North Macedonia Tourist Visa Requirements for UK Citizens
Last checked: 20 March 2026
Planning a holiday to North Macedonia with a full British citizen passport?
This guide explains the current tourist entry rules for UK travellers, including whether you need a visa, how long you can stay, passport validity rules, what documents you may need, police registration rules after arrival, electronic systems now in use, costs, and the official government links to check before travel.
This article is restricted to tourist entry for UK citizens. It does not cover work, study, residence, or long-stay immigration routes except where needed to explain what does not apply to a normal holiday.
North Macedonia uses the Macedonian denar (MKD) and is not part of the Schengen area.
Index
- 1. Quick answer
- 2. Passport and stay rules
- 3. Documents and border checks
- 4. Police registration after arrival
- 5. Electronic systems in use, or not applicable
- 6. Costs for UK tourist entry
- 7. Official UK and North Macedonian government links
- 8. Frequently asked questions
1. Quick answer
No tourist visa is required for a UK citizen visiting North Macedonia for a short holiday.
For most British tourists, the key points are:
- You can visit North Macedonia without a visa for up to 3 months.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the date you arrive.
- You should make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit.
- You should be able to show a return or onward flight ticket.
- You must usually register with the local police within 48 hours of arrival, unless your hotel does it for you at check-in.
- There is no North Macedonia-only tourist ETA identified in the official sources reviewed for a normal visa-free UK tourist trip.
- North Macedonia does have an official visa system for travellers who actually need a visa, but a normal British tourist would not usually need to use it.
In simple terms, most UK holidaymakers can travel to North Macedonia without applying for a tourist visa, provided the stay is no longer than 3 months and the passport rules are met.
2. Passport and stay rules
If you are travelling to North Macedonia as a tourist on a full British citizen passport, your passport should meet these conditions:
- It must have an expiry date at least 90 days after the date you arrive.
- You can be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or if you try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
UK citizens can visit North Macedonia for up to 3 months without a visa.
If you plan to stay for longer than that, you should contact the Macedonian Embassy before travel and check the correct longer-stay route.
North Macedonia is outside Schengen, so its tourist stay rules are separate from the Schengen 90 days in 180 days calculation used for countries such as France, Italy, Spain, and Germany.
3. Documents and border checks
Even though UK tourists do not need a visa for a short holiday, you should still travel with the documents needed to support your visit.
- A valid British passport
- A return or onward flight ticket
- Your accommodation details, such as a hotel booking or host address
- Your travel insurance details
- A basic itinerary, especially for overland travel
For a normal British tourist, the official UK entry page specifically says you must be able to show a return or onward flight ticket.
If you are carrying foreign currency with a value of €10,000 or more when you enter North Macedonia, you must declare it. If you do not, customs officers may detain you and seize the cash when you try to leave.
There is also a route issue worth noting. The UK Government says Serbia has sometimes denied entry to people leaving North Macedonia with passport stamps from Kosovo. If your trip combines North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia, plan the order of travel carefully.
4. Police registration after arrival
This is one of the most important North Macedonia-specific rules for British tourists, because it is easy to miss.
You must register with the local police in the town or city where you are staying within 48 hours of your arrival.
If you are staying in a hotel, staff will normally register you at check-in.
If you register directly with the police, you should:
- keep the registration document with you until you leave North Macedonia
- de-register 24 hours before you leave
If you do not register, you may face:
- a fine
- detention and a court hearing
- a restriction on returning to North Macedonia
5. Electronic systems in use, or not applicable
North Macedonia does not currently require a separate North Macedonia-only tourist ETA for a visa-free UK holiday visit.
However, there are two important points to know:
Online police registration
North Macedonia’s Ministry of Interior provides an official online residence registration system. GOV.UK links to it and says you can register with the police online, although the online system is in Macedonian.
The Ministry of Interior page says accommodation providers are obliged to report a foreigner’s stay electronically, and other persons staying with foreigners can also use the online form, although they still need to complete the legal registration at the relevant police station within the deadline.
No Schengen EES or ETIAS for North Macedonia entry
North Macedonia is not in the Schengen area, so the EU’s Schengen digital border systems do not govern normal tourist entry into North Macedonia.
- EES is a Schengen border system, so it is not North Macedonia’s tourist entry system.
- ETIAS is also linked to visa-free travel into the Schengen area, so it is not required for entry into North Macedonia.
So the current position for UK tourists is:
- No North Macedonia tourist visa requirement for a standard UK short visit
- No North Macedonia-only tourist ETA requirement identified
- North Macedonia does have an official online police registration system
- EES and ETIAS are not the systems that govern normal tourist entry into North Macedonia
6. Costs for UK tourist entry
North Macedonia uses the Macedonian denar (MKD). For a normal UK tourist visit, the official entry costs are simple because no tourist visa is required.
Approximate pound conversions below use the ECB euro reference rate shown for 11 March 2026 of €1 = £0.86363.
| Item | Does it apply to a normal UK tourist? | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| North Macedonia tourist visa | No | MKD 0 (£0) |
| North Macedonia-only tourist ETA / pre-travel authorisation | No official system identified | MKD 0 (£0) |
| EES registration | No, not a North Macedonia entry requirement | MKD 0 (£0) |
| ETIAS | No, not a North Macedonia entry requirement | MKD 0 (£0) |
| Short-stay and transit visa C, only if a traveller outside the visa-free route needs one | Not applicable to a normal British tourist, official source publishes this fee in euros | €60 (about £51.84) |
| Short-stay and transit visa C for children aged 6 to 12 | Not applicable to a normal British tourist, official source publishes this fee in euros | €35 (about £30.23) |
| Long-stay visa D | Not applicable to a normal tourist trip, official source publishes this fee in euros | €70 (about £60.45) |
Important: the official North Macedonian visa-fee source publishes the non-tourist visa fees in euros, not in denars. For an ordinary British citizen tourist, the tourist entry cost remains MKD 0 (£0).
7. Official UK and North Macedonian government links
Use these official pages before booking, before travel, and again shortly before departure:
- UK Government travel advice for North Macedonia
- UK Government North Macedonia entry requirements
- UK Government foreign travel checklist
- North Macedonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visa requirements for entering the Republic of North Macedonia
- North Macedonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, types of entry visas
- North Macedonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visa application procedure
- North Macedonia Ministry of Interior, e-registration of residence
If your circumstances are unusual, for example dual nationality, non-standard UK travel documents, a route involving Kosovo and Serbia, or an intended stay longer than 3 months, rely on the official pages above rather than third-party websites.
8. Frequently asked questions
Do UK citizens need a visa for North Macedonia?
No. A British citizen does not need a tourist visa to enter North Macedonia for visits of up to 3 months.
How long can a British tourist stay in North Macedonia without a visa?
Up to 3 months.
How long must my passport be valid for North Macedonia?
Your passport must expire at least 90 days after the date you arrive in North Macedonia.
Do I need to register with the police after arriving?
Yes. You must usually register with the local police within 48 hours of arrival, unless your hotel registers you at check-in.
Can I register online?
Yes. GOV.UK says you can register with the police online, and the Ministry of Interior provides an e-registration system in Macedonian.
What happens if I do not register?
You may face a fine, detention and a court hearing, or a restriction on returning to North Macedonia.
Do I need a return or onward ticket?
Yes. GOV.UK says you must be able to show a return or onward flight ticket.
Do EES or ETIAS apply to North Macedonia entry?
No. North Macedonia is outside Schengen, so those systems do not govern normal tourist entry into North Macedonia.
Does North Macedonia have a tourist ETA right now?
I did not identify a North Macedonia-only tourist ETA or other pre-travel online authorisation for ordinary UK tourists in the official sources reviewed.
What if I plan to travel on to Serbia?
The UK Government says Serbia has sometimes denied entry to people leaving North Macedonia with passport stamps from Kosovo. Plan that route carefully.
Do I need to declare cash when entering North Macedonia?
Yes, if the value of the foreign currency you are carrying is €10,000 or more.
Final check before travel
For most UK holidaymakers, North Macedonia is straightforward on the visa side: no tourist visa is required for a short stay. The main things to get right are your passport validity, carrying your return or onward ticket, making sure your arrival is registered within 48 hours, and planning carefully if your route also involves Kosovo and Serbia.
