Last updated on 6 November 2026
A prepaid SIM in North Macedonia costs 295 to 399 denars (about €4.80 to €6.49): Makedonski Telekom sells a prepaid eSIM online for 295 denars, which you can spend in full on data packs, and A1 sells its SIM or eSIM for 399 denars with 22 GB for the first week. Every prepaid number has to be registered with an ID before it works. The POVNOMAD North Macedonia eSIM starts at €2.90 for 1 GB over 7 days and needs no Macedonian registration. As of 31 October 2026.
On price per gigabyte the local SIM wins by a wide margin: Telekom’s Premium pack gives 25 GB for 30 days at 579 denars (€9.42), A1 sells 66 GB for 30 days at 599 denars (€9.74), and we charge €15.90 for 10 GB. The eSIM pays off on short trips with little data, when you want to be online the moment you land in Skopje or Ohrid, and when you cannot complete the registration.
Local SIM, travel eSIM or roaming: what is the difference in North Macedonia?
| Local SIM (A1, Makedonski Telekom) | Travel eSIM (POVNOMAD) | Roaming on your home contract | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Telekom eSIM 295 MKD (€4.80) as credit, 25 GB/30 days for 579 MKD (€9.42). A1 SIM 399 MKD (€6.49) incl. 22 GB in week one | €2.90 for 1 GB/7 days, €9.90 for 5 GB/30 days, €12.90 for 7 days Unlimited Smart | North Macedonia is outside EU roaming, you need a pass from your provider |
| What you need | passport for the registration, unlocked phone | eSIM-capable, unlocked phone | a pass booked in your provider’s app |
| When you get online | after the number is registered and the pack is confirmed by SMS | on landing, installed at home beforehand | on landing |
| Registration | A1 keeps every prepaid SIM locked until your data are verified | no Macedonian registration | none |
| Calls and SMS | yes, with a Macedonian +389 number | no, data only; WhatsApp calls run over data | yes, at your provider’s rates |
| Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia | Western Balkans roaming; A1 includes 2 GB with the 22 GB pack | North Macedonia eSIM covers North Macedonia only | depends on your contract |
As of 31 October 2026. Operator prices from a1.mk and telekom.mk, POVNOMAD prices from the North Macedonia product page, all read on 31 October 2026. Converted at €1 = 61.497 MKD (market rate of 30 October 2026, exchangerate-api.com). Registration rule from A1’s prepaid registration page.
How much does a SIM card cost in North Macedonia?
North Macedonia has three mobile networks: Makedonski Telekom, A1 Makedonija and Mtel. Telekom and A1 publish their prepaid packs with prices; we did not assess Mtel. None of the three sells a pack labelled for tourists, so the regular prepaid packs below are what you buy.
| Offer | Price | in euros | Data | Validity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telekom prepaid eSIM | 295 MKD | €4.80 | credit for packs | until spent | sold online; the form has an option for foreign citizens with a passport number |
| Telekom Basic | 149 MKD | €2.42 | 5 GB, calls and SMS in Telekom’s network | 7 days | paid from credit |
| Telekom Extra | 299 MKD | €4.86 | 15 GB, calls and SMS | 14 days | paid from credit |
| Telekom Premium | 579 MKD | €9.42 | 25 GB, calls and SMS | 30 days | paid from credit |
| A1 prepaid SIM or eSIM | 399 MKD | €6.49 | 22 GB in the first week (2 GB of it in the Western Balkans), 49 MKD credit | then 22 GB/30 days for 399 MKD | online purchase asks for a Macedonian personal number |
| A1 monthly 66 GB | 599 MKD | €9.74 | 60 GB in North Macedonia + 6 GB roaming | 30 days | roaming in Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Bulgaria and the Western Balkans |
| A1 No Limit M | 599 MKD | €9.74 | unlimited national data, 150 GB fair use | 14 days | renews automatically while you have credit |
Sources: telekom.mk, prepaid packs, telekom.mk T-Prepaid page (eSIM terms), a1.mk, prepaid packs and the a1.mk prepaid SIM shop, all retrieved 31 October 2026. Euro amounts at €1 = 61.497 MKD.
Telekom adds 10 GB if you activate its prepaid eSIM and add packs worth at least 499 denars, according to its eSIM page. Once a pack’s data is used up, Telekom sells an Internet Booster with 5 GB for 69 denars (€1.12). A1 renews its packs automatically as long as there is credit on the account; you stop that by SMS, for example STOP 66GB to 1410.
Compare that with travel eSIMs bought before departure, as of 31 October 2026:
| Plan | POVNOMAD | Airalo | Holafly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | €2.90 (7 days) | €4.00 (3 days) | – |
| 3 GB | €5.90 (15 days) | €8.50 (7 days) | – |
| 5 GB, 30 days | €9.90 | €12.00 | – |
| 10 GB, 30 days | €15.90 | €19.50 | – |
| 20 GB, 30 days | €29.90 | €32.50 | – |
| Unlimited, 7 days | €12.90 (1 GB a day at full speed), €24.90 (2 GB a day) | €25.50 (3 GB a day) | $27.90 (about €24.97) |
| Unlimited, 30 days | €50.90 (1 GB a day), €96.90 (2 GB a day) | €66.50 | $73.90 (€66.15) |
Read on 31 October 2026 on povnomad.com, airalo.com/de/macedonia-esim (EUR view) and esim.holafly.com/esim-north-macedonia/ (US dollars, converted at the ECB reference rate of 30 October 2026, €1 = $1.1172). Holafly sells unlimited plans only. “–” = no such plan. After the daily allowance, POVNOMAD and Airalo throttle to 1 Mbit/s.
None of the eSIMs gives you a Macedonian phone number. All unlimited durations are in our North Macedonia eSIM provider comparison.
Do you need a passport for a Macedonian SIM card?
Yes. A1 explains on its registration page that the Law on Electronic Communications obliges it to record the data of every prepaid user. Each prepaid SIM stays locked until A1 has your name, personal number and address and has verified them. A1’s online shop asks for a 13-digit Macedonian personal number (EMBG), so as a visitor you register in an A1 shop with your passport.
Makedonski Telekom’s online form for its prepaid eSIM lets you choose between Macedonian citizen and foreign citizen; for foreigners it asks for the passport number. We did not test a purchase with a foreign card, so check the form before you rely on it.
A travel eSIM skips this step. It connects to a Macedonian network as a roaming guest, and North Macedonia has no IMEI registration for phones like Turkey.
Does a Macedonian SIM work in Serbia, Kosovo or Albania?
Yes, within limits. Since 1 July 2021 the six Western Balkan states have charged each other’s customers domestic prices (“roam like at home”), as Makedonski Telekom states on its Western Balkans roaming page. Your prepaid pack decides how much data you get abroad:
- A1 22 GB pack: 2 GB of the 22 GB work in Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- A1 66 GB pack: 6 GB work in nine countries, including Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Bulgaria and the Western Balkans.
Greece is in the EU, North Macedonia is not. At the crossing at Gevgelija your phone moves from one roaming zone into the other. The POVNOMAD North Macedonia eSIM works in North Macedonia only. Our Europe eSIM for 40+ countries starts at €4.50 for 1 GB over 7 days and includes North Macedonia and Serbia. At Lake Ohrid the border with Albania runs through the water; how phones switch networks there is in our guide to border roaming in the Balkans. For the neighbours, see Albania SIM card for tourists and Serbia SIM card for tourists.
Which network does the eSIM use in North Macedonia?
The POVNOMAD North Macedonia eSIM names vip 4G and Telekom.mk 5G on its product page, and the network can change by variant. vip is the former name of today’s A1 Makedonija. The networks actually used appear after purchase in the eSIM link under “Networks”. Airalo sells North Macedonia under the brand Matka Mobile. We have no independent coverage measurement per operator for October 2026, so we do not rank the three networks.
How do you buy the local SIM the right way?
- Bring your passport. Without registration A1 keeps the SIM locked.
- At A1, ask for the prepaid SIM for 399 denars and activate a pack by SMS: 66GB to 1410 for the 66 GB month pack.
- At Telekom, the prepaid eSIM for 295 denars is sold online; the packs are activated in the Telekom MK app or at the free number 1460.
- Check that your phone is unlocked. A phone locked to a German network will not accept a Macedonian SIM.
- If you swap your home SIM out, bank codes by SMS stop reaching you. A dual-SIM phone keeps both lines active.
- Switch off automatic renewal before you leave if you do not want the credit used up.
When is the eSIM the better choice, and when is it not?
The local SIM is the better deal for almost every stay longer than a few days. A week with 5 GB costs you Telekom’s 295-denar eSIM (€4.80), because the 149-denar Basic pack comes out of its credit; we charge €5.90 for 3 GB over 15 days. For a month, A1’s 66 GB at €9.74 beat our 20 GB at €29.90 by a long way.
The eSIM fits if you need very little data, 1 GB for a weekend in Skopje costs €2.90, or if you want maps and messages running on landing without a shop visit and registration. Install it at home on Wi-Fi (instructions for iPhone and Android). Validity starts on first contact with the network in North Macedonia, not at purchase. This guide is also available in German.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a SIM card cost in North Macedonia?
Makedonski Telekom’s prepaid eSIM costs 295 denars (about €4.80) as credit for packs, for example 25 GB over 30 days for 579 denars. A1’s prepaid SIM or eSIM costs 399 denars (€6.49) including 22 GB for the first week. As of 31 October 2026, at €1 = 61.497 MKD.
Do I need my passport to buy a SIM card in North Macedonia?
Yes. A1 keeps every prepaid SIM locked until your name, personal number and address are verified, based on the Law on Electronic Communications. A1’s online shop needs a Macedonian personal number, so visitors register in a shop. A travel eSIM needs no Macedonian registration (as of 31 October 2026).
Can foreigners buy a Macedonian eSIM online?
Makedonski Telekom’s online form for its 295-denar prepaid eSIM has an option for foreign citizens and asks for the passport number (31 October 2026). We did not test a purchase. A1’s online shop asks for a 13-digit Macedonian personal number.
Does a Macedonian SIM card work in Serbia or Albania?
Yes, within the pack’s roaming allowance. The Western Balkans have charged domestic prices since 1 July 2021. A1’s 22 GB pack includes 2 GB for Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia; the 66 GB pack includes 6 GB for nine countries, Greece among them.
Is a local SIM cheaper than an eSIM in North Macedonia?
For almost any stay of more than a few days, yes. Telekom gives 25 GB for 30 days at €9.42 and A1 66 GB at €9.74, while POVNOMAD charges €15.90 for 10 GB. Our eSIM costs less only for very small needs, 1 GB over 7 days for €2.90. As of 31 October 2026.
Does the POVNOMAD eSIM give me a Macedonian phone number?
No, it carries data only. Your home number stays reachable if you keep your SIM active next to the eSIM, and WhatsApp calls run over data. If you need a +389 number for local calls, the A1 or Telekom prepaid SIM includes one.
How do I know if these prices are still current?
Every price on this page was read on 31 October 2026 on a1.mk, telekom.mk, povnomad.com, airalo.com and esim.holafly.com. Operators change prepaid packs several times a year, and A1 and Telekom run online-only promotions. Check the operator’s page before you buy.
Last updated on 31 October 2026. Prices read on that day on a1.mk, telekom.mk, povnomad.com, airalo.com and esim.holafly.com; exchange rates of 30 October 2026. Prices and rules may change at any time.