North Macedonia Citizenship
Explore North Macedonia citizenship by requirements, naturalization and descent options. Learn how to apply and prepare documents with legal assistance.
Citizenship is a special legal relationship, permanent in its character, which exists between the state and an individual. Based on citizenship, a person acquires the status of a citizen of the country which grants them all the rights of that country but also imposes certain obligations upon them.
Citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia is acquired:
- By descent,
- By birth on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia,
- By naturalization, and
- By international treaties.
By descent, a child acquires citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia if:
- At the time of birth, both parents are citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia;
- At the time of birth, one parent is a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia, and the child is born in the Republic of North Macedonia, if the parents do not agree for the child to acquire the citizenship of the other parent;
- At the time of birth, one parent is a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia, and the other parent is unknown or stateless, or without citizenship, and the child is born abroad.
By birth, a child found or born on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia, whose parents are unknown or have unknown citizenship or are stateless, acquires citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia.
By naturalization, citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia may be acquired by a foreigner who personally applies for admission to the citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia, if they meet the following conditions:
- Is 18 years old;
- Has lawfully and continuously resided in the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia for at least seven years prior to the application;
- Has secured accommodation and a stable source of income at a level that provides material and social security under conditions determined by law;
- Has not been sentenced to imprisonment for at least one year in the Republic of North Macedonia or in the country of which they are a citizen, for offenses prosecuted ex officio and punishable under the laws of the Republic of North Macedonia;
- Is not subject to criminal proceedings in the Republic of North Macedonia or in the country of which they are a citizen;
- Has mastered the Macedonian language to such an extent as to easily understand the environment;
- Is not subject to a ban on residence in the Republic of North Macedonia;
- Their admission to citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia does not jeopardize the security and defense of the Republic of North Macedonia;
- Signs an oath of loyalty to the Republic of North Macedonia; and
- Renounces their previous citizenship or proves that they will obtain it if admitted to citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia.
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The procedure for acquiring citizenship in Macedonia includes several steps and is regulated by the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia. The competent authority for making decisions on citizenship applications is the Ministry of Internal Affairs, i.e. the Department for Citizenship, Immigration and Administrative Affairs. After submitting the application, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reviews the application and checks the information provided. A background check is included here and an assessment is made as to whether the individual meets the legal criteria for acquiring citizenship.
Based on the consideration and assessment of the request, the competent authority may make one of the following decisions regarding citizenship:
- Approval: If the applicant meets all conditions and criteria for citizenship, the competent authority can approve the request, granting citizenship to the person.
- Rejection: If the applicant does not meet certain criteria or if there are discrepancies or problems with the application or accompanying documentation, the competent authority may reject the application for citizenship.
The time frame for the decision-making process on citizenship applications can vary depending on various factors, including the complexity of the case, the volume of applications being processed and the efficiency of administrative procedures. In general, applicants can expect a decision within at least a year and a half after submitting their application.
In case of rejected application, the applicant has the right to seek a legal remedy. The legal remedy in this case is a lawsuit before the Administrative Court. The deadline for filing a lawsuit is 30 days from the day of receipt of the official decision.
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