Fintech & digital payments rules in North Macedonia (2026)

The Law on Payment Services and Payment Systems (Official Gazette No. 90, 12 April 2022) entered into application on 1 January 2023. It is the central statute governing licensing, supervision, and conduct of payment and e-money services, harmonised with EU PSD2 (2015/2366/EC), EMD2, PAD, SFD, and IFR.

The NBRM Governor issues licences to banks, savings houses, payment institutions, and e-money institutions. Non-bank payment institutions and e-money institutions may now enter the market with an NBRM licence, directly competing with banks for defined payment services.

The 2022 law introduces payment initiation services (PIS) and account information services (AIS) — the two open-banking service categories from PSD2 — as regulated activities requiring NBRM authorisation. A single register of accounts, to be hosted by the Central Register of North Macedonia, is mandated by 1 December 2026.

The European Payments Council approved North Macedonia's accession to SEPA payment schemes on 6 March 2025; full implementation took effect on 7 October 2025, making North Macedonia the 39th SEPA participant. This enables euro credit transfers and direct debits under the same conditions as EU member states.

The NBRM operates an Innovation Gateway (launched 2019), a structured communication platform providing non-binding regulatory guidance to fintech companies. It facilitates pre-licensing dialogue and promotes regulatory clarity without constituting a formal sandbox.

No standalone BNPL-specific regulation has been identified in North Macedonia as of mid-2026. BNPL products are likely captured under existing consumer credit and payment services law. North Macedonia has not yet confirmed transposition of the EU's revised Consumer Credit Directive (CCD2), which would bring BNPL explicitly within scope.