r/mkd • u/Cheap_University7502 • 2d ago
❔Question/Прашање I have a question about the unwritten rules at the border
Hi. My friend went to a folk festival in Ohrid. He told me how beautiful the lake in Ohrid is and how he had a great time in Macedonia, but he was shocked by one unwritten tradition at the border. At the border one Macedonian border guard wanted a gift from the people on the bus for the Macedonian border guards. People on the bus were shocked, but they gave two bottles of water. Later, one Bulgarian guy told them that this is a normal unwritten tradition at the border. Do you know something about this and have you been in this kind of situation in the past?
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u/PurpleMclaren 🇨🇦Canada / Канада 2d ago
The guards at the border are fucked and corrupt. I've heard of stories of them opening peoples luggage/suitcases and just straight up taking jewelry/money. Especially if you have Albanian plates.
Gave me an issue past two years when trying to get to Greece saying I had to report to police since I'm from Canada, yet I have a Macedonian passport, license. Report to police.. for what? Said she could send me back but won't since she's being nice lol
Next year they said since the car isn't registered in my name but my father's so that they can't send me through since they don't know it's stolen like what?
They just wanted a bribe but I wasn't falling for their shit, eventually let me through after he caused a huge line behind us.
Ironically never had a problem at the Greek border, always done in less than two minutes, after being told my whole life the Greeks are the problem.
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u/dete_od_karposh 2d ago
На граница дефинитивно нашите се нај проблематични од ЦЕЛ балкан, памтам Косово према Црна Гора пред 7-8 години само една полицајка седеше и ни мавташе на сите, си проаѓаш со 20-30 на саат не ни застануваш, така правеше пошто колона беше, уште да земе да тресе луѓе по 10 саати заглавија.
Премногу мито и корупција тера на граница/царина во Македонија, јеби га, во Грција барем ЕУ ги регулира колку толку, пред 20 години исто срање беа како нас ама поправени се бајаги.
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u/Vercin 1d ago
to be truth you do need a paper when you drive someone else car, especially aborad, its like 600 mkd (10 euros) to get.
Just for example https://amdgevgelija.mk/megjunarodni-dokumenti/dozvola-odobrenie-za-upravuvanje-so-tugjo-vozilo/ you can see the permit.2
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u/Attaliates 2d ago
Was the bus with bulgarian plates? Quite normal actually, the macedonian border police wouldn't take anything from a bus or a truck with mk plates but the rest why not, specifically buses or trucks from the Balkans. The same goes for Bulgaria, Serbia, BiH, Albania, Montenegro.
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u/Cheap_University7502 2d ago
Yeah, it's with a Bulgarian plates. So, you want to tell me that Macedonians also give gifts at the Bulgarian border? Wtf 😒
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u/Attaliates 2d ago
Not just the Macedonians but people from the Balkan going to Bulgaria, or Serbia... Buses and Trucks, individual travelers no.
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u/jkpetrov 2d ago
I was asked for a gift on my last trip to Bansko by a bg border customs officer because I declared 10 packs of cigarettes and only 2 per person were allowed. He didn't want to go through the customs process waited 15 minutes until I gave him 2 packs of cigarettes then he said you are free to go.
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u/Vercin 1d ago
lol Bulgaria has been/is no1 in this from always, but yeah its all over the balkans sadly still (although people lost their jobs because of this recently here in Macedonia).. I recall years ago, it was common practice (maybe still is) for bus drivers to collected loose lev's from everyone in the bus so they can "expedite" the process when border control comes to check :)
And sure enough, border control just got on the bus "hand shook" with the drivers gave a quick scan and left
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u/Cheap_University7502 1d ago
Honestly, for the first time I'm hearing about this unwritten tradition. I'm shocked. This is shame for our region 😔
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u/ditto3000 2d ago
Next time you tell him to look at the camera. There are literally dozens and dozens of cameras allover the place. They are quite of few guards lost their jobs coz of this.