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Macedonia holds the 29th place in the Global Passport Power Rank of 2021. With a mobility score of 108, Macedonian-passport holders can enter 66 countries without the need for a visa. Similar to the regulations in many countries, it is possible to acquire Macedonian citizenship through naturalization by marital union. If you’d like to apply for citizenship in Macedonia, you can check the essential documents and other eligibility requirements by visiting the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the city where you live.
As far as I know, the application procedure and the required documents are not available online. That’s why in this post, I will share the documents we prepared to apply for citizenship in Macedonia.
1. Required documents to apply for citizenship in Macedonia
July 18th 2021 marks my third year in Bitola, Macedonia. We went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) which is beside the police station to ask for the required documents. Inside MIA, there is a lane for application and or renewal of driver’s license, a lane application or renewal of ID card, and a lane for application of citizenship for foreigners.
In the државјанство (citizenship) lane, the lady gave us a piece of paper detailing out the required documents we’ll need to apply for citizenship. She crossed out some of the items in the list and gave us this paper:
And here’s the clearer version of the photo along with my husband’s translation:
| # | Macedonian | English Translation |
| 1. | Биографија | Biography |
| 2. | Извод од МКР | Birth certificate |
| 3. | Извод од МКВ | Marriage certificate |
| 4. | Локаз за обезбеден стан | Proof of apartment with address |
| 5. | Локаз за постојан извор и висина на средства за егзистенција | Proof of financial source |
| 6. | Уверение дека не е се води кривична постапка во РМ. | Certificate that you are currently not under prosecution in Macedonia |
| 7. | Уверение дека не се води кривична постапка од државата чиј државјанин е | Certificate that you are currently not under prosecution in the country of origin |
| 8. | Уверение од казнена евиденција во РМ | Certificate that you have no criminal record in Macedonia |
| 9. | Уверение од казнена евиденција од државата чиј државјанин е | Certificate that you have no criminal record in the country of origin |
| 10. | Уверение за државјанство за сопругот-ата | Your partner is a citizen of Macedonia |
| 11. | Локаз за законски престој во странетво | Proof of legal stay abroad |
As you can see in the photo, the only documents we really had to submit were numbers 1,2,3,7,9, and 10.
2. Strict requirements about the documents
There are other things required in this list that aren’t written on the paper. One is the application form. On the day you visit and inquire about citizenship, they’re supposed to give you the form which you’ll need to fill out and submit along with the documents above. I scanned a copy of the forms here (for the first page) and here (for the second page).
If you’re from the Philippines, number seven is equivalent to a court clearance or a prosecutor’s clearance, and number nine is equivalent to an NBI clearance or a police clearance. You’ll need to submit the original version of ALL of these documents accompanied with a notarised translation.
One final requirement is that all documents should be recent and uniform. No errors are allowed. To give an example, if your second name is spelled as “Griselle” in the passport – all certificates, translations, receipts, and all that will be submitted should match exactly that spelling. The version “Grisele” with a single “l” is not allowed.
3. On the day you submit
On the day of your submission, the person stationed at the MIA will ensure that all documents are correct and complete.
Once your application gets approved, you’ll need to go to Usluga Plus and pay 1,240 MKD for the application fee. The receipt you’ll get from Usluga should be attached along with all the other documents.
The approval process will take about nine months. I’m hoping that by the time I update this article, I’ll have my Macedonian passport by then. In the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or email me at findtheforeignerin[at]gmail.com.
Hope this article helps somehow!
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How long does it take to get citizenship in Macedonia?
Based on what we were told, it takes about eight to ten months. I will update this article to let you know how long it took for me. - Is it okay to submit copies of the required documents?
We were required to submit the original certificates that are valid within the period of submission. - Did you need to take a language test or an interview to apply for citizenship?
No. I only had to write a biography in Macedonian language.
