Family Reunification Residency in Montenegro
Montenegro’s dolce vita, natural beauty, and cultural richness are attracting more and more expats, retirees, and digital nomads looking for a new affordable home in the heart of Europe. Fortunately, its citizens and holders of a temporary or permanent residence permit are eligible to sponsor their spouses and dependent children so that they can join them in their new Montenegro adventure.
Your family members require a residence permit if they wish to stay for more than three months in Montenegro. The residency for family reunification is typically issued for 12 months and can be renewed indefinitely for as long as the main applicant (sponsor) fulfills the immigration requirements for legally staying in Montenegro.
Who is considered a Family Member?
A temporary residency based on family reunification can be issued to foreign nationals who constitute immediate family to the main applicant, including their:
- spouse (husband, wife)
- registered partnership
- minor children (under the age of 18), including adopted and step children
- the adoptive or biological parent of the minor children (in case of no marriage)
For other family members, such as parents, siblings, and other near relatives, obtaining a residence permit based on family reunification in Montenegro is generally not possible. Digital Nomad residence permit holders are also entitled to family reunification.
The Requirements
Your immediate family members – spouse and/or underage children – must meet certain eligibility criteria and requirements to be granted a residence permit in Montenegro, which include:
- Valid Travel Document: Passport or ID card with at least 15 months of validity (in case you want to apply for a 1-year residency)
- Marriage Certificate: Recent extract from the register, issued within the last 6 months & apostilled (Note: An Apostille is not needed for all countries)
- Birth Certificate: Recent extract issued within the last 6 months & apostilled (Note: An Apostille is not needed for all countries)
- Adoption Papers: In case of adopted underage children
- Proof of Accommodation: Notarized rental contract covering the period of residency, or proof of property ownership (issued within the last month).
- Copy of the sponsor’s residency ID
- Criminal Background Check: Required for spouses and 16+ aged children, issued within the last 6 months & apostilled (Note: An Apostille is not needed for all countries)
- Proof of Subsistence: Either 3.650,00€ in a Montenegrin bank account, pay slips, or sponsor’s Montenegrin employment contract
- Travel Insurance: 30-day policy with a Montenegro-based insurer
In short, as the sponsor, you must demonstrate that you have sufficient, regular income and other resources to support your family, and provide appropriately sized accommodation for your new life in Montenegro. Bear in mind that both parents must either be physically present or provide written consent for each other on the day their dependent children submit the residency application.
Spouses of Montenegrin citizens and permanent residency holders can start working immediately upon obtaining residency. In contrast, if the sponsors hold only a temporary residence permit in Montenegro, their spouses must wait until the second year before they are allowed to start working.
Residency Renewals
Immediate family members can renew their residence permits for as long as their sponsor remains a legal resident of Montenegro, and also in the following cases:
- If the sponsor, who is a Montenegrin citizen, passes away.
- If the marriage to the sponsor (spouse) has lasted at least three years in Montenegro.
- Minor children who have been temporary residents of Montenegro for at least three years under family reunification can renew their residence permit upon turning 18.
- A sponsored family member who becomes a victim of domestic abuse can renew their residence permit, regardless of how long they have been a temporary resident in Montenegro.
Your Path to Permanent Residency
Transitioning from a temporary residence permit to permanent residency in Montenegro is a meaningful step in your immigration journey. The family-based option does not differ much from other available pathways to permanent residency when it comes to eligibility criteria:
- You must have held a valid temporary residence permit and lived in Montenegro for at least five years.
- Of those five years, you must not have spent more than 10 months outside Montenegro in total, or more than six consecutive months abroad.
- You must demonstrate Montenegrin language ability (A2: basic proficiency). This requirement does not apply to children under 14 or retirees over 65.
- Children can be granted permanent residency if either at least one of their parents has Montenegrin citizenship, both parents have permanent residency in Montenegro, or one parent has permanent residency while the other is deceased or unknown
Permanent residency applications are typically processed within 6 months. A permanent residency ID in Montenegro is valid for 5 years and can be renewed indefinitely. However, children under the age of four must renew their residency permit every two years until they reach four.
Book Your 15-Minute Intro Call
Get in touch with our team; we can guide you through the family reunification visa process and answer all your questions before you start your application.”
