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I am an Indian student in Germany. As far as I know, students hold a Schengen Visa Type D. I have my visa extended until 2018. I have a friend from Macedonia I would like to visit soon. I checked up on the website of Macedonia and found this:

Entry in the Republic of Macedonia for Schengen Visa Holders

Citizens of the following countries are not required to have entry visa for the Republic of Macedonia:

  1. EU member countries and signatories of the Schengen Agreement

    have the right to enter the Republic of Macedonia with a valid ID card.

  2. Third countries with permanent stay in an EU member country or signatory country of the Schengen Agreement

    may stay in the Republic of Macedonia for up to 15 (fifteen) days upon every entry to the territory of the Republic of Macedonia, and the total amount of the subsequent stays in the Republic of Macedonia must not be longer than 3 (three) months within a six-months period, starting from the date of the first entry.

  3. Third countries with multiple entry short stay Schengen visa type C valid at least 5 (five) days beyond the intended stay in the Republic of Macedonia.

    may stay in the Republic of Macedonia for up to 15 (fifteen) days upon every entry to the territory of the Republic of Macedonia, and the total amount of the subsequent stays in the Republic of Macedonia must not be longer than 3 (three) months within a six-months period, starting from the date of the first entry.

I do not fall under category 1 or 3 is what I believe. Do I fall under category 2 (I cannot understand this statement completely)? Or do I have to get a visa prior to traveling to Macedonia?

Also, do I have to get an invite letter from my friend in case immigration officials ask me for anything on arrival?

And will my passport be stamped on entry and exit?

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  • For sure you do NOT fall into category 2, it does not apply to you. You MIGHT qualify for category 3 if Macedonia treats a German type "D" visa as fungible. In all cases you should carry the documentation with you, like invitation.
    – Gayot Fow
    Apr 18, 2016 at 11:59
  • @GayotFow Yes, I will do that. Meanwhile, is there any other way I can get info regarding this. Emails didnt help as yet.
    – trollster
    Apr 22, 2016 at 12:45

2 Answers 2

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As far as I know, foreign students in Germany holds residence permit instead of Schengen visa D. Could you check once again?

A Schengen visa D is a green visa label in your passport with type D. This kind of visa could be only valid for the issuing country (say the item "valid for"). That means in this case, "Deutschland". If such situation applies, you cannot even use your visa to another country, e.g. France, Austria, etc. And this visa could be valid only for single entry.

EDIT: Thanks to @phoog for pointing out. Since VO 265/2010, a D visa also entitled the holder to shortly stay in other Schengen countries.

A residence permit is a red card or a red visa label in your passport, with type "Aufenthaltserlaubnis" for foreign students. This permit entitles you visit the whole Schengen area and is multi-entries valid.

Normally a foreign student uses a Type D visa to enter Germany and then extended to a residence permit.

In both upper situations, you are not fall into category 2. Because you are not a PERMANENT resident. In the first situation, you may even not visit other Schengen countries.

A residence permit sometimes can be treated as a multi-entries Schengen visa. But the regulation of Macedonia is different, it indicates that you should use a "type C short stay" multi-entries Schengen visa. A residence permit is not a "short stay" visa. Although I know somebody uses residence permit to enter Macedonia. I know also some guys be refused.

You should better ask the consulate and apply a visa for Macedonia.

As far as I know (situation in the year of 2014), other non-EU Yugoslavian countries, Montenegro, BiH, Kosovo, Serbia, only require multi-entries Schengen visa, which means you can use residence permit. But Macedonia is the only country requires a Type-C multi-entries visa.

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  • 1
    I initially got my 3 month visa which I extended after coming to Germany. I showed my visa to border controls in Austria, Hungary and Belgium and I had no issues. I was also told the visa can be used to go to any schengen country as long as it is multiple, which I think it is in my case because I have been to more than 5 countries already within the schengen zone.
    – trollster
    Apr 25, 2016 at 12:34
  • I will follow up with the Macedonian consulate for the visa in such a case then.
    – trollster
    Apr 25, 2016 at 12:35
  • "I was also told the visa can be used to go to any schengen country as long as it is multiple, which I think it is in my case because I have been to more than 5 countries already within the schengen zone." This is not correct, you are entitled only to visit the countries in "valid for / gültig für" item in your visa. Although the border control inside Schengen are not strict, you will face problem in special cases as you are not legally enter the country. Apr 25, 2016 at 12:38
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    Unfortunately Macedonia is special, see paragraphs 6-8 of my answer. It's based on my personal and my friends experience. Apr 25, 2016 at 12:47
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    This answer is incorrect. Type D visas allow the bearer to live in the issuing Schengen country and to visit all the others subject to the 90/180 rule, but they mention only the issuing country in the "valid for" field.
    – phoog
    Mar 20, 2019 at 10:43
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I have just come across this update and thought of adding it as an answer for people looking for the information now. The Macedonian website now has an extra point in addition to the three points above:

Third countries with temporary stay in an EU member country or signatory country of the Schengen Agreement may stay up to 15 (fifteen) days upon every entry to the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia and the total amount of the subsequent stays must not be longer than 90 days in any 180-day period.

So I suppose, now, even people with Aufenthaltstitel, the temporary residence permit, or the permit with an expiry date or Blue Card can now visit Macedonia.

Link: http://www.mfa.gov.mk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134&Itemid=662&lang=en

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