Whether an ethnic Albanian with Macedonian citizenship who has lost his/her passport would be able to obtain a passport at a Macedonian mission abroad, specifically in Canada; if so, the procedure to be followed; whether a spouse with another nationality would be granted authorization to enter and reside in Macedonia with his/her Macedonian spouse, if so, the procedures and possibilities to obtain Macedonian citizenship [MCD38912.E]

In a 24 April 2002 telephone interview, the First Secretary of the Embassy of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) stated that a Macedonian citizen who has lost his/her passport can apply at the embassy for a two-month temporary passport that will enable him/her to travel back to Macedonia where he/she can obtain a new passport. He/she may receive a temporary passport upon the submission of a police report on the loss of the original passport and a personal statement (ibid.).

On whether a spouse with another nationality would be granted the authorization to enter and reside in Macedonia with his/her Macedonian spouse, an October 2001 information document for foreign residents in the FYROM prepared by a law firm in Skopje states that:

A foreign national must notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs within eight days after entering the country. In general, a foreign national may stay in the country for three months. If a foreign national is in Macedonia for education, professional activities or marriage to a Macedonian citizen, an application for a temporary residence permit may be submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The temporary residence permit is valid for one year.
A permanent residence permit is issued to a foreign national who stays legally for at least three years in the country. This permit is stamped in the foreign national's passport. No quota system or preference categories apply to these limits.
An application for a temporary or permanent residence permit must include the reason why the visa is needed, as well as evidence that the applicant has adequate resources for subsistence in Macedonia.

The First Secretary of the Embassy of Macedonia in Ottawa stated that in order to be admitted as a resident in Macedonia, the spouse of a Macedonian national must submit a marriage certificate and a document from the Canadian authorities confirming the marriage is valid under Canadian law (24 Apr. 2002).

For information on the requirements for the spouse of a Macedonian citizen to obtain Macedonian nationality, please refer to the English translation of the 27 October 1992 Citizenship Act of the Republic of Macedonia attached to Response MCD16997.E of 8 June 1994, that is available at Regional documentation Centres.

In a 25 April 2002 telephone interview, the First Secretary of the Embassy of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) stated that no changes were made to the Citizenship of the Republic of Macedonia Act since its adoption in 1992 by the Macedonian parliament.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References


Embassy of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Ottawa. 25 April 2002. Telephone interview with First Secretary.

_____. 24 April 2002. Telephone interview with First Secretary.

Ernst and Young, Skopje. October 2001. "Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of". http://www.ey.com/global/vault.nsf/EYPassport/Macedonia_Global/$file/Global_-_Macedonia.pdf [Accessed 23 April 2002]