Personal Work Permit
A personal work permit is a renewable or permanent form of work permit that allows the foreign national, during its validity, free access to the labor market. A personal work permit that is valid for a period of up to one year is issued to:
- A member of the immediate family of a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia who holds a valid temporary residence permit.
- A member of the immediate family of a foreign national who holds a personal work permit for an indefinite period.
- A foreign national of Macedonian origin or their descendant up to the third generation, who does not possess Macedonian citizenship.
- A foreign national residing in the Republic of North Macedonia based on a family reunification permit.
- A foreign national applying for asylum, whose asylum request has not been resolved within one year after the expiration of the one-year period (the work permit is issued for three months with the possibility of extension).
- A foreign national with recognized refugee status.
- A foreign national under subsidiary protection.
- Victims of human trafficking/humanitarian reasons.
The application is submitted in person to the Employment Agency. If their employment relationship ends through no fault of their own, they can register in the records of unemployed individuals at the Employment Agency.
In the diplomatic consular representation of the Republic of North Macedonia, an individual can apply for a personal work permit for self-employment:
- A foreign national who intends to establish or jointly establish a private commercial company.
- One who intends to conduct their activity as the sole owner.
- One who intends to independently perform a professional activity.
A request for a personal work permit that is valid for a period of three years can be submitted by a foreign national:
- Representing a company (trading company) based on the right to establish.
- As an individual conducting their activity as the sole owner.
- A foreign national independently performing a professional activity in the Republic of North Macedonia without interruption for a period of one year.
- In their application, the foreign national should also submit a positive opinion from the Ministry of Economy regarding the implementation of their business plan.
- A personal work permit valid for a period of three years can be reissued to the same foreign national if they submit a positive opinion from the Ministry of Economy regarding the implementation of their business plan.
- A request for a personal work permit that is valid for an indefinite period can be submitted by a foreign national who holds a permanent residence permit in the Republic of North Macedonia and an individual with recognized refugee status.
Employers who establish an employment relationship with a foreign national or the foreign nationals themselves if they are self-employed are obligated to register the start and end of the work done by foreign nationals.
Employment Permit
A work permit is a type of employment permit issued in connection with the need for permanent employment by employers.
A foreigner who has been granted temporary residence in North Macedonia and possesses this type of permit can only be employed by an employer who has submitted an application for their work permit.
The work permit is issued to the employer, who demonstrates a permanent need for employment that cannot be satisfied by the domestic labor force available on the labor market.
The permit for the first employment is issued for six months with the possibility of extension up to a total of one year, without a re-evaluation of the conditions.
All foreigners working in companies, institutions, agencies, etc., are required to possess a work permit.
For the first time, the application is submitted through the North Macedonia diplomatic or consular representation, and subsequent extensions are done within the country.
Work Permit
A work permit is a type of employment permit with a previously established time limit, based on which a foreign national can temporarily work in North Macedonia according to the purpose for which the permit was issued.
In terms of its purpose, a work permit is associated with:
-Work performed by posted workers
– training and improvement of foreigners
– seasonal work by foreigners, work performed by foreign representatives
– individual services by foreigners
Upon the expiration of the work permit it can only be renewed in exceptional circumstances.
A temporary residence permit for work will be issued based on the application of the foreign national, the legal entity with whom the foreign national should conclude an employment contract, or an authorized representative thereof.
This application can also be submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia.
The temporary residence permit for work can be issued to a foreign national if the Employment Agency of North Macedonia issues a positive opinion that the foreign national meets the conditions as per the law, unless otherwise specified by a ratified international agreement.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs provides this opinion by law. The Employment Agency of North Macedonia must submit the opinion to the Ministry of Internal Affairs within five working days. If the agency does not act within this timeframe, the opinion is considered positive.
A foreign national who has been issued a temporary residence permit for work in North Macedonia may only perform the work for which the permit was issued.
Work is considered to be employment, seasonal employment, and work by a foreign national who is a dispatched worker.
The temporary residence permit for work is issued for the period for which the Employment Agency of North Macedonia issued a positive opinion, and it can be extended if the conditions defined in Article 57, paragraph 2 of the Law on the Employment of Foreigners are met.
If the work permit is issued in accordance with the opinion of the Employment Agency of North Macedonia, which is considered positive, it will be issued for the period specified by the foreign national in the application but not exceeding one year.
The decision allowing temporary residence for work can also be issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Journalists
Foreign journalists reporting from North Macedonia need to have a badge and accreditation from the Information Sector at the General Secretariat of the Government of North Macedonia. Representatives of professional TV crews in mass media can work freely for up to 30 days without a badge from the Information Sector, with the approval of the relevant institution sending them to our country.
The second group consists of representatives of print media seeking accreditation for periods ranging from 30 days to one year. These individuals are required to submit:
- An original letter from the editorial office of the media outlet designating them to work in North Macedonia.
- A biography of the journalist.
- A brief history of the media outlet they will be working for.
- A copy of their accreditation for the role (cameraman, videographer, journalist)
- A copy of their passport.
All documents are reviewed, and a decision is made on whether to grant approval or not. After receiving approval from the Information Sector, individuals must apply for a temporary residence permit.
Creative services in the field of culture
With approval from the Ministry of Culture, foreigners can engage in cultural activities within 7 days, such as:
- Participants in cultural workshops, meetings, colonies, and other cultural events or as presenters for such events, as creators and editors in the fields of music, musical performances, dance, ballet, and literary works, photography, video, film, and electronic media arts.
- As accompanying personnel for instructors, communication, and organizational and technical personnel, and as experts in the fields of cultural heritage protection, librarianship, archiving, and creative culture.
In one calendar year, they have the right to engage in such activities with interruptions totaling 30 days. For longer periods, a work permit from the Employment Agency is required.
Work Permit for Athletes
Work permits are required for athletes competing in first-league clubs. For these foreign nationals, the Agency for Youth and Sports provides written consent, a contract between the athlete and the club, and an opinion from the relevant federation
Work Permit for Coaches
Foreign nationals who are professional coaches can also be employed in amateur clubs because this profession is like any other, and if there is a shortage of professionals of this profile, the agency can issue a work permit.
Volunteering– Based on the Law on Volunteering, temporary residence in North Macedonia can be approved for a foreign national who agrees to volunteer through the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and signs a volunteering agreement between the foreign national and the relevant institution.
Religious Work– To perform religious work in religious premises, foreigners must obtain consent from the Government’s Commission for Relations with Religious Communities and Religious Groups. North Macedonia’s Constitution recognizes five religious communities: the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Islamic Religious Community, Catholic Church, Jewish Community, and Evangelical Methodist Community. The other 21 are religious groups.
First, the Community or Group must apply to the Commission and provide documents explaining the need to engage the foreign national, such as a religious service, prayer, or religious rituals. This applies only to activities within religious premises.
Work by foreign students with approved temporary residence for study purpose
Foreign students in North Macedonia can perform short-term or auxiliary work without a work permit, as long as the total period for such work does not exceed 10 working hours per week and only for those who are self-financing.
The requirement is that such work should be registered with the Employment Agency. Employers are obligated to cover the costs of social insurance for these employees.
Students involved in international exchange programs, whose education or studies are funded by North Macedonia, are not allowed to work or be employed during their stay
Work permit for the medical profession- When seeking a work permit for the medical profession in a public or private healthcare institution, foreigners must possess approval from the Ministry of Health and a license from the Medical Chamber of North Macedonia before obtaining a work permit from the Employment Agency.