North Macedonia Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a North Macedonian Business

TL;DR. North Macedonia’s official business registry is the Central Registry (Централен регистар, CRM), accessible at crm.com.mk. Basic company data is free and publicly searchable with no account required. The portal has an English interface. The registry uses a one-stop-shop model for company formation and issues a unique Registry Number (RNS) as the primary identifier. North Macedonia is an EU candidate country and is not on the FATF grey list; a MONEYVAL progress report from June 2025 recorded measurable improvements in AML/CFT compliance.

What is the official North Macedonia business registry?

The Central Registry of the Republic of North Macedonia (Централен регистар на Република Македонија, CRRNM or CRM) is the sole authority for company registration and commercial registry data in North Macedonia. It was established under the Law on the Central Registry and operates under the oversight of the Government of North Macedonia.

CRM replaced the previous court-based registration system and introduced a one-stop-shop approach: registration, tax enrollment, VAT application, and municipal notification are completed through a single procedure. Standard company formation can be completed within four hours under the one-stop-shop framework, among the fastest in the Western Balkans region.

The registry’s main public portal is at crm.com.mk, with an English-language section. CRM also operates an electronic filing portal at e-submit.crm.com.mk for authorized filers. A separate e-registration system handles online company formation.

CRM covers all legal entity types operating in North Macedonia, including domestic companies, foreign company branches and representative offices, sole traders, non-profit organizations, and cooperatives.

North Macedonia has been an EU candidate country since 2005, following the Prespa Agreement (2018) that resolved the longstanding naming dispute with Greece and opened the path to NATO accession (2020) and renewed EU accession negotiations (2022). The EU accession process drives progressive alignment of company registration, UBO disclosure, and AML/CFT frameworks with EU standards.

What can you search?

CRM’s public search portal supports lookup by:

• RNS (Registry Number of the Subject): the primary entity identifier assigned at registration
• EMBS (Единствен матичен број на субјект): the unique entity identification number, used across tax and government systems
• Company name (full or partial)
• Tax number (Даночен број / DB)

Data available for free in the public register includes, per entity: registry number (RNS), unique tax number (EMBS), full name and short name, date of establishment, legal form, registered address, legal status (active, in bankruptcy, in liquidation, deleted), additional status information (if in insolvency), primary activity code (NKD, North Macedonia’s NACE equivalent), and entity size classification.

As of October 19, 2020, this core dataset is available free of charge through CRM’s public search. Additional data layers (full officer lists, ownership details, financial statements) may be available through CRM’s paid data distribution services or through authorized data resellers.

Data freshness follows a filing-event model. CRM processes changes within the statutory timeframes (typically 1-5 business days for standard changes; same-day for urgent filings processed through the one-stop-shop).

How much does it cost?

Free data (name, RNS, status, address, legal form, activity, size) has been publicly available at no charge since October 2020. CRM’s tariff for paid data distribution services applies to more detailed packages such as ownership data, officer lists, and historical extracts. The CRM tariff schedule is available at crm.com.mk. Exchange rate: MKD/USD approximately 57:1 (May 2026, approximate; MKD is pegged to EUR; verify at the National Bank of North Macedonia before purchase). Third-party agents (such as Schmidt and Schmidt) charge EUR 30 and above for electronic extracts with same-day turnaround.

Do you need a local account or ID?

No. The CRM public search is openly accessible to any internet user worldwide without registration. No North Macedonian identity document or local account is required for basic company lookups. Accessing CRM’s electronic filing services (for authorized filers submitting changes) requires credentials. For compliance buyers conducting lookups only, no account is needed.

Is the website in English?

Yes. CRM’s portal at crm.com.mk includes English-language sections covering services, about the institution, and the search interface. Search result data for the public fields (RNS, name, status, address, legal form, activity code) is legible in English or can be interpreted directly given the structured format. Company names in the database appear in Macedonian Cyrillic script; transliteration into Latin script may be inconsistent across different documents and systems.

For compliance buyers, having both the Cyrillic registered name and the Latin transliteration (commonly used on contracts and invoices) is advisable when building a counterparty profile.

What’s the turnaround time?

Free public searches return results instantly. For paid electronic extracts ordered through CRM’s data distribution system or authorized agents, processing begins from 30 minutes and is typically completed within one business day. Extracts with apostille authentication require approximately two weeks for the apostille to be affixed through the Ministry of Justice.

Is there an API?

No formal public API is documented for external developer use as of May 2026. CRM operates a Distribution System for institutional and commercial data users that enables dynamic creation of information packages with quantity discounts and time-limited access packages. Organizations requiring systematic or bulk access to North Macedonian company data can contact CRM at marketing@crm.org.mk or through their website to inquire about distribution agreement terms.

For standard compliance workflows, the free public search is the practical access method. Third-party aggregators such as OpenCorporates have partial North Macedonia coverage but lag official data.

What you legally cannot do

North Macedonia’s data protection is governed by the Law on Personal Data Protection (Закон за заштита на личните податаци, aligned with GDPR principles as part of the EU accession process), supervised by the Directorate for Personal Data Protection (Дирекција за заштита на личните податаци). CRM’s Terms of Use prohibit:

• Bulk automated scraping of the public portal for commercial redistribution
• Using personal data from the registry (director names, addresses) for unsolicited marketing or profiling
• Representing uncertified web extracts as official certified documents in legal or regulatory proceedings

CRM’s Tariff specifies that data services beyond the free public offering are subject to a fee and authorized distribution agreement. Compliance buyers should operate within the permitted individual-lookup use case rather than building automated scrapers against the public portal. See our Global Business Due Diligence Guide for the broader legal framework applicable to Macedonian entity due diligence.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• RNS is the anchor identifier. The Registry Number of the Subject (RNS) is the stable identifier assigned at registration with CRM. It is distinct from the EMBS (unique entity number) and the tax number (DB). Collect the RNS from any North Macedonian counterparty; it is the most reliable search key as it does not change with name changes.
• Cyrillic names. Company names in North Macedonia are registered in Macedonian Cyrillic script. Latin transliterations vary. When searching by name, try both the Cyrillic original and any Latin-script version the company uses commercially. Searching by RNS or EMBS bypasses this ambiguity entirely.
• EU candidate alignment. North Macedonia’s EU accession negotiations resumed in 2022 under the revised methodology for Western Balkans accession. Company registration law, corporate governance requirements, and UBO disclosure obligations are being progressively aligned with EU standards. The pace of regulatory change is faster than in non-candidate jurisdictions.
• MONEYVAL improvement. A MONEYVAL follow-up progress report (June 2025) found that North Macedonia improved its AML/CFT compliance, with 31 of 40 FATF recommendations rated compliant or largely compliant. Notable improvements were in wire transfer rules, internal controls, and trust beneficial ownership transparency. Further improvements are expected as the country continues to align with EU standards.
• One-stop-shop advantage. CRM’s one-stop-shop means that a company registered in North Macedonia should have all core government identifiers (tax, VAT, municipal) linked from the moment of registration. Gaps in tax or regulatory filings are visible as anomalies. If a company’s registry profile shows active status but no VAT number or a very recent registration date, treat as a flag for enhanced diligence.
• Status verification first. “Активно” (Aktivno) means active. “Во стечај” (Vo stečaj) means in bankruptcy. “Во ликвидација” (Vo likvidacija) means in voluntary liquidation. “Бришано” (Brishano) means deregistered. Always confirm legal status before proceeding with commercial counterparty assessment.

Alternatives if you cannot access CRM directly

• Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates has partial North Macedonia coverage indexed from CRM public data. Useful for a preliminary name check; not for compliance-grade verification.
• Schmidt and Schmidt (schmidt-export.com): A German-based company document retrieval service that processes CRM extract requests for foreign buyers. Electronic extracts from approximately EUR 30; turnaround from 30 minutes.
• Invest North Macedonia (investnorthmacedonia.gov.mk): The government’s investment promotion agency provides guidance on business entity registration and legal forms in English, useful for understanding the corporate market before conducting registry searches.

Local data suppliers

• Bisnode North Macedonia (bisnode.mk). Part of the Dun and Bradstreet regional network. Provides commercial credit reports for North Macedonian entities drawing on CRM registry data and payment behavior indicators. Primary audience: regional banks and suppliers assessing counterparty risk.

Use CRM for the authoritative legal and corporate record. Use a commercial data supplier when you need a risk rating or trade payment history alongside the registry filing.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the North Macedonia CRM registry directly?

Yes. CRM’s public search is open globally without registration. The English interface makes it accessible for foreign compliance buyers without a local intermediary for basic lookups. For certified extracts, third-party document retrieval agents (such as Schmidt and Schmidt) can obtain official documents with a same-day to one-week turnaround for EUR 30 and above.

What is the RNS number in North Macedonia?

The RNS (Registry Number of the Subject, Регистарски број на субјект) is the primary company identifier assigned by CRM at registration. It is a numeric code unique to each registered entity. The EMBS (Единствен матичен број на субјект) is the universal entity identification number used across government systems. Both appear in the CRM company profile. For searches, either the RNS or EMBS works as an anchor identifier.

What entity types are registered with CRM?

CRM registers all legal entities operating in North Macedonia: limited liability companies (Друштво со ограничена одговорност, ДОО), joint-stock companies (Акционерско друштво, АД), sole traders (Трговец поединец, ТП), partnerships, cooperatives, foundations, associations, and branches and representative offices of foreign companies. Public enterprises and special-purpose entities may have supplementary registration requirements with sector regulators.

Does North Macedonia have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?

Yes. North Macedonia has enacted UBO disclosure requirements aligned with FATF Recommendation 24. Beneficial ownership data is registered with CRM. The MONEYVAL June 2025 progress report noted improvements in North Macedonia’s legal framework for beneficial ownership transparency, including transparency rules for trusts and similar arrangements. Compliance buyers can look up UBO data through CRM’s portal; coverage completeness is improving as part of ongoing MONEYVAL follow-up obligations.

How current is the data in CRM?

Under the one-stop-shop system, newly registered entities appear in CRM’s database on the day of registration. Changes filed electronically through e-submit.crm.com.mk are processed within 1-5 business days for standard changes. The free public data layer (status, address, legal form, activity) is updated on each change event. More detailed data layers available through CRM’s distribution service are updated on the same schedule.

Is North Macedonia on the FATF grey list?

No. North Macedonia is not on the FATF grey list and is not subject to FATF increased monitoring as of May 2026. MONEYVAL’s June 2025 progress report assessed North Macedonia’s AML/CFT framework positively, noting 31 of 40 FATF recommendations now rated compliant or largely compliant, up from the 2023 baseline. North Macedonia is in regular MONEYVAL follow-up and is expected to report further progress within one year. See fatf-gafi.org for the current compliance profile.

What’s the difference between CRM and North Macedonia’s tax administration?

CRM handles legal existence, commercial registration, and the trade register. The Public Revenue Office (Управа за јавни приходи, УЈП) manages tax identification numbers, VAT registration, and tax compliance. When onboarding a North Macedonian counterparty, cross-reference CRM (legal standing, entity type, beneficial ownership) with the Public Revenue Office’s taxpayer register for tax-compliance status. For payment risk, supplement with a commercial credit bureau report.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: Central Registry of the Republic of North Macedonia (crm.com.mk); MONEYVAL progress report on North Macedonia (June 2025, coe.int/en/web/moneyval); Open Government Partnership commitment MK0122 on public access to the Central Register; Schmidt and Schmidt extract pricing for North Macedonia (schmidt-export.com). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.