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As someone who has driven from the UK to North Macedonia nearly every summer for the past decade, I have long experienced an issue that affects not just me, but many in our community and beyond: UK car insurance is still not recognised in North Macedonia.
This is not just a minor administrative inconvenience. It’s a real burden for thousands of travellers—diaspora families, businesspeople, volunteers, and overland tourists—who are forced to pay for border insurance every time they enter the country, despite holding valid UK motor insurance policies.
An Unnecessary Barrier
At present, UK motorists must buy temporary third-party insurance at the border (e.g., Tabanovce) for:
€50 (15 days)
€75 (30 days)
This must be paid in cash only (euros or Macedonian denars)—no card payments accepted—and passports are held by the border police until valid proof of insurance is shown.
For anyone who has just driven 2,500+ kilometres across Europe, this process is not just bureaucratic—it’s exhausting, stressful, and deeply frustrating. It does not feel like the warm welcome home that many of us, particularly from the diaspora, expect from the country we love and support.
This Affects All British Motorists
North Macedonia remains one of the very few countries in Europe where UK car insurance is not accepted—a situation that causes disproportionate difficulty for all British motorists travelling to the country, not just those of Macedonian origin.
A Call for Bilateral Action
In light of this, I have written formally to H.E. Katerina Stavreska, Ambassador of North Macedonia to the United Kingdom, urging the Embassy to open discussions with the relevant authorities in both countries to:
Negotiate a mutual recognition agreement for motor insurance; or
Explore North Macedonia’s re-entry into the Green Card recognition system that includes the United Kingdom.
Such action would:
Encourage safer, smoother road travel between the UK and North Macedonia;
Support tourism, business, humanitarian efforts, and diaspora engagement;
Reflect the country’s aspiration to be seen as open, European, and connected.
Let’s Modernise and Welcome
This is not simply a technical matter. It’s a symbolic one.
Removing this barrier would send a strong message to the Macedonian diaspora and to all international visitors: that North Macedonia is ready to welcome them, without unnecessary red tape.
Here is the link to the official letter:
https://lnkd.in/dkZuqehn
If you’ve experienced this issue or support the call for change, I encourage you to share your voice. Let’s work together to modernise our systems and strengthen the bonds between our nations.
(As for the state of the toilets at the border, well… that deserves an entire article of its own.)