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The Macedonian identity card (Macedonian: Лична карта) is a compulsory identity document issued in the Republic of Macedonia. The document is issued by the police on behalf of the Ministry of Interior.
Contents
Physical appearance
The Macedonian identity card is plastic ID-1-(bankcard) format. The left side shows a photograph of the face the bearer. On the top left corner of the front, the name Република Македонија (Macedonian)/Republic of Macedonia (English) in capitals, and below it the word Личната карта/Identity card is shown. The flag of Republic of Macedonia and the coat of arms are also displayed on the identity card. Every person over 18 is required to obtain an identity card.
Printed data
The descriptions of the fields are printed in Macedonian and English.
International travel
The card can be used for traveling to and staying in countries that have special agreements with Macedonian Government without the need for a passport:
History
In the late 19th-early 20th century, when Macedonia was still part of the Ottoman Empire, the residents of the region, like other Ottoman citizens, were required to hold Ottoman identity cards. The cards were known in Turkish as nüfus tezkeresi., or in Macedonian as nofuz (Macedonian or Bulgarian: нофуз). The importance of these cards is attested, for example, by Krste Misirkov's demand that the ethnicity of Macedonian Slavs be identified on these cards as "Macedonian".