National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia expects most banks to finalise SEPA credit transfer onboarding by 22 August 2025 for October 2025 launch

The National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia has published a status update on commercial banks’ preparations to join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Credit Transfer scheme, concluding that most banks are expected to complete the required application and technical steps by 22 August 2025. This would allow the first cross-border euro transactions under SEPA to begin in early October 2025, the earliest joining date set by the European Payments Council (EPC) for payment service providers from North Macedonia. All 12 commercial banks are working on the applications and technical solutions needed for SEPA participation. One systemically important bank has already submitted its application to the EPC, while nine banks have selected a foreign bank through which they will execute payments, which is a prerequisite for submitting an application; the remaining banks are completing these steps. The update reflects discussions between the central bank and the Macedonian Banking Association in the National Council for Payment Systems, chaired by Vice Governor Emilija Nacevska, which will continue supporting banks in resolving open issues for effective integration into SEPA schemes. The EPC accepted North Macedonia’s application on 6 March 2025, making the country a SEPA member and enabling domestic banks to join the euro payment schemes across SEPA’s 40 member countries. The National Bank, which leads the country’s SEPA membership activities, indicated it will continue to inform the public on progress.