Foreigners can find jobs in North Macedonia, but the job offer has to come first, and the right to work follows from it. For most people from outside the country, including EU citizens, the realistic route is to find an employer willing to hire you, check that the employer is genuine, and then let that employer support an application for temporary residence for work (привремен престој, privremen prestoj) with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which relies on a positive opinion from the Employment Service Agency. Looking for work is something you can do from abroad through the agency's public vacancy search, direct applications, recruiters, and professional networks. Working before the residence permit is granted is not allowed, and no agency or intermediary can guarantee you a job or a permit. This guide explains how to prepare, where to search, how to check employers and recruiters, how to avoid fees and scams, and how the permit stage fits in once you have an offer.

Who can work in North Macedonia as a foreigner?r

North Macedonia is an EU candidate country, not a member state. EU rules on free movement of workers do not apply there, and EU directives on residence and work have no direct effect. National law decides who may work, mainly the Law on Foreigners, administered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Law on Employment and Work of Foreigners, administered by the Employment Service Agency (Агенција за вработување, often shortened to ESA or AVRSM). The labour relationship itself is governed by the Law on Labour Relations.

In practice,ce there are several distinct bases on which a foreigner may work:

• Temporary residence for work. Under the Law on Foreigners, temporary residence may be granted for employment, seasonal employment and the posting (secondment) of employees. The Employment Service Agency must first issue a positive opinion. The consolidated text of the law states that the residence permit issued on this basis serves as the foreigner's residence permit and work permit at the same time, so most new arrivals do not apply for a separate work permit.
• A work permit (работна дозвола, rabotna dozvola) from the Employment Service Agency. According to the agency, this is issued to foreigners who already live legally in the country on another basis, for example close family members of North Macedonian citizens, family members of certain permit holders, people of Macedonian origin up to the third generation, people with residence through family reunification, asylum seekers, recognised refugees and people under subsidiary or temporary protection.
• A registration certificate for short-term services. Some short activities need registration with the agency rather than a work permit, such as creative and cultural services, services at trade fairs, certain other short-term services, limited work by foreign students and emergency services. These have strict time limits and are not a route into ordinary employment.
• Free labour market access under the Open Balkan arrangements for citizens of Albania and Serbia, explained later in this guide.

The agency's page on employment of foreign citizens lists these categories. If you are moving for an ordinary job with an employer in Skopje or elsewhere, you will almost always fall under temporary residence for work.

Do EU citizens need a permit?

Yes, as a general rule. EU and Schengen nationals can enter North Macedonia without a visa, and many can travel on a national identity card, but visa-free entry is not a right to work. The Law on Employment and Work of Foreigners allows for foreigners who are given equal status with nationals under a reciprocity agreement with the European Union to fall outside the annual quota, but this does not by itself remove the permit requirement, and you should not assume such an agreement covers you. Before accepting a job, ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Employment Service Agency which procedure applies to your nationality.

Is there a quota or labour market test

The Law on Employment and Work of Foreigners provides for an annual quota of foreign workers set by the Government, divided into groups such as employment, posted workers, seasonal work and individual services. The consolidated Law on Foreigners also makes the agency's opinion depend on the quota not being exhausted and on the hire not harming the domestic labour market, with exemptions for certain roles such as company founders and managers. These rules are amended from time to time, so treat them as the framework rather than a fixed checklist. How employers deal with the quota and the labour market check is covered in our separate guide on employers hiring foreign workers.

Entry and visa rules for job seekers

Whether you need a visa simply to visit depends on your nationality. According to Invest North Macedonia's visa guidance, EU and Schengen nationals do not need a visa, and some third-country nationals who hold residence in an EU or Schengen state, or a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa, may stay for limited periods. Everyone else should check the visa regime for their passport with a North Macedonian embassy or consulate, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The key points for job seekers are these:

• Short stays without a visa, or on a short stay C visa, are limited to 90 days in any 180 days.
• A visa or visa-free stay allows you to stay only for the purpose for which it was granted. Visiting, attending an interview, or meeting an employer is not the same as working, and you must not start work on a visitor stay.
• The long stay D visa is issued only after the Ministry of Internal Affairs has approved temporary residence. Under the consolidated law, the holder must report in person to the Ministry soon after arrival so that the residence permit can be issued.
• Visa applications are normally made in person at a diplomatic or consular mission of North Macedonia in your country of residence, or at a mission that represents North Macedonia where it has none of its own.

Some people look for work while in the country on a visit, which is not forbidden as such, but the permit procedure still has to be completed and the clock on your permitted stay keeps running. If your stay ends before the permit is granted, you may have to leave and complete the procedure from abroad.

Preparing before you start searching

Good preparation shortens the time between an offer and a permit, because the residence application relies on documents that can take weeks to obtain abroad.

Documents to gather early

• A passport with plenty of remaining validity. Residence and visa procedures require a valid travel document, and a passport close to expiry can hold everything up.
• Your diplomas, transcripts and professional certificates, ideally with official translations.
• A criminal record certificate from the country where you have lived recently. The Ministry of Internal Affairs asks for one in residence procedures, and the precise requirement has changed over time, so check what is currently requested before ordering it.
• References and proof of work experience, such as employer letters, which help both with job applications and with any recognition procedure.
• Information on legalisation. Foreign public documents often need an apostille or consular legalisation before use in North Macedonia, unless a treaty exempts them. Ask the receiving authority before paying for legalisation.

Your CV and applications

Employers in North Macedonia commonly expect a concise CV with your education, work history, language skills and contact details. Many employers, especially in public-facing roles, will expect Macedonian, and in some municipalities Albanian, which is also an official language in areas where it is widely spoken. International companies, call centres, IT and outsourcing firms, and some manufacturing employers work in English. State your nationality and current residence status openly, because the employer will need to know early whether they must support a permit application. Our separate guide on the Macedonian language explains the language requirements in more detail.

Understanding pay offers

Salaries in North Macedonia are usually discussed as a monthly amount in denars (MKD). Always confirm whether a figure is gross (before personal income tax and social insurance contributions) or net (the amount paid into your account). The gap between the two is significant, and a recruiter quoting one while you assume the other is a common source of disappointment. Ask for the agreed salary to be written into the employment contract.

Recognition of qualifications in North Macedonia

For many jobs,s an employer will simply assess your CV and diploma. For others, formal recognition is needed, especially in the public sector, in education and in regulated professions.

The Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for decisions on recognising foreign higher education qualifications. According to the Eurydice description of higher education in North Macedonia, the Law on Higher Education allows automatic recognition of degrees from universities ranked highly in certain international rankings, although the holder still has to submit an application with the prescribed documents.

Practical points to keep in mind:

• Recognition of a degree for further study or general employment is not the same as permission to practise a regulated profession. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, teachers and similar professions may need a licence or registration with the competent chamber or ministry in addition to recognition.
• Vocational certificates and trade qualifications are assessed differently from university degrees. Ask the employer and the relevant authority which procedure applies.
• Driving jobs have their own rules on licence recognition and the certificate of professional competence. These are covered in our separate guides on foreign truck drivers and foreign bus drivers.
• Start recognition early if your target job requires it, because it adds a separate procedure to the residence application.

Where to look for jobs in North Macedonia for foreigners

There is no single channel for foreign job seekers. Most people combine several of the following.

The Employment Service Agency vacancy search

The Employment Service Agency publishes vacancies notified by employers in its e-Rabota (е-Работа) system, which you can reach from the agency's home page through the vacancy search link. The search is public, and you can browse it from abroad. Vacancy notices are mostly in Macedonian, so a translation tool helps. They typically describe the employer, the position, the required education and the place of work, and tell you how to apply.

Keep in mind that a vacancy notified to the agency is primarily aimed at people already able to work in the country. Applying is still worthwhile, but say clearly in your application that you would need the employer to support a temporary residence application.

Applying directly to employers

Many international employers and larger domestic companies advertise on their own websites and accept speculative applications. Foreign investors operating in the technological industrial development zones, manufacturing groups, IT and business services firms, hotels and tourism businesses are among the employers more used to foreign staff. Sending a targeted application to a named contact usually works better than mass mailing.

Private job portals and recruiters

Private online job boards are widely used for Skopje jobs and jobs in other cities, and some recruitment and staffing firms place foreign workers. These can be useful, but they are commercial services. Read the section on private agencies below before you deal with one.

Professional networks and community contacts

Professional networking platforms, alumni groups, chambers of commerce and diaspora or expatriate communities often hear about openings before they are advertised. Your own country's embassy in Skopje, or a business association linked to your country, may know which companies from your country operate in North Macedonia.

Using official labour market information

The agency also publishes labour market statistics and skills needs analysis. These help you understand which occupations employers report as hard to fill. Demand for an occupation does not create a right to a permit, but it can tell you where your applications are likely to be welcome. Our separate guide on labour shortages in North Macedonia looks at this evidence in detail.

Skopje jobs and work in other regions

Skopje, the capital, has the widest range of employers, including most head offices, international organisations, IT and business services firms and the largest public institutions. Other cities and regions offer work in manufacturing, agriculture, food processing, construction, transport and tourism, with tourism concentrated around the lakes in the south west during the summer. Vacancy notices state the place of work, and the agency runs employment centres in towns across the country. When you assess an offer outside Skopje, ask about housing and transport, because these can affect your real income more than the headline salary, and remember that your residence permit address must be registered where you actually live.

Timing your search

Allow for the permit stage when you plan. An employer who needs someone to start next week is unlikely to wait for a foreign hire, while an employer planning ahead can build the residence procedure into the timetable. Seasonal sectors recruit before the season starts. Apply early, keep your documents ready, and be realistic about how long you can cover your own costs while you wait.

How the Employment Service Agency can help

The Employment Service Agency is the public employment service. Its employment mediation service works in both directions: employers notify vacancies to their local employment centre, and the agency refers suitable candidates from its records, usually one to five people per position. The agency states that it provides mediation free of charge and impartially, under the law on employment and unemployment insurance.

Some features matter particularly for foreigners:

• Registering in the agency's records. According to the agency's page on entry into records, registration as an unemployed person or other job seeker is done in person at the employment centre for your place of residence, with an identity document and your diploma or certificate. The page does not say whether foreigners without residence may register. If you already live in the country legally, ask your local employment centre whether you can be entered in the records.
• Online access. The agency's e-Rabota user guide explains that individuals can search vacancies and view their registered employment history online, but they must first have basic data entered in the agency's database at a counter. The public vacancy search itself does not require an account.
• Employment mediation abroad. The agency also mediates for jobs abroad, which is mainly relevant to residents looking to work outside the country.
• The agency's role in your permit. Separately from job search, the agency issues the opinion on which temporary residence for work depends, and it issues work permits for people with residence on other grounds.

Agency services do not involve a fee for job seekers in mediation. If someone claims to be an agency employee and asks you to pay for a placement, treat it as a warning sign and contact the agency directly through the contact details on its official website.

Private employment agencies and recruiters

Private recruitment firms, staffing companies and temporary work agencies operate in North Macedonia. Temporary work agencies are regulated by a separate law and must be entered in a register maintained under the ministry responsible for labour, with conditions that include a bank guarantee and proper business premises. Recruiters based in other countries may also offer jobs in North Macedonia, and they fall under the law of their own country as well.

Before you engage any agency or recruiter, check the following:

• Who the employer actually is. Ask for the full legal name and registered office of the company that will sign your contract and pay your salary. If the agency itself will be your employer, it is a temporary work agency arrangement,nt and you should know that from the start.
• Registration. Check that the agency is a registered company in the Central Registry and, if it supplies temporary workers, ask for proof of its registration as a temporary work agency with the ministry responsible for labour.
• What you are asked to pay and why. Ask for any fee in writing, with what it covers. Official state fees for visas and residence are paid to the state, and you should receive a receipt. Be very cautious about any placement fee charged to you as a worker, and never pay simply for the promise of a job.
• Who handles your documents. Do not hand over your original passport. Authorities need to see it at specific stages, but an employer or agency has no reason to keep it.
• The written offer. Insist on a written offer that states the position, workplace, working hours, gross or net salary,ary and contract duration, before you resign from your current job or travel.

Checking an employer in the Central Registry

The Central Registry of the Republic of North Macedonia (Централен регистар) keeps the trade register for companies and handles business registration through a one-stop shop system, as described in the Municipality of Gazi Baba guide to registering a company. Checking the register is one of the simplest protections against fake employers.

What to check, using the Central Registry's own website at crm.com.mk or its offices:

• That a company with the exact name in your offer exists and is active, not in liquidation or bankruptcy.
• Its registered seat and main activity, and whether these match the job you are offered. A company registered for trade that offers you a factory or construction job abroad deserves closer scrutiny.
• Its tax and registration numbers, which should appear on an offer or contract.
• Who represents the company. The person signing your offer should have authority to do so.

Some information from the register is free, and some extracts are charged. A registered company is not proof of a genuine vacancy, but an unregistered or dissolved company is a clear reason to walk away.

Avoiding job scams and unlawful fees

Fraudulent offers targeting foreign workers are common across the region. Typical warning signs include:

• An offer made without any interview, or after a brief chat on a messaging app, for a well-paid job with free housing.
• A request for money for a "work visa", "permit guarantee", "registration", training, medical checks, or a reservation before you have a signed contract.
• Promises that a permit is guaranteed or that the procedure can be skipped. Decisions on temporary residence belong to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and depend on the agency's opinion; nobody outside those authorities can promise an outcome.
• Instructions to enter as a tourist and start working while "papers are being arranged". Work without a permit exposes you to fines, removal, and an entry ban, and under the Law on Employment and Work of Foreigners, an employment contract with a foreigner who has no permit or lawful stay is void.
• Payment requests to personal accounts, cryptocryptocurrencymoney transfer services in a third country.
• A company name that cannot be found in the Central Registry, or that differs from the name on the contract.

If you suspect a scam, stop paying, keep all messages and receipts, and report it to the police in the country where you are and, if the company claims to operate in North Macedonia, to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Problems with an employer once you are working legally, such as unpaid wages or missing contracts, can be reported to the State Labour Inspectorate.

From job offer to work permit in North Macedonia

Once an employer wants to hire you, the residence and work authorisation stage begins. This overview shows how the pieces fit; detailed procedure, documents and fees are explained in our separate guide on applying for a work permit in North Macedonia.

1. Agree the terms. The employer confirms the position, salary, and start date and agrees to support your application.
2. Prepare the application. Under the consolidated Law on Foreigners, the application for temporary residence for work can be submitted by the foreigner, by the employer who will sign the employment contract, or by an authorised representative. Applications from abroad are lodged through a diplomatic or consular mission together with the visa application where a visa is needed.
3. Employment Service Agency opinion. The Ministry of Internal Affairs obtains the agency's opinion, which considers the quota, the employer's compliance and the labour market. A negative or missing opinion means the residence for work cannot be granted.
4. Decision on temporary residence. The Ministry decides. If approved and you are abroad, you then apply for the D visa to enter.
5. Arrival and permit. You report to the Ministry within the deadline after arrival, register your address, and receive the residence permit card.
6. Registration of employment. The employer registers your employment with the Employment Service Agency. The agency's page on registration of employment states that employers must register any employment, in general,l at least one day before the employee starts, which also triggers social insurance registration.

Temporary residence for work is tied to the job and employer for which it was granted. Changing employer or losing your job has consequences, which are covered in our separate guides on changing employers on a work permit and on job loss on a work permit. Seasonal jobs follow their own rules, set out in our separate guide on seasonal work.

The Law on Foreigners has been amended several times, including changes to supporting documents and deadlines. Rely on the requirements the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the mission gives you at the time of your application, rather than on older checklists circulated online.

Citizens of Albania and Serbia under Open Balkan

North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia have concluded a memorandum, an agreement on the conditions for free access to the labour market and an implementation protocol under the Open Balkan initiative. The Employment Service Agency has a dedicated Open Balkan section and has published a notice on the start of the free labour market access service.

The arrangement is designed to let citizens of the three countries work in each other's territory under a simplified procedure, based on an Open Balkan identification number obtained in the home country. Citizens of Albania and Serbia should check the current procedure, the documents needed, and how long an approval lasts directly with the agency, because the published pages do not set out every step, and the arrangement does not extend to citizens of other countries, even if they live in Albania or Serbia.

What to check in your employment contract

Employment in North Macedonia is governed by the Law on Labour Relations. A written contract protects you in disputes and is needed for your residence file. Before signing, check that it states:

• The names and registration details of both parties, matching the Central Registry and your passport.
• Your job title and a description of the work, which should match the job approved in your residence decision.
• Your place of work and whether you may be sent elsewhere.
• Whether the contract is for an indefinite or fixed period, and any probationary period.
• Working hours, rest periods and annual leave.
• Your salary, clearly identified as gross or net, and the payment date.
• Any housing, transport or meals the employer provides, and whether their cost is deducted from your pay.

Ask for a version you understand. If the contract is only in Macedonian, get a reliable translation before signing. Never sign a blank page or a document that differs from what you were promised.

After you start work

Once you are working legally, a few obligations and checks continue:

• Keep your residence permit valid and apply to renew it within the window the Ministry of Internal Affairs sets. Applying late can lead to refusal.
• Check that your employer has registered your employment and is paying social insurance contributions. The Pension and Disability Insurance Fund and the Health Insurance Fund can confirm your insurance status.
• Keep copies of payslips, your contract and your permit.
• Do not take a second job or change role without checking whether your permit covers it.
• Report changes of address as required.

Employers' obligations, including tax, social insurance and the consequences of illegal employment, are explained in our separate guide on employers hiring foreign workers.

A practical checklist for foreign job seekers

1. Confirm the visa rules for your passport andthe 90-dayy limit on short stays.
2. Gather your passport, diplomas, references and information on legalisation.
3. Find out whether your target job needs recognition of qualifications or a professional licence.
4. Search the Employment Service Agency's vacancy search, employer websites, recruiters and networks.
5. Explain your nationality and permit needs to employers early.
6. Check every employer in the Central Registry and every recruiter's registration.
7. Refuse placement fees and never pay for a guaranteed job or permit.
8. Get a written offer stating the employer, job, workplace, and gross or net salary.
9. Let the employer and the authorities handle the temporary residence for work procedure, and do not start work until it is granted.
10. After arrival, check that your employment and social insurance are registered.

Sources and References

• Employment of foreign citizens, Employment Service Agency of North Macedonia
• Home page and vacancy search, Employment Service Agency of North Macedonia
• Employment mediation services, Employment Service Agency of North Macedonia
• Посредување при вработување (employment mediation), Employment Service Agency of North Macedonia
• Entry into records, Employment Service Agency of North Macedonia
• e-Rabota user guide, Employment Service Agency of North Macedonia
• Statistical data and skills needs analysis, Employment Service Agency of North Macedonia
• Registration and deregistration of employment, Employment Service Agency of North Macedonia
• Open Balkan, North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania, Employment Service Agency of North Macedonia
• Law on Employment and Work of Foreigners, text published by the Municipality of Gazi Baba
• Law on Foreigners, consolidated English text, UNHCR Refworld
• Visa requirements and procedure, Invest North Macedonia
• Work visas and permits, Invest North Macedonia
• Higher education in North Macedonia, Eurydice, European Commission
• Registering a company and the Central Registry, Municipality of Gazi Baba