The church of Saint John at Kaneo on a cliff above the blue water of Lake Ohrid
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North Macedonia by campervan: safety and healthcare

Campervan safety in North Macedonia: vehicle security, healthcare, emergency contacts and practical prevention. What to know before you go.

Published 18 September 2026Last checked 19 September 2026

Safety and health

Safety and health

Attacks against foreign nationals are extremely rare in North Macedonia. That is the Foreign Office's assessment, and what it does flag is ordinary and avoidable: pickpocketing by groups of children and bag snatching in the main shopping and entertainment areas late at night, with foreign nationals apparently picked out. Organised crime groups are active, particularly in the north near the Kosovo border, and the occasional shooting is not aimed at visitors.

Dense conifer forest rising to a jagged limestone crest under a clear sky
In July and August, assume a forest track is closed until you have checked

What works

  • No fire and no barbecue outside a designated area, April to October, and check whether the forests are closed before you drive into one.
  • Ordinary precautions against pickpockets in Skopje and Ohrid, especially late at night.

Health and pharmacies

  • 112 for the emergency services, 194 for an ambulance, 192 for the police.
  • An аптека is the pharmacy and the first stop for anything minor.

The Foreign Office notes that the government commonly bans entry to forest and wilderness areas during the summer months when the risk of wildfires is highest, and names Public Enterprise National Forests as the body to ask about current closures. For a van that means the difference between a legal night and a severe fine can be a notice at a forest gate.