North Macedonia or Kosovo
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
| North Macedonia | Kosovo | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 7 years | 10 years |
| Partner can work | — | — |
| Parents | — | — |
| Pets | no trouble | — |
| Pet limit | 5 | no limit |
| Quarantine | — | — |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 489 · estimate | — |
| Basket | $ 25,7 | — |
| Life expectancy | 76.62 | 78.22 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.26 | 1.89 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 2.9 | — |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: North Macedonia — 34, Kosovo — 24. Types present in both: work, study and family. North Macedonia adds: investment, repatriation and retirement. Kosovo adds: job seeking.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
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. Kosovo: fees range from 10 to 100 EUR. Routes stating an income threshold: 10; the lowest is 500 EUR a year. Routes with a published decision deadline: 23; the shortest is 15 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: North Macedonia after 7 years, Kosovo after 10 years. Both allow a second citizenship.
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
More on each: North Macedonia · Kosovo. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
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.