Visa-free short entry
Macedonian citizens are generally visa-exempt for short stays in the Schengen area, subject to the applicable passport and entry rules. A short visa-free stay does not grant the right to remain for a full academic year.
The 90-day concept
A visa-free stay is generally limited to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area. Time spent in other Schengen countries counts.
Do not use the short-stay period as a substitute for a student residence solution.
Visa D
A long-stay visa D is a separate document, generally used for a stay longer than 90 days and up to one year where its conditions are met. It is not automatically the correct or necessary route for every degree student.
Temporary residence permit for study
The normal long-term study route is a temporary residence permit for study (dovoljenje za začasno prebivanje zaradi študija).
The competent Slovenian authority is the administrative unit (upravna enota). A first application may also involve the Slovenian Embassy in Skopje.
Applying in Slovenia after the 2025 amendment
Slovenian law now generally allows a foreigner who is lawfully staying in Slovenia to submit a first temporary-residence application at a Slovenian administrative unit, unless a specific rule provides otherwise.
However, the general in-country first application does not automatically produce a certificate that extends the person’s lawful stay until the final decision.
This is critical. A student who applies late may reach the end of the lawful 90-day period before the permit is decided.
Safe approach
- Start early.
- Ask the Embassy or administrative unit which route applies.
- Obtain written confirmation.
- Do not assume that submitting an application in Slovenia allows you to remain after your legal short stay expires.
- Do not book non-refundable travel based only on informal advice.