Traveling to Macedonia on a one-way ticket
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC, IB+, TAM multi+
Posts: 453
Traveling to Macedonia on a one-way ticket
Hello,
We (me and a friend) will be traveling to SKP (Skopje, Macedonia) on a one-way ticket. The return travel will be from INI (Nis, Serbia). We will be traveling from Holland and are both Dutch (and thus EU) citizens.
I was wondering if we can expect any difficulty at immigration? I am not sure if I will be able to print the return boarding pass in time, and thus I would be unable to prove to immigration that I have a return journey booked. They might wonder how long we're going to be staying there... Should I print out the reservation just in case?
As far as I have checked, Macedonia requires no visa from Schengen. The same holds true for Serbia. However, will we be expecting long waiting times/problems at the Macedonia/Serbia border? There is also the refugee crisis there. We will be traversing that border by coach bus.
So to recap:
1. Problems entering Macedonia with a one-way ticket (EU citizens)?
2. Problems going from Macedonia to Serbia (EU citizens)?
We (me and a friend) will be traveling to SKP (Skopje, Macedonia) on a one-way ticket. The return travel will be from INI (Nis, Serbia). We will be traveling from Holland and are both Dutch (and thus EU) citizens.
I was wondering if we can expect any difficulty at immigration? I am not sure if I will be able to print the return boarding pass in time, and thus I would be unable to prove to immigration that I have a return journey booked. They might wonder how long we're going to be staying there... Should I print out the reservation just in case?
As far as I have checked, Macedonia requires no visa from Schengen. The same holds true for Serbia. However, will we be expecting long waiting times/problems at the Macedonia/Serbia border? There is also the refugee crisis there. We will be traversing that border by coach bus.
So to recap:
1. Problems entering Macedonia with a one-way ticket (EU citizens)?
2. Problems going from Macedonia to Serbia (EU citizens)?
#2
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,565
1. Not a problem at all, no need even to print a ticket or so. They won't ask you a thing, already the question "you are a tourist?" will be highly unusual from my experience.
(Plus, as a funny detail, the Macedonians still have fond memories of the 1980s when droves of Dutch tourists visited the country annually. If you are fond to read during your travels, read A. Den Doolaard's "De bruiloft der zeven zigeuners". This book from 1939 inspired thousands to travel to Macedonia before the wars in the 1990s halted tourism. There is even a statue of the guy in Ohrid!)
2. None whatsoever by public transport. They'll take the passports from each person in the bus, and after 5-10 minutes return it to the bus driver with a stamp in it. You won't even get off the bus. On a bus, the fastest it has taken for an entire bus to get across was 5 minutes - the slowest perhaps half an hour if there happens to be a queue of other buses.
Refugees are currently not allowed into Macedonia from Greece, so there is not so much of a crisis anymore with this inside the country. Those who might reach Macedonia, are more likely than not not to travel onwards to Serbia by train (or crossing illegally) - not by bus for sure. Anyway, should not be an issue at all during your travels.
(Plus, as a funny detail, the Macedonians still have fond memories of the 1980s when droves of Dutch tourists visited the country annually. If you are fond to read during your travels, read A. Den Doolaard's "De bruiloft der zeven zigeuners". This book from 1939 inspired thousands to travel to Macedonia before the wars in the 1990s halted tourism. There is even a statue of the guy in Ohrid!)
2. None whatsoever by public transport. They'll take the passports from each person in the bus, and after 5-10 minutes return it to the bus driver with a stamp in it. You won't even get off the bus. On a bus, the fastest it has taken for an entire bus to get across was 5 minutes - the slowest perhaps half an hour if there happens to be a queue of other buses.
Refugees are currently not allowed into Macedonia from Greece, so there is not so much of a crisis anymore with this inside the country. Those who might reach Macedonia, are more likely than not not to travel onwards to Serbia by train (or crossing illegally) - not by bus for sure. Anyway, should not be an issue at all during your travels.
Last edited by Romanianflyer; Jul 1, 2016 at 1:01 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,083
You don't even need a passport to enter Macedonia or Serbia, your national (EU) ID card is enough.
See here (don't let the title mislead)
http://www.mfa.gov.mk/index.php/en/f...n-visa-holders
and here
http://www.mfa.gov.rs/sr/index.php/2...-2013?lang=lat
See here (don't let the title mislead)
http://www.mfa.gov.mk/index.php/en/f...n-visa-holders
and here
http://www.mfa.gov.rs/sr/index.php/2...-2013?lang=lat