1 GB
Valid for 7 days
$5.99
$5.99 per GB
eSIM for North Macedonia
North Macedonia is a small country that takes longer to cross than the map suggests. Skopje to Ohrid is about three hours by car through the Mavrovo mountains, the bus timetables change with the season, and half the good things to do sit at the end of a road with no signpost. You will use data for maps, for bus and hotel bookings, and for messaging hosts who answer on Viber rather than email.
A FairSIM eSIM connects to Makedonski Telekom or A1, the two networks that carry almost all traffic here. Makedonski Telekom runs 5G in Skopje and other larger towns; A1 is 4G on this plan. Both cover the main valleys, the Skopje to Ohrid route and the lake shores well. You install the eSIM over Wi-Fi before you fly and switch the line on when you land at Skopje or Ohrid.
One local rule worth knowing: North Macedonia is outside the EU, so EU roam-like-at-home does not apply and your home bundle almost certainly stops at the border. The other is paperwork rather than phones. Foreign visitors are supposed to be registered with the Ministry of Interior within 48 hours of arrival. Hotels and hostels do it for you at check-in; if you stay in a private apartment, ask the host to confirm they have filed it.
North Macedonia eSIM plans
Wholesale rates in US dollars, with nothing added at checkout. Buy in the FairSIM app and the plan is on your phone in seconds.
How long is your trip?
All plans. Pick a trip length to narrow the list.
- Get it in the app for North Macedonia
5 GB
Valid for 30 days
Get it in the app for North Macedonia$11.99
$2.40 per GB
- Best value
10 GB
Valid for 30 days
Get it in the app for North Macedonia$19.99
$2.00 per GB
Unlimited
Valid for 15 days
Get it in the app for North Macedonia$49.99
Speed policy shown in the app
Coverage in North Macedonia
- 4G LTE
- 5G
- Makedonski TelekomThe former T-Mobile Macedonia and the largest network, with 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G. 5G is concentrated in Skopje and other larger towns, with 4G LTE everywhere else.
- A1The former VIP Operator, now A1 Makedonija. Strong 4G LTE across the cities, the lakes and the main highways. No 5G on this plan.
- A1A1 Makedonija appears twice on the coverage sheet, so your eSIM may register on either of its listed profiles. Same 4G LTE network either way.
Typical speed: 4G LTE is fast enough for maps, video calls and streaming across the country. Where Makedonski Telekom 5G is live and your phone supports it, speeds are considerably higher.
Skopje, Tetovo, Bitola, Kumanovo, Ohrid, Struga and the A1 highway corridor are well covered. Signal holds on most of the Mavrovo and Galicica passes but thins on high trails in the Sar Mountains, in the Matka canyon walls and on some back roads near the Greek and Albanian borders.
How much data do you need in North Macedonia?
It depends on how you travel. Find your trip below, then pick the plan that matches. You can always top up in the app.
Skopje city break
Two or three nights in the bazaar, the museums and the cafes.
Why data matters: Google Maps for the river bank and Debar Maalo, bus and taxi bookings, Glovo deliveries, and Google Translate for Cyrillic menus and signs.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Skopje and Ohrid by bus or car
The classic week: capital, mountains, lake.
Why data matters: Live navigation over the Mavrovo passes, timetable checks, guesthouse messages on Viber, and photo uploads from the lake each evening.
- 7 days
- 10 GB
- 14 days
- 20 GB
- 30 days
- Unlimited
Hiking and national parks
Sar Mountains, Galicica, Mavrovo, Pelister.
Why data matters: Offline maps plus a live line for weather, trailhead transport and calling a ride back. Signal drops on high ridges, so download tracks before you start.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Balkan road trip stop
North Macedonia between Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria or Greece.
Why data matters: Border queues, rental car paperwork, fuel and toll stops, and route changes on the fly. Buy the next country from the same app before you cross.
- 7 days
- 10 GB
- 14 days
- 20 GB
- 30 days
- Unlimited
Remote work month in Skopje
Cheap rent, fast cafes, a base for weekend trips.
Why data matters: Teams and Zoom calls, Personal Hotspot when the apartment Wi-Fi drops, and large file uploads. Take the biggest plan you can and top up in the app.
- 7 days
- 20 GB
- 14 days
- Unlimited
- 30 days
- Unlimited
What your home carrier charges in North Macedonia
Daily roaming passes look small until you multiply them by the length of the trip. FairSIM plans for North Macedonia start at $5.99 and never bill per day.
North Macedonia is outside the EU, so EU roam-like-at-home does not cover it. An EU-Western Balkans agreement has cut roaming caps for EU customers travelling here, but most home bundles still treat the country as a separate paid zone. Check your own tariff's zone list before you rely on it.
| Carrier | Roaming charge | FairSIM |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T International Day Pass (US) | $12 per day per line, $6 for additional lines | from $5.99, no daily fee |
| Verizon TravelPass (US) | $12 per day, high-speed allowance then slowed | from $5.99, no daily fee |
| T-Mobile International Pass (US) | $5 for 1 day and 512 MB, $35 for 10 days and 5 GB, $50 for 30 days and 15 GB | from $5.99, no daily fee |
| EE (UK) | North Macedonia is not in EE's inclusive Europe zone; a daily Travel Data Pass applies, priced by zone. Check the zone list on your plan | from $5.99, no daily fee |
| Vodafone UK | Charged as a non-Europe destination, so a daily roaming charge applies rather than your home allowance | from $5.99, no daily fee |
| Telekom Deutschland (Germany) | Outside EU roaming; day and week passes are sold separately for the Western Balkans | from $5.99, no daily fee |
| Telstra International Day Pass (Australia) | A$10 per day for 2 GB in eligible countries; confirm North Macedonia is on the current list | from $5.99, no daily fee |
Carrier prices as published on their roaming pages at the time of writing. They change often; check your own plan before you fly.
How FairSIM works
- 1
Pick a destination and a plan
Choose the country or region and the data you need. The price you see is the price you pay.
- 2
Tap install
On iPhone (iOS 17.4+) the eSIM installs in one tap, no QR code. Do it at home while you still have Wi-Fi.
- 3
Land and connect
Turn on data roaming for the FairSIM line when you arrive. Your plan starts when it first connects.
Connectivity tips for North Macedonia
Install the eSIM and test it at home over Wi-Fi, then turn on the line and data roaming after you land. Validity typically starts at first connection to a Macedonian network.
Download offline maps for Mavrovo, Galicica and the Sar Mountains before you drive or hike. Coverage is good in the valleys and unreliable on the passes and ridges.
Carry denars in cash. Cards work in Skopje and Ohrid hotels and supermarkets, but small restaurants, village shops, buses and parking often want cash.
If you stay in a private apartment, ask the host to register you with the Ministry of Interior within 48 hours. Hotels do this automatically at check-in.
Use Google Translate's camera for Cyrillic. Road signs on main routes are bilingual, but timetables, tickets and product labels often are not.
Skopje taxis are metered and cheap; confirm the meter is on rather than agreeing a flat price, and have the address written in Macedonian for drivers who do not read Latin script.
Buses between Skopje and Ohrid fill up in summer and around holidays. Book a day ahead through the station or the carrier's page rather than turning up.
Continuing to Albania, Greece, Bulgaria or Serbia? Buy the next plan in the same app before you reach the border, so you keep data through the crossing.
Apps you will actually use
- Google Maps reliable for Skopje streets and the main roads; search results for rural addresses can be thin, so cross-check with your host.
- Organic Maps or Maps.me offline hiking and driving maps for Mavrovo, Galicica and the Sar Mountains, where signal is patchy.
- Viber the default messenger in the region. Many guesthouses, taxi drivers and tour operators reply here first.
- WhatsApp widely used too, and the easiest way to reach home. Calls and messages both work normally over the eSIM.
- Glovo food and grocery delivery in Skopje and some larger towns.
- FlixBus international coaches to Sofia, Belgrade, Thessaloniki, Tirana and Pristina, booked and ticketed on the phone.
- Booking.com most guesthouses and apartments list here rather than running their own site; keep the confirmation offline as well.
- Google Translate download Macedonian and Albanian for offline use. The camera mode is the fastest way through Cyrillic timetables and labels.
Uber does not operate in North Macedonia. In Skopje you call or app-book a licensed taxi company directly, and fares around the city centre are low by European standards. Agree the meter is running before you set off, and keep small denar notes for buses and markets.
Can you rely on free Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is common and usually free in Skopje cafes, hotels, hostels and shopping centres, and it is decent in Ohrid during the season. It gets unreliable fast once you leave the towns: mountain guesthouses, lake villages and long-distance buses either have nothing or a connection that drops under load. Do not plan a work call around guesthouse Wi-Fi in Mavrovo, and do not rely on it for airline check-in the morning of a flight.
Local SIM card or eSIM in North Macedonia?
Makedonski Telekom and A1 both sell prepaid starter packs with data bundles, and their shops are easy to find in Skopje, Bitola, Tetovo and Ohrid. Top-up vouchers are sold at kiosks and supermarkets. Bring your passport, because prepaid lines are registered at the counter. Local packs are cheap in denar terms if you are staying for weeks and want a Macedonian number for calls to domestic landlines and taxi dispatchers.
The friction is timing. Skopje airport retail is small and hours follow the flight schedule, Ohrid airport has almost nothing, and shop staff in smaller towns may not speak much English. A FairSIM eSIM is installed at home over Wi-Fi, roams onto the same Makedonski Telekom or A1 towers, and is working by the time you reach the arrivals hall. It is data only, so use WhatsApp or Viber for calls, and keep your home SIM in the phone for bank verification codes with its own data roaming switched off.
Good to know before you land in North Macedonia
- Currency
- Macedonian denar (MKD); pegged to the euro at roughly 61.5 denars
- Plug type
- Type C and Type F (European two-pin)
- Voltage
- 230 V, 50 Hz
- Emergency number
- 112 for all services; 192 police, 193 fire, 194 ambulance
- Language
- Macedonian (Cyrillic script); Albanian is also official; English common with younger people in Skopje and Ohrid
- Time zone
- UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer
- Capital
- Skopje
North Macedonia eSIM questions
Does eSIM work in North Macedonia?
Yes. An unlocked eSIM-capable phone connects to Makedonski Telekom or A1 with a travel eSIM. On iPhone that means XS, XR or newer; most recent Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S and Android flagships also support eSIM.
Which network will my North Macedonia eSIM use?
Makedonski Telekom or A1. Makedonski Telekom is the only one with 5G on this plan; A1 is 4G LTE. Your phone selects automatically, and you can switch manually in network settings if one is weak.
Is there 5G in North Macedonia?
Makedonski Telekom runs 5G in Skopje and other larger towns. A1 is 4G on this plan. Outside the 5G areas you get 4G LTE, which is fine for maps, calls and streaming.
Do I need a plan for North Macedonia if I have an EU SIM?
Usually yes. North Macedonia is outside the EU, so roam-like-at-home does not apply. Some EU carriers charge a reduced Western Balkans rate, but it is still a paid add-on rather than part of your bundle.
Can I use Personal Hotspot?
Yes. Every FairSIM plan supports Personal Hotspot with no separate cap, which is useful for a laptop in Skopje apartments where the Wi-Fi is slow.
Do WhatsApp and Viber calls work?
Yes. There are no internet calling restrictions here, so WhatsApp, Viber, FaceTime and Zoom all work over the eSIM as normal. The plan is data only, so use these apps instead of a phone number.
How much data do I need for a week in North Macedonia?
A city break in Skopje runs about 5 GB a week. A Skopje and Ohrid road trip with heavy navigation and photo uploads is closer to 10 GB. Take a larger plan if you stream or work.
Local SIM or travel eSIM for North Macedonia?
A local prepaid SIM is cheap in denars and gives you a Macedonian number, but you need your passport, a shop that is open, and staff who can help in English. An eSIM is installed before you fly, roams on the same Makedonski Telekom and A1 towers, and works the moment you land.
Will my eSIM keep working if I cross into Albania, Greece or Serbia?
Not on a North Macedonia plan, which is country-specific. Buy the next country in the app before you cross, or check whether a regional plan covers the countries on your route.
What is an eSIM?
A SIM card built into your phone. Instead of a plastic chip, you download a profile. Every iPhone since the XS has one next to the physical SIM slot, so your home number stays put while FairSIM supplies the data.
Is my phone compatible?
FairSIM works with eSIM-compatible, carrier-unlocked iPhones: the XS, XR and everything newer, on iOS 17.4 or later for the one-tap install with no QR code. iPhones bought in mainland China do not support eSIM at all, even when unlocked. Not sure yours is unlocked? Check Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock, or ask your carrier. The full list is on the How it works page.
When should I install my eSIM?
Before you travel, while you still have Wi-Fi. Installing does not start your plan; the validity typically starts when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.
Do FairSIM eSIMs come with a phone number?
No. FairSIM eSIMs are data-only by design, which keeps costs low. For calls and texts, your physical SIM stays active so you keep your existing number, and WhatsApp, FaceTime and iMessage work over data.
Traveling beyond North Macedonia?
Get your North Macedonia eSIM in the app
Plans from $5.99. Install before you fly, track your data live, and top up in seconds if you need more.
Download on theApp Store
iPhone XS or later · iOS 17.4+ for one-tap install
