Travelling soon and looking for best ATMs in North Macedonia that work well with foreign debit/credit cards and dont charge crazy fees. Any recos will be highly appreciated.
Not every ATM in North Macedonia is cheap to use. My HSBC debit card was hit with a MKD 400 fee at Halkbank for withdrawing just MKD 15,000. Some independent ATMs in tourist areas also tried to push dynamic currency conversion to GBP or EUR at terrible rates. Machines sometimes rejected foreign cards outright. Best advice: stick with Komercijalna or NLB Banka, withdraw larger sums at once to reduce fees, and always choose “MKD” when asked to avoid hidden exchange losses.
I had no issues withdrawing cash in Skopje. My Monzo Mastercard worked perfectly at NLB Banka ATMs, letting me withdraw MKD 20,000 in one go for about MKD 280 fee. Komercijalna Banka also worked smoothly with my Revolut Visa. I only needed cash for markets, taxis, and small restaurants, as larger hotels and tourist spots accepted cards. The ATMs had clear English instructions, and I felt safer withdrawing inside shopping malls. North Macedonia was easier for cash access than I expected.
In North Macedonia, Komercijalna Banka, NLB Banka, and Halkbank are the most reliable ATMs for foreign cards. I used my Wise Visa at Komercijalna Banka in Skopje and withdrew MKD 20,000 (~€325) with a fee of MKD 300. NLB ATMs allowed similar withdrawals with my Revolut Mastercard. Halkbank worked fine with my Monzo Visa but sometimes capped me at MKD 15,000. ATMs are widely available in Skopje and Ohrid, though rural towns have fewer machines, so withdraw in advance if heading out.
Halk Bank ATM at North Macedonia bus terminal charged me a 200 MKD fee using my Mastercard. Not the cheapest, but it worked.