Work Visa Montenegro

Foreigners who wish to come to Montenegro to work, must first be granted permission by the government to be legally employed there; the upper age limit is 67 years. Work visas are issued by the local branch of the immigration office (Montenegrin: MUP) where the employer is located.

The most common work visa is issued in the form of the ‘1-year temporary work and residence permit’, guaranteeing non-Montenegrin workers the same labor rights and benefits as local employees. To work in Montenegro in seasonal employment for a maximum of 6 months in a row, you can alternatively apply for the seasonal work visa.

Table of Contents

The Process

EU citizens, as well as citizens of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, do not need to apply for temporary work and residence permits to live or work in Montenegro. Instead, they can obtain a residency certificate (‘potvrda o prijavi boravka’) from their local immigration office.

Non-EU citizens who possess a passport that allows them to enter Montenegro visa-free, start their work and residency application upon their arrival. The first step is registering in one of the Tourist Info Centers within 48 hours of crossing the border. Employers are responsible for providing the draft of the employment contract which clearly defines the employee’s position and responsibilities.

For everyone needing a visa for entering Montenegro, the process to obtain a work and residence permit in Montenegro involves submitting a visa application (Visa Type D) to Montenegro’s embassy or consulate abroad while providing various documents confirming their eligibility.

The employer sponsors the visa by confirming the job offer and attaching an invitation letter. Once the employee receives his/her visa approval, he must travel to Montenegro and submit the residency application within 10 days of receiving the visa. Here is a step-by-step overview of the process:

Secure a job offer in Montenegro
Check whether you must first apply for a visa before entering Montenegro; in case you do, make an appointment for a visa interview
Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your period of stay in Montenegro and contain two blank pages (in case you need a visa)
Obtain the required documents according to the list below
Find a place to stay and sign a rental agreement
Apply for the temporary work and residency permit at the local branch of the Ministry of Interior Affairs (Montenegrin: MUP)
Collect your residency ID – typically within two weeks

Info: Be aware that your work visa is only valid for specific jobs with specific employers, as indicated on the back of your residency ID. If you change job, you must get a new work visa.

When your residency ID card is ready (usually after 14 days), you need to collect it from the local immigration office where the application was made. Bear in mind that you can also sign a power of attorney to someone else (usually your employer or an agency), allowing another person to collect the permit in your name.

Shorter processing times for complete applications

For the Montenegrin Immigration Office to make a timely decision about your application, please enclose all the required documents at once. This will shorten the processing time significantly compared to when documents are added afterwards in the process.

Required Documents

Foreign citizens wishing to work in Montenegro must meet various requirements and their application form must be accompanied by supporting documentation and meet the following requirements:

Proof of accommodation: notarized rental agreement
Travel Health Insurance issued by a Montenegro-based insurer
Police Certificate from country of citizenship (not older than 6 months, apostilled)

Those applying to work in specialty occupations must be able to prove their qualifications by providing a school diploma plus transcripts, which also needs to be nostrified (recognized) by Montenegro’s Ministry of Education.

Family Reunification

Your immediate family members such as your spouse and dependent children under the age of 18 can accompany you to Montenegro and obtain a temporary residence permit for the same time period as well. Your spouse and his/her biological and adopted children are counted as family members as well.

Other relatives can be granted a residence permit on the basis on humanitarian and compassionate grounds with the condition that they are financially supported by you or your partner. You need to enclose the following documents with your application:

marriage certificate (extract not older than 6 months, apostilled)
birth certificate for each child (extract not older than 6 months, apostilled)
spouse’s criminal background check (not older than 6 months, apostilled)
written and notarized consent from the other legal guardian that the child may move to Montenegro, if the other parent is not moving with them to Montenegro
court decision in case of sole custody or death certificate if the other parent has died
adoption documents in case of adoption

Renewals & Stay Requirements

You must renew your and your dependant’s work and residency permits once a year, 30 days prior to expiry. It is important to note that permits will not be renewed if you have been outside Montenegro for more than 30 days (90 days on request) during that time.

Should that be the case, you would need to provide all the above-mentioned, required documents and apply from the beginning. In case of termination of employment (voluntary or involuntary), the residency ID must be returned to the immigration office within eight days.

Please also consider

Permanent Residency in Montenegro is not granted to regular employees – only to company directors and property owners

Taxation

Foreigh salaried employees in Montenegro are subject to salary taxes and social contributions, which employers must withhold from workers’ wages and transfer to the government at the end of each month. The personal income tax is progressive, with tax brackets ranging from 9% to 15% and a standard personal allowance of 700,00€ on which no taxes are levied.

Salary Taxes

Read more about salary taxes in Montenegro, and what percentage of your gross wage you will be able to keep after deducting all monthly taxes.

Medical Care and Social Security

Upon 24 hours or receiving your work and temporary residence permit, your employer is obliged to register you with your Unique Master Citizen Number (on the backside of the residency ID) in Montegro’s public healthcare and social security system.

Part of your monthly gross salary goes towards social security contributions, entitling you to receive disability benefits in case of a work-related accident that prevents or limits your ability to work (f.e. blindness), as well as pension benefits after 15 years of employment in Montenegro.

Your dependants, i.e. your partner and children, are eligible to be added to your public health insurance coverage, meaning that they will also be properly be insured for all medical and surgical expenses incurred during their stay in Montenegro.

Seasonal Work

If you wish to carry out seasonal work in Montenegro, you may be granted a seasonal work permit instead of the regular work and residence permit. You can work in seasonal employment for particular jobs that are temporary in nature such as in hotels and restaurants during the summer season.

As a sesonal worker, you are typically not allowed to work for more than six months within a rolling 12-month period. However, if the particular job does require it, you may extend your stay for another 2 months. Holders of the seasonal work permit are not entitled to family reunification, meaning that their families cannot join them in Montenegro.