Belarus or North Macedonia
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Belarus | North Macedonia | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 7 years |
| Partner can work | — | — |
| Parents | doable | — |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 2 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | — |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 750 · estimate | $ 489 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 20,1 | $ 25,7 |
| Life expectancy | 74.37 | 76.62 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.53 | 1.26 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 1.9 | 2.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Belarus — 55, North Macedonia — 34. Types present in both: work, study, family, investment and repatriation. Belarus adds: talent. North Macedonia adds: retirement.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Belarus: fees range from 20 to 105 EUR. Routes with no fee: 5. Routes with a published decision deadline: 51; the shortest is 5 days. North Macedonia: fees range from 20 to 70 EUR. Routes stating an income threshold: 1; the lowest is 40,000 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 28; the shortest is 4 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: Belarus after 5 years, North Macedonia after 7 years. North Macedonia allows a second citizenship, Belarus does not.
Belarus in brief
Belarus is a country with two state languages (Belarusian and Russian) and a multi-tier system of residence permits: a temporary residence permit (разрешение на временное проживание) is issued on specific grounds (study, marriage or close kinship, employment, and others) usually for up to 1 year, while a permanent residence permit (разрешение на постоянное проживание) is separate and typically follows 5 years of continuous residence under a temporary residence permit (3 years for highly qualified workers). To take up employment, a foreigner without a permanent residence permit generally needs a special work permit (специальное разрешение на право занятия трудовой деятельностью) issued for a specific employer; exceptions are citizens of EAEU member states (who work without such a permit) and foreign employees of High Technologies Park (Парк высоких технологий) residents (who also do not need a work permit, and whose residence permit is issued for the term of the employment contract). Admission to citizenship of the Republic of Belarus is possible after 5 years of residence under a permanent residence permit, subject to knowledge of Belarusian or Russian, and requires renouncing foreign citizenship unless an international treaty provides otherwise. Importing up to 2 dogs or cats for personal use does not require quarantine.
North Macedonia in brief
North Macedonia offers a short route to status — permanent residence after 5 years, citizenship after 7 — and allows not only employment but also self-employment. The constraint is the narrow range of routes: there are only three, permanent residence requires confirmed Macedonian, and dual citizenship is not permitted, so the previous one has to be given up.
Other comparisons
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This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.