Residence Permits in the Balkans: 4-Country Comparison

Turkish citizens can enter North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo visa-free for up to 90 days. Bulgaria, now part of the Schengen area as of 2025, requires Turkish citizens to obtain a Visa D for long-term stays — making it more bureaucratic at the outset compared to the other three countries.

In all four countries, the most common long-term residence routes are based on company formation and employment. In North Macedonia, purchasing property worth more than EUR 40,000 also opens the door to a residence permit. Serbia has no statutory minimum amount for property ownership; in practice, owning suitable housing can be used as supporting documentation for a residence permit application.

Serbia offers the fastest residence permit through company formation: the Unified License application is fully online and the total process can be completed in approximately 2 months. No minimum investment is required, and the initial permit can be issued for up to 3 years. In North Macedonia, the process concludes in 30–60 days; a 2025 legislative amendment has reduced the document burden.

In Bulgaria, the standard conditions for an entrepreneur residence permit (10-person employment or EUR 512,000 investment) create a high barrier for smaller-scale entrepreneurs. However, the Bulgarian residence permit stands out in terms of value it carries, as it grants free movement within the Schengen area. In Kosovo, obtaining a residence permit is primarily through company formation or employment, and the official financial threshold remains unclear.

Serbia offers the shortest path to citizenship: permanent residence can be applied for after 3 years of temporary residence, followed by a citizenship application, making the total process approximately 6 years. In North Macedonia, the required period was reduced from 8 to 7 years in 2024; knowledge of Macedonian is mandatory. Bulgaria's total process is approximately 10 years and requires a Bulgarian language exam; however, the resulting passport means EU citizenship and Schengen travel. In Kosovo, the process ranges from 5 to 10 years, and the legal framework is relatively new.

Citizenship conditions and processes may vary in all countries; contact us for planning tailored to your personal situation. We handle document preparation and coordination for residence permit applications in Turkish — this content is for informational purposes and may change with current legislation.