The Ministry of Interior has published draft amendments to the Law on Citizenship on the ENER regulatory register, removing the fixed investment threshold of EUR 400,000 and the requirement to employ ten people as a route to a Macedonian passport. Instead of a rule with a price known in advance, each application would be assessed individually, on whether the candidate genuinely represents a special interest for the state. For foreign investors considering North Macedonia, it is important to understand what changes and what stays the same.
How was citizenship through investment obtained until now?
Citizenship for a foreigner with a special economic contribution is granted under Article 11 of the Law on Citizenship, for a person whose naturalisation is of special scientific, economic, cultural, sporting or other national interest. A government decree adopted in 2021 defined concrete criteria: a direct investment of at least EUR 400,000 with at least ten employees, or a contribution of EUR 200,000 to an approved private investment fund. Meeting the criteria never conferred an automatic right: the decision was always discretionary, taken by the Government upon prior opinions of the competent institutions.
What do the draft amendments change?
The proposal deletes the fixed criteria: the EUR 400,000 threshold, the ten-job requirement and the EUR 200,000 fund route. Every application would be assessed case by case, with opinions from the competent state institutions on whether the candidate genuinely represents a special scientific, economic, cultural, sporting or other interest for the state. Investment remains a relevant factor but ceases to be an automatic entry ticket. A second, less noticed change: former citizens would be able to re-acquire citizenship after three months instead of three years, a measure aimed at bringing the diaspora back.
| Element | Current model | Proposed model |
|---|---|---|
| Investment threshold | EUR 400,000 direct investment | removed |
| Jobs | at least 10 employees | removed |
| Fund route | EUR 200,000 in an approved fund | removed |
| Assessment | predefined criteria | case by case, with institutional opinions |
| Role of investment | formal condition | one factor among several |
| Former citizens | 3-year waiting period | 3-month waiting period |
Why is the law changing now?
The pressure comes from Brussels. In April 2025 the Court of Justice of the EU ruled that Malta's investor citizenship scheme was contrary to Union law, and in its December 2025 report under the visa suspension mechanism the European Commission explicitly asked North Macedonia to abolish the scheme and repeal its legal basis. Operating such a scheme is now, in itself, a ground for suspending visa-free travel to Schengen, so the issue directly affects the country's European agenda. In practice, the programme was nearly dormant: according to European monitoring reports, an average of around seven passports per year were granted on economic grounds.
Is citizenship the same as a residence permit?
No, and that is the most important point for any investor planning to work and live in North Macedonia. Citizenship is an exceptional, discretionary decision reserved for rare cases. A temporary residence permit, by contrast, is a regular administrative instrument that a foreigner obtains on the basis of employment, working through their own company or another legal ground, and that route is not changed by this proposal. An investor who founds or acquires a company and actively runs it will, as a rule, qualify for residence; citizenship is a separate, long-term question.
What should a foreign investor do now?
The proposal is still a draft in public consultation, so the first rule is not to build an investment plan around an expectation of a passport, neither at the old price nor at any new one. The practical sequence remains the same: structure the investment, register or acquire an entity, carry out genuine economic activity and maintain a regular residence permit. Anyone aiming for citizenship on the basis of special interest should know that under individual assessment the weight lies with the documented contribution: the scale of the investment, jobs created, transfer of knowledge and exports, not the payment itself.
The amendments to the Law on Citizenship confirm one constant: North Macedonia remains open to foreign investment, but its institutions are moving towards a model in which an investor's value is measured by real contribution, not by a price list. For a serious investor that is not an obstacle, but clearer rules of the game.
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Book a consultationSource: Draft amendments to the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia published on the ENER register, the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia, and European Commission reports under the visa suspension mechanism.
This text provides general legal information and does not constitute legal advice for a specific case. For advice tailored to your situation, please consult an attorney.