- Striking Landscapes and a Stunning Array of Shooting Locations Mountain valleys, forests, a medieval fortress, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, an island, and small desert can all be found in Macedonia. The country is home to 1,000 churches and monasteries, as well as over 4,200 archaeological sites. Macedonia is one of the most attractive destinations for cultural tourism in Europe.
- 280 Sunny Days a Year With a Mediterranean climate, moderate winters, and plenty of sunny days, Macedonia is an ideal location for your next film shoot. Personal income tax of 10%
Income from copyright and industrial property rights - depending on the type of the artwork (paintings, artistic work in music, film etc.), the taxpayer is recognized the dedication expenses in the amount from 25% to 60% of the gross income.
- 20% production incentive for investments in film or television projects Macedonia with the new law will stimulate the investments for making a feature film, documentary, animation, television film or TV series up to 20% of the gross expenditures made in Republic of Macedonia.
- Low Taxes
The general tax rate of 18% to all taxable sales and import, except to sales and import taxable with the preferential rate of 5% Macedonia has educated, highly-qualified, and ethical workforce and one of the most competitive labor costs in Europe
- Low Operational Costs
Macedonia is one of the most cost-competitive locations in Europe.
- Exceptional and skilled production companies and crew There are a number of production companies in Macedonia with experience in international production. You will find Macedonian film technicians to be flexible, highly skilled and able to efficiently carry out even the most demanding production.
- Competitive labor cost advantage
- Post-production service for films CGI, VFX, SFX
There are many accommodation options in Macedonia for you and your film crews, around 70 hotels of all kinds, from hostels to 5-star luxury hotels. If you are shooting in rural areas, you will need to stay at the closest city, maybe 20 to 60 minutes away from the shooting location. For prolonged stays or when the time is crucial, houses and apartments can be rented near the location.
Fixed-line communications: The telephone system is modern and digitalized. The major provider of fixed-line communications is Makedonski Telekom owned through Matav by Deutsche Telekom. Other fixed-line operators include ONE (part of Telekom Slovenia Group), Neotel, Telecabel and Blizoo. The digitalized telephone service is available in most rural areas. Direct international dialing is available everywhere.
Mobile communications: Three mobile telephone operators currently provide services in Macedonia: T-Mobile (part of Deutsche Telekom Group) with more than 1 million users, VIP Operator (part of Telekom Austria Group) and ONE (part of Telekom Slovenije).
Internet: The largest internet provider in Macedonia is Makedonski Telekom, offering wireless, dial-up, ISDN , ADSL and optic internet connections. This is a vibrant market populated by numerous internet service providers (ISPs), whose rates and service quality vary widely. Macedonia has various firms licensed to operate data-transfer services, among which ONE , Telecabel and Blizoo are the biggest players.
In the Republic of the Macedonia dominate two types of climate: modified mediterranean and moderate continental. This results with two accented seasons: cold and wet winter and dry hot summer, connected with the transitional seasons spring and autumn. On the high mountain areas in Republic of Macedonia exist mountain climate which characterizes with short and cold summers and cold and wet winters with frequent snow falls. The moderate continental climate in Macedonia (East European variation) distinguish itself with expressed cold winters with longer ice period and higher number of frozen days with mid month temperature of the coldest month beneath the zero and with low moderate minimal temperatures and low absolute minimums with less rain. Summers and the vegetation period compared to the mediterranean climate are shorter, with low relative humidity and less summer and tropical days. The transition from Summer to Winter and from Winter to Summer in Macedonia is relatively quick. The quantity of rain and the year rain fluctuations are smaller. There are more rainy days in the hotter part of the year (May and June). The mountain climate in Macedonia is especially expressed in the highest (Alpine) zone and less in the sub-alpine belt. This climate is characterized with low average year temperatures around 0 degrees Celsius, and with expressed cold winters.The average month temperatures are below 0 degrees Celsius in the period of 5-6 months and also there is large number of frozen days 3-4 months. This climate is distinctive with not so low absolute minimums up to -24 degrees Celsius and with low mid below 20 C and absolute amplitudes (below 60 C).The high mountains in the south region of Macedonia (Baba, Nidze, Kozjak, Kozuf, Neretska Mountain and Belasica) are obstacle for the mediterranean climate which comes from the Thessaloniki gulf. It enters towards north trough the valley of Vardar river and the rivers Struma and Strumesnitca.
Average year temp.: 15 C / 59 F
Warmest month: July (average 22 C / 71.6 F)
Coldest month: January (average -3 C / 26.6 F)
Average year rain: 742 mm2
No official filming and location permission is required for feature film shoots or any others type of production. We recommend teaming up with a local production company if you are planning to shoot in Macedonia, as the local know-how of the procedures and policies in will help you to reduce the time spent on preparing and executing your project. The Macedonian partner can support your project with funding from public and private sources, provide a full range of production services and share all important local knowledge and personal contacts.
To enter Macedonia, a passport must be valid for three months. Visas are not required by nationals of the US, EU countries and UK for tourist and business stays of up to three months. Citizens of the EU member states and citizens of the signatories to the Schengen Agreement may enter the territory of the Republic of Macedonia with a valid ID card issued by the competent authorities of the concerning countries. Citizens of other countries who are subject to visa requirements are obliged to apply for a visa prior to their entry to the Republic of Macedonia.
If there is no Macedonian diplomatic mission or consular post in the applicant's country, a visa application may be submitted in the nearest Macedonian diplomatic mission/consular post. For detailed information on the visa regime, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: http://www.mfa.gov.mk/?q=node/319&language=en-gb
Foreign nationals shooting in Macedonia on the temporary basis do not need a working permit. Foreign nationals staying in hotels or other type of accommodation through a local service provider or co-producer are automatically registered by the hotelier or the Macedonian partner.
Foreign citizens who intend to stay in Macedonia longer than 90 days must apply for a temporary residence permit. Macedonian partner can assist you with obtaining all the necessary paperwork for a foreign crew member.
With the support of the Eurimages Fund of the Council of Europe
