Skopje, 5 March 2024 (MIA) - Starting Tuesday, citizens of North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania will have free access to the labor market as part of the Open Balkan initiative.

The measure is a result of international agreements signed between three member-states of the Open Balkan initiative, namely the agreement for free access to the labor market in the Western Balkans, and the agreement for interconnection of electronic identification schemes, the Government said in a press release.

"The goal of the measure is to remove barriers that hinder trade, facilitate free movement of citizens, and use of electronic services within the initiative itself," the press release reads.

Interested citizens for free access to the labor markets in North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania, first must first obtain an Open Balkan identification number at the official electronic administrative portals in their own country, then apply for an Approval for free access to the labor market service, with which they can then apply for an Approval for free access to the labor market in the other two countries. The procedure can be done online and can take up to 30 days.

Citizens then will have to log on to uslugi.gov.mk and submit a request for an issuance of an Open Balkan ID certificate (OB ID), which will be immediately generated, and the next step is to apply for a Certificate of Free Access to the Labor Market in Serbia https://euprava.gov.rs/ or Albania https://e-albania.al/ 

The fully explained procedure can be found here:

1. https://uslugi.gov.mk/otvoren-balkan.nspx 

2.  https://av.gov.mk/otvoren-balkan-severna-makedonija-srbija-i-albanija-ns_article-izvestuvanje-za-otpocnuvanje-na-uslugata-sloboden-pristap-do-pazar-na-trud.nspx 

Institutions responsible for the implementation of the measure in North Macedonia are the Ministry of Information Society and Administration through the site uslugi.gov.mk for the issuance of Identification Number for Open Balkans, the Ministry of Interior for issuing identification numbers to foreigners, and the Employment Agency for issuing certificates for free access to the labor markets, which enables employment in North Macedonia.

According to the Government, this measure will facilitate economic prosperity, considering the importance of the free movement of workers. The measure is fully compatible and respects the implementation of EU law for the free movement of workers and preparation for closer integration on the EU single market.

The agreement for free access to the labor market reaffirms the preparedness to strengthen mutual relations and understanding, in order to contribute to economic development and increase economic growth, investments and employment in the Western Balkans.

"This means that citizens will get faster and easier access to work opportunities in the three countries. From the moment access to the labor market is secured, including work negotiations, employment, pension and health insurance, the rights and obligations of citizens and companies remain unchanged, that is, the same as before, in accordance with national legislations," the press release adds.

With the start of the implementation of these agreements, individuals that receive an OD-ID will have an uninterrupted stay of two years in the countries, during which they are allowed to seek employment. ssh/sk/