🇲🇰 Moving to North Macedonia: tax, residency and cost of living

Key facts

Top income tax

10%

Corporate tax

10%

Capital gains

10%

Wealth tax

No

Inheritance tax

Yes

Cost of living index

38

Safety

7/10

Internet quality

6/10

Visa-free destinations

125

Foreigners can own property

Yes

Residency in

0 months

Citizenship in

0 years

Taxes

Since 2023 North Macedonia levies a flat 10% tax on residents' worldwide income (employment, self-employment, capital and gains); corporate tax is 10% and only charged on distribution (retained profit stays untaxed), there is no wealth tax, VAT is 18% and the denar is pegged to the euro. Employee social contributions are, however, high (~28%).

Residency and visas

Residence is easiest through buying property, a company or employment (a temporary residence permit, renewable yearly); permanent residence after five years, naturalisation after about eight years. There is no citizenship-by-investment.

Property ownership

Foreigners may buy homes and apartments in full ownership; land (agricultural and areas without reciprocity) is restricted and usually runs through a local company. The denar's peg to the euro limits currency risk.

Cost of living and quality of life

North Macedonia offers very low costs, Lake Ohrid and mountains, and a safe environment, but it is a small landlocked country with modest infrastructure and healthcare and periodically poor air quality in Skopje.

Passport and mobility

The North Macedonian passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to about 125 destinations, including the Schengen area; the country has been an EU candidate since 2005 but accession is slow due to bilateral disputes.

Residency and visas

• Tijdelijke verblijfsvergunning via eigendom van vastgoed, een eigen vennootschap of werk; jaarlijks verlengbaar · Residency in 5 years
• Permanente verblijfsvergunning na vijf jaar legaal verblijf; naturalisatie na doorgaans acht jaar (geen burgerschap-door-investering) · Residency in 5 years

Why people move to North Macedonia

• Flat 10% tax and 10% corporate tax on distribution

  North Macedonia taxes personal income at a flat 10%, has no wealth tax and only charges the 10% corporate tax on distribution, so reinvesting entrepreneurs can grow untaxed; the denar is pegged to the euro.

• High employee contributions, slow EU accession, no coast

  The flat tax is low, but employee contributions are high (~28%), EU accession has dragged on since 2005 due to bilateral disputes, the country is a small landlocked state with no coast, and infrastructure and air quality are modest.