North Macedonia uses the Macedonian denar, abbreviated MKD. The denar has maintained a fixed exchange rate against the euro at approximately 61.5 denars per euro since 2002. This peg reflects the country's application for European Union membership and integration strategy. Bills come in denominations of 10, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 denars. Coins circulate in 1, 2, 5, 10, and 50 denar denominations.
ATMs operate throughout Skopje and other cities including Bitola, Ohrid, Prilep, and Tetovo. Machines dispense denars and typically accept Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, and Cirrus cards. Withdrawal limits commonly reach 20,000 denars per transaction. Banks charge foreign transaction fees ranging from 1.5 to 3 percent, and North Macedonian banks may add local fees of 100 to 200 denars per withdrawal. ATMs at Skopje Alexander the Great Airport operate 24 hours.
Currency exchange offices called menjačnica appear in all cities and at border crossings. Official exchange offices post rates publicly and provide receipts. The National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia publishes daily reference rates. Euros exchange most favorably, followed by US dollars and British pounds. Exchange offices in Skopje's central areas and at the airport typically charge 1 to 2 percent commission or apply slightly unfavorable rates compared to the central bank reference.
Major hotels in Skopje and Ohrid accept credit cards, as do larger restaurants and shopping centers. Outside these centers, cash remains necessary. Many family-run restaurants, guesthouses in smaller towns, and municipal bus services operate on cash only. The Old Bazaar in Skopje contains many vendors who do not accept cards.
Skopje Alexander the Great Airport, located 17 kilometers southeast of the capital, serves as the country's primary international gateway. The airport handled approximately 2.3 million passengers in 2019 before pandemic disruptions. Airlines connecting Skopje include Wizz Air, Austrian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, and Pegasus Airlines, with routes to Vienna, Istanbul, Budapest, Dortmund, and other European cities.
Ohrid St Paul the Apostle Airport lies 9 kilometers north of Ohrid. This smaller airport operates primarily seasonal flights from April through October, serving charter routes from Western Europe. Wizz Air maintains year-round service to London Luton and Basel.
Vardar Express operates shuttle buses from Skopje airport to the city center. The service runs every 60 minutes during daytime hours, costs 175 denars, and reaches the central railway station in approximately 25 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis queue outside the arrivals terminal. Metered fares to central Skopje range from 1200 to 1800 denars. Taxi drivers at the airport sometimes refuse meters and demand fixed prices of 2000 to 2500 denars. Confirming the meter before departure remains advisable.
Citizens of the European Union, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and numerous other countries may enter North Macedonia without a visa for stays up to 90 days within a 180-day period. This aligns with Schengen visa policy though North Macedonia remains outside the Schengen Area.
All visitors require a passport valid for at least three months beyond the intended departure date. Border officials stamp passports upon entry and exit. Visitors staying longer than 90 days or seeking residence permits must register with the Ministry of Interior within three days of arrival.
The official entry requirements appear at http://www.mfa.gov.mk maintained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia.
North Macedonia shares land borders with Serbia to the north, Kosovo to the northwest, Albania to the west, Greece to the south, and Bulgaria to the east. The country maintains 13 official border crossing points open to international traffic.
The Tabanovce crossing connects North Macedonia with Serbia on the E75 highway linking Skopje to Belgrade. This represents the busiest northern crossing. The Blace crossing connects to Kosovo on the M1 highway toward Pristina. Traffic volume at Blace increased following Kosovo's independence in 2008.
Three crossings serve the Albanian border. Qafë Thanë (known as Sveti Naum on the Macedonian side) operates south of Ohrid along Lake Ohrid's shore. Kafasan (Bogorodica) lies southwest of Bitola. Blato connects the western region near Debar.
The Greek border has three main crossings. Bogorodica serves the E75 highway connecting Skopje to Thessaloniki, 170 kilometers south. Novo Selo (known as Evzoni on the Greek side) operates in the southeast near Gevgelija. Dojran serves traffic between Dojran Lake and northern Greece.