Hiring for Motorway & Energy Projects in North Macedonia | Guide
If you are working on a motorway package or an energy build-out in North Macedonia, you already know the real pressure point is not only materials or equipment. It is people.
The right crew, in the correct numbers, arriving on time, and staying steady through every project phase.
And demand is not slowing down. On the transport side, Corridor VIII work keeps moving, including the opening of the Kriva Palanka–Dlabochica–Stracin expressway on 4 January 2025. On the energy side, North Macedonia has seen major renewable announcements, including Alcazar Energy Partners’ plan to develop a large Shtip wind farm project backed by a $500 million investment, with construction expected to begin in the second half of 2025.
Put those together, and you get a simple reality: North Macedonia foreign workers are becoming a practical requirement for many contractors, EPCs, and subcontractors when local hiring cannot scale fast enough.
Why motorway and energy projects feel shortages first
These projects share a few traits that make staffing problems show up early:
- They are milestone-driven and time-bound
- Workloads spike in waves, not in a smooth line
- Missing one trade can block multiple downstream activities
- Delays cost money quickly, sometimes daily
This is why early foreign hiring is not “extra admin.” It is project protection.
Build your manpower plan like a schedule, not a wish list
Before permits, portals, and paperwork, get the manpower plan right. A simple model that works well for motorway and energy builds is to plan staffing as three mobilisation waves:
Wave 1: Early works and mobilisation
General labour, operators, site support, logistics, traffic management, and basic groundwork crews.
Wave 2: Core build
Civil crews, steel fixers, shuttering carpenters, welders, electricians, mechanical teams, and heavy equipment support.
Wave 3: Finishing, testing, and handover
Finishing trades, QA support, commissioning support, maintenance readiness, and punch-list crews.
If you only start foreign hiring once Wave 2 is already under pressure, you usually pay for it through overtime, churn, and missed dates.
Compliance in plain language: what must be true before someone works
North Macedonia’s framework is clear on one core point: a foreign worker needs a lawful basis to live and work in the country.
Official guidance explains that employers should think in terms of two core permissions: a work permit and a residence permit (temporary residence for work). The long-stay visa route is also tied to this flow, since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that a long-stay visa is typically issued after a decision granting temporary residence by the Ministry of Interior.
From an employer’s point of view, a clean process usually looks like this:
- Confirm roles, headcount, and start dates by project phase
- Align contracts and job scope with the actual site role
- Prepare the required documentation for work and temporary residence steps
- Account for Employment Agency involvement, including opinions and quota considerations in relevant cases.
- Mobilise only when approvals and onboarding readiness are in place
Trying to do “start working first, fix paperwork later” is where risk goes up.
Where motorway projects usually lose time
Role mismatch
If job titles, duties, and submitted documents do not match reality, approvals and inspections become messy. Keep the paperwork aligned with what the person will actually do on-site.
Late mobilisation planning
Motorway work needs staggered arrival. If 40 or 50 workers arrive together without housing, transport, shift plans, and site onboarding, productivity drops and early exits rise.
Unclear subcontractor responsibility
On big packages, multiple subcontractors are involved. Someone must own compliance steps, accommodation standards, and onboarding control. If “everyone owns it,” no one does.
Energy builds: continuity matters even more than headcount
Renewables and grid-related work live and die on continuity. Commissioning schedules are tight, sequences are specialist-led, and you cannot compress everything at the end.
With large projects like the Shtip wind farm moving toward construction timelines, contractors will feel pressure to lock stable teams early, not just “fill gaps.”
For energy projects, foreign hiring works best when you prioritise:
- Stable crews over short-term fillers
- Clean documentation from day one
- Strong onboarding so workers stay through commissioning and handover
How Oman Agencies supports hiring for North Macedonia projects
International hiring only helps if it holds up under real site pressure. Oman Agencies supports employers by:
- Sourcing and screening foreign workers aligned with site requirements
- Building a phased mobilisation plan so crews arrive when the schedule needs them
- Coordinating documentation in a structured way to reduce back-and-forth
- Supporting onboarding readiness so productivity starts faster on-site
Quick checklist before you begin foreign hiring
- Confirm project phases and manpower waves
- Freeze job roles and trade requirements early
- Prepare housing, transport, and onboarding before arrival
- Ensure the legal route is clear for work and temporary residence steps
- Keep a buffer in the timeline for approvals and corrections
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it legal to hire foreign workers in North Macedonia for construction and energy projects?
Yes, when employers follow the required steps for work authorisation and temporary residence. - Do employers need to consider quotas or labour market checks?
Employment Agency opinions and quota considerations can apply depending on the route and case type, so employers should plan for that step early. - Why do motorway and energy projects often use foreign manpower?
These projects are phase-based and deadline-driven. When local supply cannot scale quickly enough, international hiring helps meet milestones and keeps crews stable. - What is the biggest mistake employers make?
Starting late. Most project issues happen when mobilisation and compliance steps are pushed too close to the planned start date.
Final thoughts
Motorway and energy projects in North Macedonia are moving forward, which means workforce demand will stay high. If you want to protect timelines, you need a phased, compliant, predictable hiring plan.
If you are exploring how to hire foreign workers in North Macedonia for motorway or energy work, Oman Agencies can help structure the end-to-end recruitment and mobilisation journey so your teams arrive ready, and your project stays on schedule.
