Winter Equipment Becomes Mandatory on November 15: How Much Tread Your Tires Need and When You Need Chains
From November 15 to March 15 all vehicles in traffic must carry the prescribed winter equipment: winter tires with at least 4 mm of tread, or summer tires with chains; stricter rules apply to 4x4 and heavy vehicles.
According to the Interior Ministry, from November 15 to March 15 all vehicles in public traffic must carry the prescribed winter equipment. For vehicles up to 3,500 kilograms there are two options: winter tires on all four wheels with at least 4 millimeters of tread, or summer tires on all four wheels with at least 4 millimeters of tread plus chains for the drive wheels (or another suitable aid).
For four-wheel-drive (4x4) vehicles: winter tires on all wheels with at least 6 millimeters of tread, or summer tires of 4 millimeters plus chains. Vehicles over 3,500 kilograms must have winter tires on the drive wheels with at least 6 millimeters of tread, summer tires of at least 4 millimeters on the other wheels, and chains or another aid. Buses and trucks that cannot fit chains should have winter tires on the drive wheels and a shovel.
Winter tires are recognized by the markings “MS,” “M+S,” “M & S” or by the snowflake-in-a-three-peak-mountain symbol on the sidewall. Studded tires are prohibited. The Interior Ministry page we checked does not list fines, so we do not state any — check them before you set off.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 13, 2026
