Communication in Macedonia

Everyday communication is mainly informal and depends on the situation, municipality and language used. Face-to-face conversation, mobile calls, SMS, messaging and email are common functional channels. No single nationwide etiquette or misunderstanding procedure governs ordinary interaction, so a written recap with the exact request, date and communication channel can help when an agreement or instruction matters. Macedonian in Cyrillic is the official language throughout North Macedonia. A language spoken by at least 20% of the population in a municipality can have additional official status there; below that threshold, local authorities may decide on its use. Under the Law on the Use of Languages from 2019, a central-government office receiving a communication in any official language provides a response also in Macedonian. A regional office serving a municipality that meets the 20% threshold responds in that language and Macedonian. Personal official documents may also be issued in another official language where the rules apply. The Inspectorate for the Use of Languages supervises implementation. The Agency for Electronic Communications, known as AEK, regulates public electronic communications, including mobile, fixed-line and internet services, numbering, interconnection, universal service and quality of service. Prices depend on the provider, package and service, so a national price cannot be assumed. A customer normally submits a written complaint to the provider first. If the response is missing or inadequate, the customer can request dispute handling from AEK through its electronic form or contact centre at 190. The contract, the Electronic Communications Law and the provider's rules determine the customer's specific rights and duties. The Centre for Crisis Management, CMC or ЦУК, provides the nationwide emergency number 112. Calls are free from all providers and available 24 hours a day for fires, floods, landslides, natural disasters and other crises. State the exact location and describe the incident briefly. Police number 192 remains locally documented, while 112 is the nationwide emergency number with priority for crisis communication. А.Д. Пошта на Северна Македонија provides universal postal services for letters, printed matter, items for blind persons, small packets up to 2 kg and postal parcels up to 31.5 kg. Available services include ordinary, registered, valuable and money-order items and EMS. Other licensed providers may also carry postal items. The price depends on destination, weight, service, declared value and urgency. Use a complete address and keep the receipt or proof of posting. A recipient may refuse an item. Narcotics, explosives, flammable or radioactive materials and other dangerous goods are prohibited except where a legal exception applies. Underpaid postage may be charged to the recipient or to the sender when the item is returned. A postal complaint begins in writing at the relevant postal unit. The sender generally has three months for a domestic complaint and six months for an international complaint. Visible damage should be reported immediately; hidden damage should be reported within 24 hours. The provider's resolution period is up to 30 days for domestic cases and two months for international cases. A message on the website alone does not create a statutory compensation claim. If the provider does not resolve the matter, gives no answer or blocks the complaint, an administrative complaint can be submitted in writing or electronically to the Postal Agency, which also provides user guidance. The Ministry of Digital Transformation manages uslugi.gov.mk. Its public area provides information about services, responsible authorities, forms, requirements, evidence, deadlines, payments and legal remedies without a login. The private area can support electronic requests, evidence uploads, fees or administrative-tax payments, status information and responses. Single sign-on through eid.mk currently concerns natural persons and uses an identity document, email address and verification against the Central Population Registry. The competent provider remains responsible for the content and delivery of the service, and some services require a fee or administrative tax. Portal availability and the services offered can vary by authority. An electronic document and case management system, or eDMS, manages electronic documents, cases and archives. The interoperability platform, commonly called MIM, enables standardized secure exchange between authorities and companies. A qualified electronic signature has legal validity under the applicable law. A physical counter, postal submission or email replaces an electronic service only when the competent authority expressly offers that channel. Public-service communication can take place through the competent authority, uslugi.gov.mk, official email, post or a counter. A request under the Freedom of Access to Public Information is submitted in writing or electronically to the information holder. The requester can state the preferred future contact method. An incomplete or unclear request can be supplemented within three working days. The response deadline is 20 working days, with an extension of up to 30 working days for a large volume of information and notice of the extension within seven working days. Access is free, although material reproduction costs can apply. A complaint to ASPI, the Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information, can be filed within 15 working days after the deadline or decision. The Ombudsman, or Народен правобранител, generally expects the competent body to be approached first. A submission can be made personally, by post, through an oral record, by fax or by email. It should include a signature and contact details, the facts and evidence, the authority or act concerned and information about earlier legal remedies. The procedure has no fee. The Ombudsman can issue recommendations and support a renewed procedure, with further referral possibilities in disciplinary or criminal matters. The Law on the Use of Sign Language from 2009, amended in 2025, recognizes Macedonian Sign Language as a formal communication alternative and provides an interpreter and compensation framework. Practical access depends on the authority and case. Accessible digital formats, captions, relay services and interpreters are not uniformly available across all authorities. AEK publishes a disability contact person, and the Ombudsman has recorded uneven accessibility, including in higher education. The responsible complaint channel depends on the communication problem. A telecommunications complaint goes first to the provider and then, where necessary, to AEK. A postal complaint begins with the postal provider and can proceed to the Postal Agency. Delayed or unlawful authority action can be raised with the competent body and then the Ombudsman. Refusal or delay concerning public information goes from the information holder to ASPI. A language or accessibility barrier should be identified in the request, supported with retained proof and escalated to the responsible body or the Ombudsman when it is not resolved.