How to Buy a SIM Card in North Macedonia in 2026
North Macedonia is where many European phone plans stop working at home prices. The country is not in the EU's Roam Like at Home area, so a German, Spanish, French or UK plan usually switches to out-of-bundle roaming the moment you cross the border from Greece or Bulgaria. A local SIM card, though, is cheap and easy to buy with a passport. This guide covers the two networks, what their starter packs cost, where to find them in Skopje, and the one eSIM we sell that covers the country without a daily fee. Our plans are on the North Macedonia eSIM page.
Why your EU plan charges here
EU roaming rules cover the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The six Western Balkans countries, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Bosnia, are outside it, and so is the UK. That is slowly changing: the European Commission proposed talks on 25 February 2026 to extend EU roaming to the region, and the Council authorised them on 4 June 2026. Until agreements are signed, what you pay depends on your own operator, and many charge full roaming rates. The region does have its own arrangement, which is why a Macedonian SIM behaves sensibly in Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Bosnia.
Makedonski Telekom and A1
Two networks cover the country. Makedonski Telekom, the former T-Mobile Macedonia, is owned through Magyar Telekom by Deutsche Telekom and has the widest footprint. A1, the former Vip, is part of the A1 Telekom Austria Group; it is fast in Skopje and the larger towns, and the travel eSIMs sold for the country usually run on it. Both reach about 99% of the population with 4G, and 5G is live in Skopje and spreading to Ohrid, Struga, Bitola and other towns. MTEL, the former Lycamobile business, is a budget brand on A1's network, and a third network, One Macedonia, is being built after taking its spectrum in January 2026.
What a local SIM costs
- A1: a prepaid SIM costs 399 denars, about 6.50 euros, with 20 GB. The starter offered from 1 October 2026 adds 2 GB for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia, 49 MKD of credit and a week of free calls within A1. Older guides say A1 prepaid has no Balkan roaming at all, so check what your pack includes.
- Telekom: a 15 GB starter for stays of up to ten days, with a Macedonian number, calls and texts. For a Balkan road trip, Telekom's 30-day plan with unlimited data and 10 GB of roaming in the six Western Balkans countries costs about 1,399 MKD, around €26.
- MTEL: about 700 MKD for 5 GB a month and unlimited calls for three months, but only 1 GB of Balkan roaming and weaker signal outside towns.
Buying one: passport, airport and shops
A Macedonian prepaid card only starts working after the seller registers it against your passport, which takes 10 to 15 minutes. At Skopje Airport the picture is unclear: one guide says A1 and Telekom have kiosks in the arrivals hall, a Skopje car-hire firm says there is no SIM shop inside arrivals, and a third calls the question disputed. Free Wi-Fi from the airport operator, TAV, needs no password, so you can at least get online. In Skopje, both networks have stores near Macedonia Square and in the Vero Centre mall, and MTEL cards are sold at newsagents and Makpetrol petrol stations.
Ohrid, Matka and the roads
Coverage is strong in Skopje, around Lake Ohrid and at Matka Canyon, and along the main motorways. A1's signal is reported to thin near Tetovo on the A2 and around Demir Kapija on the E75, where Telekom is the safer network. A Skopje car-hire firm says both main networks hold up on the motorways and in rural areas such as Mavrovo and Galicica, while MTEL loses signal outside towns.
What we sell for North Macedonia
Our range here is small, and we would rather say so. Our Europe plans, the Global64 plans and the standard Vodafone Travel eSIM do not include North Macedonia. The plan that does, without a daily fee, is the Orange World eSIM: $28 for 20GB over 30 days from first use, with 15 minutes and 50 texts on a French +33 number, and the same plan also covers Greece, Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro, though not Serbia or Bosnia. The Vodafone Travel VIP eSIM works too, at $32 plus $7.50 for every day you use it in North Macedonia, so it suits a short stop rather than a holiday. The Global PAYG eSIM is $20 with €17.50 of data credit you can top up and reuse. To keep bank codes arriving on a number that is not your roaming home SIM, the O2 SMS Only eSIM is $8 a month.
Side by side
| Option | Price | Data | Balkan roaming | Before it works |
|---|
| A1 prepaid SIM | 399 denars | 20 GB | 2 GB on the October 2026 starter | Passport registration |
| Telekom 30-day plan | About 1,399 MKD | Unlimited | 10 GB in six countries | Passport registration |
| Orange World eSIM | $28 | 20GB, 30 days, 15 minutes | Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Greece; not Serbia | Scan a QR code before you travel |
| Vodafone Travel VIP eSIM | $32 plus $7.50 a day | 25GB roaming | Daily fee applies | Scan a QR code before you travel |
Our recommendation
To land in Skopje already connected, install the Orange World eSIM before you fly and turn off data roaming on your home SIM. For a stay of a week or more, a local A1 or Telekom card from a city store is cheaper, and Telekom's 30-day plan is the one to buy for a road trip through Albania, Serbia or Kosovo. Set-up steps are in our eSIM installation guide, and the plans for the country are on the North Macedonia eSIM page.
