How to Get Into a University in North Macedonia as a Foreign Student

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

North Macedonia has no national entrance exam and no single application portal. Each university publishes its own public call (konkurs) every year, and you apply to the university you want. Foreign citizens are admitted on a separate track from citizens of North Macedonia, with their own dates, their own fees and one extra step: the recognition of your school diploma by the Ministry of Education and Science.

How admission works

Eurydice, the European Commission's education information network, notes that applicants need completed secondary education and the results of the State (or International) Matura, and that there is no state entrance exam. Institutions may add field-specific criteria, and some run their own tests, for example in architecture and the arts. For public universities the Government decides each year how many state-funded places exist.

At Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM), the largest university, the call for 2026/27 ranks citizens mainly by their secondary-school grades together with the State Matura result. Architecture and the arts add a test of knowledge and skills.

The foreign-student track

The rules below are from the UKIM call for 2026/27. Other universities have similar tracks, but dates and fees differ, so read each call.

Foreign citizens are enrolled outside the quotas set for citizens of North Macedonia.
Selection is based on how well your previous secondary education fits the programme you choose, and on your school grades. Architecture and the arts use a test.
The call set aside 10 places for foreign students on any programme taught in Macedonian. English-taught programmes, such as medicine, have their own foreign-student places.
You apply by email to the Rectorate at st.student@ukim.edu.mk, and later bring the originals. You also need the electronic application form, completed in the iKnow system.
Enrolment takes place at the faculty, in the third enrolment round.

For 2026/27 the foreign-student window at UKIM ran until 29 September 2026, with decisions by 30 September and enrolment on 1 October 2026. Citizens had earlier rounds in August and September. Dates change every year, so check the call for the year you want.

Documents to prepare first

At application, UKIM asks for a copy of:

the application form (form A1);
the original secondary-school diploma, with an apostille, or with the stamp of the foreign ministry of your country if it is not a party to the Hague Convention;
original certificates for every year of secondary school;
an original birth certificate and an original citizenship certificate.

At enrolment you must also hand in the decision of the Ministry of Education and Science recognising your school documents (nostrification). That is the step that takes longest, so start it early. Some universities accept proof that the procedure has begun when you apply. See document recognition for North Macedonia.

Foreign applicants to the University of St. Clement of Ohrid in Bitola must also show a health certificate and the results of HIV and hepatitis C tests, according to its call.

Language: Macedonian or English

Most programmes are taught in Macedonian, with many in Albanian at the universities in Tetovo. Our catalogue lists 488 first-cycle programmes at 20 institutions and campuses, and 72 of them are taught in English.

If you want to study in Macedonian, UKIM runs a one-year short programme, Macedonian for foreigners (60 ECTS, two semesters), at the Faculty of Philology. Students on English programmes can take an English course in the same format. The University of Bitola asks foreign applicants for a Macedonian-language certificate, and offers a preparatory course of one or two semesters if you do not speak it. The International Balkan University tests English for all its applicants, and sends those below 60 out of 100 to a one-year preparatory programme. See bachelor's degrees in English in North Macedonia.

What it costs

Foreign students pay a single tuition fee set by the university, and the calls do not distinguish EU from non-EU citizens. Our catalogue shows public universities from €400 to €5,000 a year, and private ones from €1,300 to €8,000. Payment is in denars at the National Bank rate. See how much it costs to study in North Macedonia.

Step by step

Choose a programme and read the university's current call, which each university publishes every year.
Start recognition of your school diploma at the Ministry of Education and Science.
Send your application and documents within the foreign-student window.
Pay the first tuition instalment and enrol at the faculty.
Use the enrolment confirmation to start the visa and residence steps. See student visa for North Macedonia.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.