Skopje, 22 August 2025 (MIA) - Travel rules in the European Union have been postponed for Macedonia and are expected to start next year, provided there are no further delays. In the meantime, we are in constant contact with the EU to coordinate the entire process, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski said Friday, ahead of a working meeting at the Economic Chamber at the invitation of its President, Branko Azeski.

As announced, the meeting will address several topics, with special focus on the challenges arising from the EU’s new protocols, EES (Entry/Exit System) and ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System). These are two separate systems that the EU is gradually introducing to manage and control entry into the Schengen Area - EES from 2025 and ETIAS from 2026, which will pose an additional burden for companies.

“Regarding the EU travel rules, they have been postponed for Macedonia and are expected to start next year, provided there are no further delays. In the meantime, we are in active dialogue with EU representatives, and coincidentally, after this meeting, I will have a separate meeting with EU Ambassador Michalis Rokas. Although it is unrelated to this meeting, we maintain active communication and will do everything we can to make it easier for Macedonian citizens to enter the EU. We have been informed that the existing EU system is being digitalized. The world and technology are moving forward, and in that regard, what the EU introduces should be respected on one hand, but on the other hand, the procedure for Macedonian citizens’ entry should not be complicated. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of European Affairs are in communication, and as a government, we will coordinate together when it is implemented,” Nikoloski said.

The business community, according to the Chamber, points out that these protocols put transport operators in an unfavorable position compared to EU operators due to Schengen rules, which limit the period during which a professional driver can conduct bilateral transport services (restricted to 90 days within any 180-day period).

Nikoloski does not see this as a problem because, as he pointed out, the law remains the same and the 90 to 180-day deadlines have not been changed.

According to the latest reports, the Entry/Exit System (EES) is scheduled to begin on October 12, 2025. It will be gradually rolled out over six months across 29 European countries – the 25 EU Schengen member states plus Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – with full implementation starting on April 10, 2026, from when electronic tracking of stay days will commence. At this time, no action is required from travelers regarding the second system, ETIAS, and the European Union will provide further information on the exact start date of ETIAS a few months before its launch.

Photo: MIA archive