About the office

The Language Implementation Agency is established on March 13th, 2019 after adoption of the Law on the Use of Languages.

The mandate and the role of the Agency are sancitoned in the Article 19 of the Law on the Use of Languages:

• assist the implementation in practice of the Law on the Use of Languages in public institutions and enterprises and full compliance with legal provisions.
• Clarify, suggest, and instruct with competence in all necessary cases arising during its institutional use.
• Take care of the language spoken by at least 20% of the citizens (Albanian language).
• Promote the official use of the language as an elementary civil right by legal mechanisms and its professional potential.
• Raise public awareness for the language rights to support effective implementation of the Law on the Use of Languages.
• Ensure that all public institutions and enterprises comply with the written and oral communication.
• Support institutions in fulfilling their obligations under this law, including translation, and proofreading of documents.
• Proofread all acts published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia.
• Prepare reports to inform the Government in the implementation of its competences.
• Compile professional-analytical materials from its competences for the needs of the Government.
• Provide professional opinion on materials that are relevant to the implementation and promotion of the use of language spoken by at least 20% of the citizens.

Law on the Use of Languages originates from the Ohrid Framework Agreement signed on August 13th, 2001.

Key Information on the Language Situation in this Country/Region

The official language in North Macedonia is Macedonian language and its cyrilic alphabet.

Another official language in North macedonia is the language that is spoken by at least 20% of the citizens of North Macedonia (Albanian language) and its alphabet, as determined with the Law on the Use of Languages.

Turkish language has also the status of official language in three municipalities.

Roma language has the status of official language in one municipality. 

Education process in North Macedonia is conducted in several languages, like:

• Macedonian language
• Albanian language
• Serbian language
• Turkish language

It is mandatory for Turks, Serbians, Albanians to learn the Macedonian language, however Macedonians are not oblied to learn the language of other minorities.

Pupils are obliged to learn few foreign languages as well, like: English, French, German or Italian.