Employer of record · Balkans

Hire in the Balkans
without opening
a company

We employ your people in North Macedonia and Kosovo — contract, payroll, contributions and filings — and you direct the work. Engineers, sales, support and back office, on CET, in English, at a fraction of a US or Western European desk.

Talk to usSee what it costs

Direct employment in North Macedonia and Kosovo. Elsewhere in the region on request.

CETFull overlap with Europe, 3–4 hours with the US East Coast
C1 EnglishStandard for professional roles in Skopje and Pristina
2–3 weeksFrom brief to a shortlist of three to five
What we run

Everything between a signed offer and a working desk.

01Employer of RecordEmployer of Record across the Balkans — we hold the local employment contract so you can hire compliantly without setting up a subsidiary.
02RecruitmentWe source, screen, and shortlist Balkan candidates so you only spend time on the final 3–5 — and you can hire them via our EOR or your own entity.
03PayrollOutsourced payroll for companies with employees in one or more Balkan countries — gross-to-net, statutory filings, payslips, all in one monthly run.
04Office SpaceManaged offices in Skopje, Pristina, and Tirana — desks, fast internet, kitchen, meeting rooms, parking, all-inclusive. Your team walks in on day one and just works.
05IT EquipmentWe spec, source, ship, configure, manage, and retrieve IT equipment for your Balkan team — so a new hire opens their laptop on day one and starts working.
Where we employ

Two countries we run payroll in ourselves.

North Macedonia

Skopje and Bitola. EUR-pegged denar, 28% employer-side contributions, flat 10% income tax.

Employment, payroll and holidays in North Macedonia →

Kosovo

Pristina. Euro economy, 5% employer pension contribution, progressive income tax to 10%.

Employment, payroll and holidays in Kosovo →

How it works

Four steps, and one invoice a month.

01Scope the roleJob description, seniority, time-zone overlap and budget. Usually one call.
02Shortlist in 2–3 weeksWe source and screen; you interview a final three to five, not fifty.
03We employ, you directMerot holds the local contract, payroll and compliance. The person works to you.
04Payroll runs monthlyGross-to-net, contributions and filings in country, on the same schedule every month.
Questions

What buyers ask first.

What is an employer of record?

We are the legal employer in the country where your hire lives. We hold the contract, run payroll, pay contributions and file with the tax authority. You direct the work day to day. It lets you hire without registering a company abroad.

EOR or a contractor agreement?

A contractor is faster to start and cheaper on paper, but if the person works set hours under your direction, most Balkan labour inspectorates will treat the arrangement as employment — with back contributions and penalties. EOR removes that exposure.

How long does it take to hire?

Two to three weeks to a shortlist for most roles, longer for senior engineering. Once you choose someone, the contract and onboarding take a few days.

Why the Balkans rather than further east?

Time zone. Skopje and Pristina are CET, so you get a full working day with Western Europe and a three-to-four hour overlap with the US East Coast. English is widely spoken at C1, and salaries are materially below both Western Europe and Poland or Czechia.

Which countries can you hire in?

We employ directly in North Macedonia and Kosovo. We can usually arrange hires elsewhere in the region on request — ask us.

What does it cost?

A monthly fee per employee on top of the local salary and contributions, quoted on the role and country. Salary, contributions and our fee are itemised on one invoice.

Tell us the role, we will tell you the cost

Talk to usinfo@merot.com