Do you need a visa to Montenegro?

Planning to visit Montenegro and asking yourself if you need a visa for Montenegro? Or are you looking to start a business or buy real estate and want to see what requirements you would need to fulfill to be able to stay in Montenegro?

In this guide, we are going to address Montenegro’s visa system, list various visa categories, and discuss the required documents for the application process.

Visa Policy Montenegro

source: Wikipedia

Looking at the map above, you can see that citizens from 97 countries (colored in blue) have visa-free access to Montenegro, most of them for 90 days over 180 days. Passport holders of the following six countries though have only a limited 30-day visa-free access:

• Belarus
• Cuba
• Ecuador
• Kosovo
• Peru
• Russia

In the following graphic, you can see the list of countries that can visit Montenegro with just a valid passport. All European Union citizens can enter with just their EU ID and stay for 30 days. The same goes for citizens of Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia, and Albania.

source: Wikipedia

Update: Visiting Montenegro during the summer season has become easier for citizens of Kazakhstan and Armenia for whom entering Montenegro is now possible without a visa from April 1st till October 31st for 30 days. 

Update 2: Saudi Arabian citizens do not need a visa if they visit from June 1st to September 30th (30 days).

Update 3: Egyptian nationals can stay in Montenegro for 30 days from July 19th to September 20th but only as part of an organized travel group.

Can you enter Montenegro with a US visa?

It is possible to travel to Montenegro for up to 30 days if you are either a permanent resident or have a valid visa from the following regions/countries:

1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Schengen Area

For example, if you have a multiple-entry Schengen visa and have stayed already 90 days in the Schengen area and then enter Montenegro, you can stay for another 30 days.

Citizens of which countries need a visa for Montenegro?

Citizens of the following countries need a visa for Montenegro:

• Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize,
• Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
• Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic,
• Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Republic of Congo, Djibouti,
• Dominican Republic, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, 
• Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
• Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Irak, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,
• Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon,
• Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali,
• Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, 
• Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria,
• Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
• Rwanda, Sao Tome, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, 
• Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,
• Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, 
• Tuvalu, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Montenegro visa requirements for US citizens

Citizens of the United States of America can enter and stay in Montenegro for 90 days before they need to exit the country or legally regulate their residency status. They need to make sure that their passport is valid for the entirety of the planned stay.

If you have a valid visa in your passport that is about to expire, do not remove it. Instead, take the expired passport and the new valid passport with you.

Diplomatic Passports

There are visa exemptions for nationals if they have a diplomatic passport from:

• Egypt
• Zimbabwe

Foreigners holding diplomatic or service passports from the following jurisdictions can also enter visa-free:

• Armenia, China, Guinea, Indonesia
• Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Morocco
• North Korea, Pakistan, Tajikistan, 
• Thailand, Vietnam

Their official passports are sufficient to enter Montenegro.

Types of Montenegro Visas

If your passport does not allow you to travel to Montenegro visa-free, you will have to apply for a visa already in advance. Montenegro has no ‘visa-on-arrival’ scheme. Your Montenegro visa application can be processed at the nearest Montenegrin embassy or consulate.

List of Montenegro embassies and consulates

• Argentina
• United States of America
• Azerbaijan
• China
• Turkey
• United Arab Emirates
• Albania
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bosnia
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Vatican
• Hungary
• Italy
• Kosovo
• North Macedonia
• Poland
• Romania
• Russia
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom

Montenegro has a bilateral agreement with Serbia to make use of their more extensive global net of embassies that will also provide consular services for Montenegro in case there is no Montenegrin embassy available.

Apply no sooner than three months in advance. Read below to find out which visa category (A, B, C, or D) suits your travel plans best.

As mentioned above, if you have other valid travel documents such as a valid Schengen Visa, you do not need to apply for a visa in Montenegro.

Info: You usually can not extend your visa in Montenegro. The authorities rarely make an exception and would extend only in case of very serious personal reasons.

Airport Transit Visa (A)

Foreign nationals arriving at an airport in Montenegro can receive an Airport Transit Visa (A) for their layover between two international flights. But it is not mandatory if they do not need to leave the international transit zone.

The airport transit visa is valid for a short stay of 15 days. However, a multiple exit/re-entry visa for a maximum period of three months is available on request at your nearest embassy.

Transit Visa (B)

You can get a transit visa type B for one, two, or – as an exception – multiple transits through Montenegro, with a validity period of up to 6 months. A transit visa lets you stay in Montenegro for up to 5 days on each journey. This transit visa can be individual or collective.

Montenegro Short Stay Visa (C)

The tourist visa, or ‘C Visa’ as it is sometimes called, is right for everyone who wants to either transit through or visit Montenegro as a tourist and stay for a period of up to 90 days.

The visa is usually issued for one entry but it is possible to also apply for multiple entries as well if the applicant shows close business or family ties in Montenegro. The validity period of this visa for multiple entries is up to one year.

Can you enter Schengen countries with a Montenegro visa?

You can not enter Schengen countries with a Montenegro visa. Montenegro is no official signatory to the Schengen agreement that would allow for borderless transit.

Be aware, there is some wrong information on other internet sites.

Montenegro Business Visa (D)

The type D business visa is intended for business people, entrepreneurs, and everyone who is sent on duty to international organizations, and diplomatic, or consular missions in Montenegro. The maximum allowed stay under this long-stay visa is six months in one year, counting from the date of first entry.

A long-stay visa is not sufficient if you plan to visit Montenegro for:

• medical treatment
• school or university
• international student exchanges
•  professional training and acquisition of practical skills and specialization
• research work
• humanitarian work
• religious work
• voluntary work
• employment
• family reunification

In these cases, you would need to apply for a residence permit. Montenegro has no specific immigrant visas.

How to apply for a Montenegro Visa

Visa applications should be filled out, signed, and submitted by the applicant himself/herself. In case the applicant is a minor, his/her parents or legal representatives should sign and submit the application in his/her name.

In addition to the visa application form, you need to submit the following supporting documents:

• one color photo 35×45 mm in size, preferably biometric on white background
• travel document validity exceeding the visa by three months
• copy of residence permit if you do not reside in the country of your citizenship, validity period exceeding the visa by three months
• proof of travel health insurance cover your entire stay in Montenegro
• return ticket (airplane or another mode of transportation prooving your intention to return to your home country when your visa expires
• for Visa A and B: proof of secured entry to the country of destination and supporting documents like hotel booking confirmations
• for Visa C and D: proof of the purpose of stay in Montenegro (letter of guarantee by a physical person or letter of invitation by a legal entity, state authority in Montenegro, or organizer of an international conference or event)
• for Visa C and D: proof of accommodation in Montenegro (paid booking confirmation from a hotel, apartment, or tourist arrangement)
• for Visa C and D: proof of sufficient financial means (cash, bank account statement, etc
• proof of payment of the visa fee: 35,00 Euros for Visa A, B, and C and 150,00 Euros for Visa D

Montenegro Visa Form

As you can see below in the visa form, you would first need to answer some generic questions about yourself:

• Name and Surname
• Father and Mother’s given names
• Place and date of birth
• Nationality at birth and the current one

The following fields on the form include questions about your:

• Sex and civil status
• Passport and ID card like document number and validity date
• Residency Status (question 16)

Fields 17 – 25 entail information about your:

• Occupation and employer
• Main travel destination
• Other visas in your passport
• Field 21 is only relevant if you apply for an (airport) transit visa
• Fields 22 – 25 ask about the desired visa type, number of planned entries, duration of stay, and the purpose of the journey

You are further being asked about:

• name of the natural or legal person you are visiting
• residential address where you will be staying in Montenegro
• who is paying for your travel costs and costs of living during your stay
• how you show proof of subsistence during your stay

Fields 30 to 32 ask you for the date of arrival and departure and means of transport.

The following questions are all about your spouse and children. I have omitted the last five fields because they only ask for your personal information and signature.

Processing Time

The usual processing time for a Montenegro short-stay visa or long-stay visa is two weeks. You can not apply online but must apply at the nearest Montenegro embassy or consulate to your residence. In some countries, the Serbian embassy is also responsible for Montenegro visa processing.

Obtaining a residence permit for Montenegro

Everybody who wants to stay longer than 90 days (30 days) should apply for a temporary residence permit thirty days before the 90-day period ends. The sooner the better. The most popular way to get a residence permit is by forming a company. An alternative is obtaining residency by buying property.

The first step in obtaining a temporary residence permit in Montenegro is to register with the tourist information within 24 hours of border crossing. If you stay in a hotel or private accommodation, your host should be able to assist with this. Once registered, you receive a receipt that is needed for the residence permit application.

Second, make sure that you fulfill the document requirements. Documents such as your criminal record certificate, Marriage certificate, and the Birth certificate must have an Apostille in the majority of cases. Only if the document was issued in one of the following countries, it requires no Apostille:

• Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Croatia, Iraq, Italy, Cyprus, Hungary, North Macedonia, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia

Further, foreigners should have a passport valid for at least 15 months. If the document expires sooner than that, the residency period will be shortened accordingly.

Please note that some embassies in Montenegro can not apostille these documents for you. It would thus be recommended that you prepare these documents before applying for your residence permits.

Note: A residence permit from Montenegro is NOT a valid travel document to enter other countries. 

How can I apply for Montenegro citizenship?

You need to wait at least ten years from getting your first temporary residence permit before being legally able to apply for Montenegro citizenship. During the first five years of temporary residency, you need to renew your residence permit annually. After five years of having a permanent residence permit, you can apply for citizenship.

Another option is the Montenegro Citizenship by Investment program which allows for a quick naturalization procedure in exchange for a donation and an investment in Montenegro. The program has been suspended as of December 2022. It is not clear whether it will be reinstated in a similar form at the moment of this writing.