Citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania from March 5, 2024 can use the measure of free access to the labor market within the Open Balkan.
The measure derives from the international agreements signed between the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania as members of the Open Balkan initiative, namely the Agreement on conditions for free access to the labor market in the Western Balkan, as well as the Agreement on the interconnection of schemes for electronic identification of citizens from the Western Balkan.
The signed agreements enable the removal of work permits and a free labor market for the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania. With the agreement on conditions for free access to the labor market, it is possible for the citizens of the mentioned states to work in any of the three states without obtaining work permits, without barriers, without applications and waiting, without administrative costs.
Citizens interested in free access to the labor markets of the Republic of North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia should obtain an Open Balkan identification number on the e-services portal in their country, with which they then apply for approval for free access to the labor market in the rest two countries, and the next step is to apply with that number for a certificate for free access to the labor market in Serbia or Albania.
The institutions responsible for the implementation of the measure in the Republic of North Macedonia are the Ministry of Information Society and Administration in the section of issuing identification numbers for the Open Balkan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the section of issuing identification numbers for foreigners and the Employment Agency in the section of issuing certificates for free access to the labor market, which enables employment in the Republic of North Macedonia.
With the start of implementation of these agreements, citizens will be able to have an uninterrupted stay of two years during which they have the right to find a job.