Before you start

Passport
Residence permit and an EMBG for a full resident account
A Macedonian address
A tax number for anything involving salary or business income

Step-by-step

1
Pick a bank on branch network, not on rate
Komercijalna Banka, Stopanska Banka, NLB Banka, Halkbank, Sparkasse Bank Makedonija and ProCredit all serve individuals. Rates on current accounts barely differ; branch and ATM coverage near where you live does.
In personWho: You
2
Open the denar payment account in branch
Banks publish separate products for a denar payment account and a foreign-currency payment account, with their own document checklists and fee tables. Account opening for individuals is a counter process, not an online one.
In personWho: You
3
Add the foreign-currency account
If you are paid in euros or invoice abroad, you want the devizna smetka alongside the denar one. Inbound transfers from abroad may require you to state the purpose of payment for foreign-exchange reporting.
In personWho: You
4
Set up e-banking and a card
Every major bank runs its own internet and mobile banking. Contactless acceptance is now normal in Skopje's shops and restaurants, but green markets, the Old Bazaar, taxis and small kafanas are still cash.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport
Residence permit
EMBG or foreigner's identification number
Proof of a Macedonian address
Employment contract or proof of income, where the product requires it

Things most newcomers don’t know

The denar is not floating.

The National Bank has run a de facto euro peg since 2002 at roughly 61.5 denars to the euro, and that is the single most useful thing to know about pricing here — a euro-denominated salary is stable in local terms, and every price in this app converts predictably.

Source: National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia

Cash is still the default outside modern retail.

Card acceptance in supermarkets, chains and central restaurants is universal; Bit Pazar, the Old Bazaar, most taxis and many neighbourhood kafanas are not. Keep denars on you in a way you would not need to in Zagreb or Ljubljana.

Source: community-reported

Resident and non-resident is a foreign-exchange status, not an immigration one.

It follows the Law on Foreign Exchange Operations rather than your permit, and it governs what you may do with cross-border transfers. If you are running a foreign-invoicing freelance business, ask the bank which status they have recorded you under before the first large transfer arrives.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Expecting to open an account online. Individual account opening is done in branch.
Opening only a denar account when you are paid in euros — the conversion happens somewhere, and it is cheaper inside your own foreign-currency account.
Arriving without an EMBG and expecting a full resident account. Sort the residence permit first; a non-resident account is a narrower product.
Assuming a card works everywhere because it worked in the supermarket. The bazaar and the markets are cash.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.