TAV Macedonia and Zan Mitrev Clinic with solution to the new travel restrictions: Rapid antigen tests at Skopje International Airport

January 27, 2021

In order to respond to the latest travel restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 by EU/ Schengen countries, TAV Macedonia together with Zan Mitrev Laboratory for Genetics created a solution for rapid antigen tests performed shortly before the passenger gets onboard.

Starting from Sunday, January 24, Zan Mitrev Clinic ambulance testing vehicle is deployed in front of the terminal building of Skopje International Airport, near the only open entrance for passengers “Departures C”, where passengers can perform the required rapid antigen test and obtain the result within 15 to 20 minutes of sampling.

The medical testing vehicle of “Zan Mitrev” Laboratory for Genetics and Personalized Medicine and the Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, will be present at Skopje International Airport every day when there are flights to countries that require rapid antigen test, four hours before take-off time to each of the destinations.

The aim is to provide an option for our passengers going to destinations in Netherlands, Germany and United Kingdom, so that they have enough time to perform a rapid antigen test before entering the airport building and starting the airport procedures, if they have not already taken the test before their arrival at the airport.

For more details about the test itself, we kindly advise passengers to contact the laboratory “Zan Mitrev” on +389 2 3091484  and https://zmc.mk/en/services/microbiological-laboratory/ . While for detailed information about the tests accepted by the countries of EU / Schengen, we urge passengers to contact their airline and the Embassy of the country of their arrival.

If passengers decide to perform a rapid antigen test at Skopje International Airport, in order not to create congestion in front of the airport building, we urge them to arrive at the Airport at least 4 hours before departure time.

As we have previously informed, Netherlands is requesting a mandatory negative rapid antigen test not older than 4 hours prior boarding, additionally to their request for a mandatory negative PCR test.

Germany requires a negative rapid antigen test approved by WHO not older than 48 hours, but they also accept PCR, or LAMP, or TMA tests.

The UK requires a negative antigen test not older than 72 hours, but they also accept PCR or LAMP tests.

At the moment, only the rapid antigen test approved by WHO can be performed at Skopje Airport through the services of Zan Mitrev Clinic. For all other COVID-19 tests, we urge passengers to perform it in an authorized hospital\laboratory prior they arrive at the airport.

Given that the EU/Schengen countries are constantly changing the travel rules related to COVID-19 and each country independently makes changes in terms of restrictions for the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, we appeal to travelers before leaving for their trip, to check the latest requests with their airline and the Embassy of the country they plan to arrive.

Skopje, January 26^th 2021