Programmes · Europe and the Middle East
Citizenship on merit
Article 11 of North Macedonia's Law on Citizenship opens naturalisation to people in whom the country has a special scientific, economic, cultural or sporting interest. This route asks for no seven years of residence, no language test and no surrender of the passport you hold today.
At the government's discretion
Alongside ordinary naturalisation, North Macedonia has a route of its own for people the state has a special interest in. Article 11 of the Law on Citizenship allows a foreign national to be naturalised if their admission represents a special scientific, economic, cultural, sporting or other national interest. The government sets the criteria by decree and, in each case, gives its opinion on whether that interest exists. The Ministry of the Interior runs the procedure.
This is a discretionary route: the law says "may". If you meet the criteria in the decree, you arrive with a strong case, but the decision stays with the state.
Legal basis: Law on Citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia (Official Gazette 67/92, last amended 67/22), Art. 11; Government Decree on the criteria for a special interest (Official Gazette 9/05, amended 161/12, 255/19 and 42/21)
Competent authority: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of North Macedonia; the government gives its opinion on the special interest
| Principle | a foreign national may be naturalised if their admission represents a special scientific, economic, cultural, sporting or other national interest (Art. 11(1)) Source |
|---|---|
| Who decides | the Ministry of the Interior is responsible; the government sets the criteria by decree and gives its opinion on the special interest in each case (Art. 11) Source |
| What still applies | you are at least 18 years old, and your admission does not threaten the country's security and defence (Art. 7(1), points 1 and 8); you file the application in person Source |
| What is waived | seven years of residence, housing and income, knowledge of Macedonian, the oath of allegiance and release from your current citizenship (Art. 7(1), points 2, 3, 6, 9 and 10) Source |
| Economic interest | at least EUR 400,000 per person as a direct investment in new capacity (excluding hospitality and trade) employing at least ten people on permanent contracts for at least one year, verified by the Ministry of Finance, or at least EUR 200,000 per person for at least two years in a private investment fund with starting capital of at least EUR 5 million, no real estate holdings and no more than 500 foreign applicants, verified by the Fund for Innovation and Technology Development (decree as amended in Official Gazette 255/19) Source |
| Open economic criteria | no set amount, for example for top managers, technology experts or professionals in shortage occupations Source |
| Scientific interest | internationally recognised research results, major inventions, or a doctorate with at least six publications in the last five years and leadership of at least one research project, verified by the Ministry of Education Source |
| Cultural interest | outstanding work in the last five years in the visual arts, literature, music, dance, film or theatre, leading experts in cultural heritage, or artists in fields where the country is short of talent, verified by the Ministry of Culture Source |
| Sporting interest | top results in the last Olympic cycle, ranked as a world-class athlete and active in the year before the application, verified by the sports agency with an opinion from the national federation Source |
| Government fees | EUR 20 for the naturalisation procedure and EUR 80 for the naturalisation decision, each paid in denars; there is no programme fee Source |
| Spouse | can be naturalised alongside you if the marriage has lasted at least three years and your spouse has lived lawfully in the country for one uninterrupted year, or after eight years of marriage while living abroad with a firm, genuine link to North Macedonia (Art. 11(4), Art. 9) Source |
| Children under 18 | acquire citizenship when both parents are naturalised; if only one parent is, on that parent's application if the child lives in the country, or on the application of both parents wherever the child lives; a child aged 15 or over must consent (Art. 12) Source |
| Timing | the security condition is decided within six months of the application (Art. 7); you become a citizen when the naturalisation decision is handed to you (Art. 13); the law sets no overall deadline Source |
| Checks and revocation | the check covers the country's security and defence; the decision can be revoked if the application contained false statements or forged documents, including for minor children naturalised with you (Art. 14) Source |
| Dual citizenship | allowed; within the country you are treated solely as a North Macedonian citizen (Art. 2) Source |
| Reform | a Ministry of the Interior draft of June 2026 drops the fixed investment amounts and has every application assessed individually, with opinions from the competent institutions; the discretionary route under Art. 11 stays; as of 11 November 2026 the law and the decree apply unchanged Source |
Ordinary naturalisation requires seven years of residence, housing and income, knowledge of Macedonian, an oath of allegiance and release from your current citizenship. Under Article 11, only two of the ten conditions remain: you are at least 18 years old, and your admission does not threaten the country's security and defence. There is no minimum stay before you apply, and no language test either. You file the application in person.
North Macedonia allows dual citizenship. On this route you keep the passport you hold today; within the country itself you are treated solely as a North Macedonian citizen. Whether your home country allows a second citizenship depends on its own law.
For the economic interest, the current decree names two fixed routes. The first is a direct investment of at least EUR 400,000 per person in new capacity outside hospitality and trade, employing at least ten people on permanent contracts for at least one year. The second is at least EUR 200,000 per person, held for at least two years in a private investment fund with starting capital of at least EUR 5 million, no real estate holdings and no more than 500 foreign applicants. Alongside these sit open criteria with no set amount, for example for top managers, technology experts and professionals in shortage occupations.
For researchers, what counts is internationally recognised results, major inventions, or a doctorate with at least six publications in the last five years and leadership of at least one research project. Artists make their case with outstanding work from the last five years in the visual arts, literature, music, dance, film or theatre. Athletes need top results in the last Olympic cycle at world-class level and must have competed in the year before applying. Each field is assessed by the ministry or body responsible for it.
In June 2026 the Ministry of the Interior put a draft amendment to the Law on Citizenship out for public consultation. Under the draft, the fixed investment amounts go, every application is assessed individually with opinions from the competent institutions, and an investment on its own is no longer enough. The discretionary route through the special interest stays. As of 11 November 2026, the law as last amended in Official Gazette 67/22 and the criteria decree with both amounts apply unchanged.
Your spouse can be naturalised alongside you under the rules for spouses: at least three years of marriage and one year of uninterrupted lawful residence in North Macedonia, or eight years of marriage while living abroad with a firm, genuine link to the country. Children under 18 acquire citizenship with you when both parents are naturalised. If only one parent is naturalised, this happens on that parent's application if the child lives in the country, or on the application of both parents wherever the child lives. A child aged 15 or over must consent.
The competent authority decides on the security condition within six months of your application. You become a citizen when the naturalisation decision is handed to you. Government fees are low: EUR 20 for the procedure and EUR 80 for the decision, each paid in denars. There is no programme fee. Anyone who makes false statements or submits forged documents risks having the decision revoked, including for the children naturalised with them.
This route suits entrepreneurs who produce in North Macedonia and create jobs there, researchers, artists and athletes with an international profile, and professionals the country needs. If you are building in the Balkans anyway, Article 11 gives you citizenship with no residence years, no language test and no need to give up your current passport. If you want a passport with a fixed amount and a fixed timeline, you will find it among the open programmes in the comparison.
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Visit FreedomBanking PlusNot at a fixed price. Article 11 allows naturalisation when it is in the country's special interest, and the government gives its opinion on that case by case. For the economic interest, the current decree names EUR 400,000 as a direct investment creating ten jobs, or EUR 200,000 in a private investment fund. A draft from June 2026 would remove these fixed amounts; the discretionary route stays.
No. Neither the seven years of residence nor the language skills required for ordinary naturalisation apply under Article 11. You must be at least 18, pass the security check and file the application in person.
Not for North Macedonia. The law allows dual citizenship, and release from your current citizenship is not one of the conditions of Article 11. Within the country you are treated solely as a North Macedonian citizen. Whether your home country lets you hold a second citizenship depends on its own law.
EUR 20 for the procedure and EUR 80 for the naturalisation decision, each paid in denars. There is no programme or processing fee for Article 11.
Your spouse can be naturalised alongside you if you have been married for at least three years and your spouse has lived lawfully in the country for a year, or after eight years of marriage while living abroad with a genuine link to North Macedonia. Children under 18 acquire citizenship with you when both parents are naturalised; a child aged 15 or over must consent.
The security condition is decided within six months of the application. The law sets no overall deadline. You become a citizen on the day the naturalisation decision is handed to you.
You have worked hard to build a life full of possibilities. Now it is about expanding them, for you and for your family. Talk to Daniel Taborek about your budget, your family and the route to your second citizenship. Find out which passport should enrich your future.
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