Guidance

North Macedonia: Knowledge Base profile

Published 28 July 2025

Version 3.0

About: North Macedonia

This document contains useful information about North Macedonia which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

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Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0
• published for Home Office staff on 18 July 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with formatting changes.

North Macedonia: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in North Macedonia.

Names in North Macedonia consist of:

• a forename
• 1 or more middle names
• a surname

There are male and female suffixes for surnames in North Macedonia, these include:

• for men:
  • -evski
  • -ski
  • -ev
  • -ov
• for women:
  • -evska
  • -ska
  • -eva
  • -ova

As a result, two members of the same family, such as a brother and sister, may have a slightly different surname. For example:

• the brother’s surname could be Ivanov or Ivanovski; and,
• the sister’s name could be Ivanova or Ivanovska

The Macedonian Cyrillic alphabet does not contain the letters Q, W and Y. Local authorities do not use these letters on international certificates.

When the Republic of Macedonia (as North Macedonia was previously known) began to issue biometric passports in 2006, new rules were introduced including where the:

• letter ‘dz’ is written as ‘dj’ (Macedonian Latin transcription)
• name in the passport is also written in the Macedonian Cyrillic alphabet

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in North Macedonia.

An updated birth certificate is issued to reflect the new name, except if the name was changed following a marriage.

All name changes must be made at the Ministry of Interior in North Macedonia, either in person or using an authorised third party, for example a lawyer.

The Macedonian Cyrillic alphabet does not contain the letters Q, W and Y. Local authorities do not use these letters on international certificates.

North Macedonia: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in North Macedonia.

Dual nationality is recognised in North Macedonia.

North Macedonia: legitimacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy in North Macedonia.

Legitimacy

North Macedonia recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child will be considered:

• legitimate if the parents:
  • were married at the time of birth
  • are not married at birth but later marry and the father legitimises the child with the local authority
• illegitimate if they are born to unmarried parents who never marry

North Macedonia: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in North Macedonia.

Adoption is legal in North Macedonia.

North Macedonia: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in North Macedonia.

Surrogacy is illegal in North Macedonia.

North Macedonia: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in North Macedonia.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in North Macedonia.

North Macedonia: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in North Macedonia.

Civil partnerships and same sex marriages are not recognised in North Macedonia.

Only civil marriages are legal in North Macedonia.

North Macedonia: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in North Macedonia.

The Macedonian Cyrillic alphabet does not contain the letters Q, W and Y. These letters are not used on international certificates.

There is no central register for births, marriages and deaths. All records are kept in each local registration office.

Birth certificates

All births in Macedonia must be registered within 30 days of the birth.

Birth certificates are issued to:

• everyone who is born in North Macedonia
• registered North Macedonia citizens born outside the country

Hospital birth notification records exist and are given to the parents and the registry office to register the birth.

There are 2 types of birth certificates in circulation, including:

• a local Macedonia or Albania version
• an international version

Both versions of the birth certificate are acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes, and include:

• a birth registration number
• the name of the registrar
• the signature of the registrar

If a birth certificate has been corrected due to a mistake made by the registrar’s office, the mistake will not be noted on the corrected birth certificate.

Any changes of name or marital status will be shown on the birth certificate under the notes field.

Marriage certificates

Civil marriages in North Macedonia are recorded in the marriage register held by the local registration office when the marriage takes place.

Marriage certificates are issued following the registration of the marriage.

There are no time limits to register a marriage that took place overseas.

There are 2 types of marriage certificates in circulation, including:

• a local Macedonia or Albania version
• an international version

Both versions of the marriage certificates are acceptable for passport purposes, and include:

• a marriage registration number
• the name of the registrar
• the signature of the registrar

Death certificates

Death certificates are issued following the registration of all deaths in North Macedonia. All deaths must be registered within 30 days.

There are 2 types of death certificates in circulation, including:

• a local Macedonia or Albania version
• an international version

Both versions of the death certificates are acceptable for passport purposes, and include:

• a death registration number
• the name of the registrar
• the signature of the registrar

Identity documents

An identity card scheme exists and is mandatory for all citizens and residents over the age of 18 years old. These identity cards are issued by the Ministry of the Interior.

Residence permits exist in North Macedonia. These should be issued overseas, at a visa issuing North Macedonia mission.

North Macedonia passports contain the holder’s personal identification number.

From 12 February 2024 the passports of all North Macedonia citizens must have:

• “North Macedonia” as the country name on the cover; or,
• a stamp in their current passport to say it is a North Macedonia passport