees
These are the two available pathways for investors:
Option 1: An investment of €200,000 per adult applicant in a private investment fund, held for at least two years and following the guidelines and laws of the Republic of North Macedonia’s government.
Option 2: A direct investment of €400,000 per adult applicant in new facilities employing at least ten people for at least one year. The investment must comply with government guidelines.
Inclusive of these fees, the outlay for the €200,000 program can be summarised as follows:
- €250,000 for a single applicant
- €280,000 for a couple
- €300,000 for a family of three
- €310,000 for a family of four
These are guideline figures, and the actual amount may be slightly more, depending on agency rates and changes to other fees.
How strong is a North Macedonia passport?
In 2022, the Macedonian passport ranked 46th in the Guide Passport Ranking Index. The passport gives holders visa-free access to 125 countries and visa-on-arrival travel to many others. In international terms, this means the passport has an overall medium mobility score.
North Macedonia has only been known by that name since February 2019. Before then, it was simply called Macedonia, one of the six constituent countries of Communist Yugoslavia. The name was disputed, largely due to the region’s complex history stretching back into prehistory, and Greece was keen to keep the name ‘Macedonia’ as part of its own illustrious history, the region of Macedonia being part of northern Greece.
The name dispute was eventually resolved, and North Macedonia is now a stable, unitary parliamentary constitutional republic, a member of the UN, NATO, the Council of Europe, the World Bank, OSCE, CEFTA, BSEC and the WTO. Since 2005, North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership, and the start of formal negotiations for joining was officially launched on 19 July 2022. The country has already received significant development aid from the EU, which has contributed to its growing economy and business sector.
Which countries can I go to with a Macedonian passport?
North Macedonian citizenship gives you visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 125 destinations, including all the countries of the EU’s Schengen area, Turkey, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, much of South America, and many more besides.
Macedonian passport holders can enjoy movement worldwide, with a combination of visa-free and visa-on-arrival travel. With an eVisa, you can visit India, Pakistan and several others, and visa-on-arrival gives you access to various countries across the globe. Visas are required to enter more than 100 other destinations, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.
Citizenship by investment with Huriya Private
Huriya Private is an independent, international, award-winning private equity, immigration, multi-family office and corporate structuring firm with a head office in Dubai, UAE. We provide bespoke strategic management support to international clients in global markets.
Our citizenship by investment expertise covers many Caribbean and European countries, and other locations including Canada and Turkey. Our know-how in this area is second to none.
The Huriya Private team can guide you through an extensive range of citizenship programs and help you choose the option that best fits your domestic and business objectives and personal needs. We will help you maximise your investments, secure your family’s future, and ensure travel mobility whenever needed.
