Why you may need an apostille stamp on a document issued by the Republic of North Macedonia?

If you live and work abroad as a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia, you may often need the public documents and documents you own to be legalized. That is the case when an institution abroad requires you to certify a certain document with an apostille stamp.

Apostille is a stamp that confirms the originality of the signature, the identity of the person signing the document and the content of the stamp or stamp that secures an original document or public document.

Apostille is a form of authentication that is accepted in over 100 countries that are members of the Hague Convention. This Convention applies to public documents that are issued in the territory of one contracting country are intended to be able to produce a legal action in the territory of another contracting country.

Public documents are considered to be all documents originating from an authority or official connected with the courts of a state, then documents issued by state administrative authorities, as well as all notarial acts and certifications. The Hague Convention does not apply to documents that are issued by some diplomatic or consular representatives, or documents that refer to customs operations.

An example of such documents are various documents from Registry office regarding marriage, birth and marriage certificates, as well as judgments from a competent court, power of attorney and decision or other certifications that can be used abroad.

Who issues the Apostille Stamp for North Macedonia?

Each state – signatory to the Hague Convention independently decides which authority will be competent for certification of documents with Apostille.

In the Republic of Macedonia, all Basic Courts located on its territory are competent for this procedure, and which court will be competent is determined according to the place of residence of the applicant.

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for certifying documents issued by Basic Criminal Courts, such as certificates from criminal and criminal records. However, depending on the type of document, the apostille stamp can also be obtained from the Ministry of Justice.

Is there another way of legalization if the country where the documents are to be used does not recognize an apostille stamp?

In case there is a need for the document to be legalized and used in a country that is not a member of the Hague Convention, then you will not be needing the Apostille Stamp for North Macedonia. In this case, please note that the document is legalized before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

All these procedures can be completed by a proxy authorized with adequate Power of Attorney, such as a lawyer from the Republic of Macedonia.

Read more information on this link.

Practical checklist – 2026

Before applying for an Apostille stamp, verify: (1) Which court is competent in North Macedonia. (2) Whether the destination country is a Hague Convention member – if not, legalization must go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead. (3) Whether the document type requires the Ministry of Justice rather than a Basic Court. (4) Whether a Power of Attorney is needed for a proxy to complete the procedure on your behalf. For related immigration and residency questions, visit our residency regulation page.

Frequently asked questions

Which court issues the Apostille stamp in North Macedonia?

The Basic Court in the area of your place of residence is generally competent. 

Does the Apostille stamp apply to all foreign countries?

No. The Apostille stamp is only valid in countries that are members of the Hague Convention (over 100 countries). For non-member countries, legalization through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is required.

Can a lawyer complete the apostille procedure on my behalf?

Yes. All apostille and legalization procedures can be completed by a duly authorized proxy – such as a lawyer from the Republic of North Macedonia – holding an adequate Power of Attorney.

Need legal guidance?

If you have questions about the Apostille stamp or legalization of documents from North Macedonia, the team at Lalicic & Partners is at your disposal. Contact us through our website.

Note: The above does not constitute legal advice and in no way can be accepted or understood as an instruction to act in a specific case. Each legal situation has its own characteristics that should be reviewed at separately, and for that reason we recommend that you contact a professional – a lawyer – for legal advice.