Montenegro

Montenegro is a republic in Southeastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea coast. Its neighbors are Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania. On June 3, 2006, the Republic became independent. Previously, since 1920, it was part of the Federal Yugoslavia.

Montenegro is one of the smallest countries in Europe. The population is 616,000, and the area is 13,812 km². The capital and most populous city is Podgorica, while Nikšić is the second-largest city. The country is divided into 21 municipalities, grouped into five regions.

The Republic is a member of the United Nations, WTO, OSCE, Council of Europe, and NATO. It is also a candidate for EU membership and uses the euro as its currency. The political system is a parliamentary democratic republic.

Visa to Montenegro

Due to the fact that Montenegro is not yet a member of the EU, it is quite easy to get there today.

If you want to stay in the country for a long time and not travel monthly to reset your stay, you will still have to apply for a visa.

The main types of visas in Montenegro:

1. Student visa — students can not only live in the country for the entire duration of their studies, but also work, although not full-time.
2. Working — a work permit is issued for employees of local companies, and then immediately a residence permit (boravok). It is only important to find an employer first.
3. Business card is issued when registering a business in the country. The government is very interested in developing the economy through external investments, therefore, it initiates tax incentives and other bonuses for foreign entrepreneurs."Gold" — it can be obtained by investing in the country's economy from 250,000 euros. Such a visa replaces a residence permit and allows you to live and work freely in Montenegro.

Read about how to get a long-term visa to Montenegro on our website. We talked in detail about the types of visas and the documents for obtaining them in a separate article.

Residence permit of Montenegro

Many relocators moved to Montenegro, because there is a simple visa, amazing nature, warm climate and a quiet life. In general, paradise on earth. Someone enjoys a break by the sea and goes on to build a career in larger countries and with more developed economies. Others fall in love with the country and decide to stay. The first step on the path to citizenship is always a residence permit.

Here are some basic ways to get it:

1. Study — a residence permit is issued for 1 year and then it needs to be extended annually, depending on the duration of study.
2. Work — the maximum period of such a residence permit is 3 years, then it must be extended.
3. Marriage with a citizen is a justification for issuing a residence permit for a year with the possibility of then obtaining citizenship. It is important that at the time of registration you do not have other valid residence permits.
4. Family reunification is possible for close relatives, such as children, parents, and spouses of residents of the country.
5. The main advantage of this justification is that the law does not specify a minimum threshold for the value of a real estate object. You can buy even the smallest apartment and get a residence permit.
6. Digital nomadism — residence permit for financially independent foreigners and digital nomads will be issued immediately for 2 years. At the same time, you can not just live in the country permanently, but also not pay taxes here.

Passport of Montenegro

Montenegro's passport is ranked 35th in the "passport power" ranking, allowing free entry into 128 countries around the world. In 2024, he shares this term with Northern Macedonia. When the country joins the EU, the number of countries will expand significantly, but so far this has not happened. According to the forecasts of the European Union itself, Montenegro's accession may take place as early as 2028, but for this the country must fulfill a number of conditions.

Today, with a Montenegrin passport, you can freely enter many European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece and many others, but your stay is mainly limited to 90 days. You can also travel freely to the Seychelles, South Korea, Sri Lanka and other countries.

This is important

You will definitely have to get a visa to Australia, Canada, the USA, Great Britain, China, El Salvador, Grenada, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and a number of other countries.

You will learn more about the possibilities and limitations of a Montenegrin passport by reading our article. They also talked about all the ways to get a passport.

Citizenship of Montenegro

For those whose parents were citizens of Montenegro, there are several options for obtaining citizenship.

Who can apply for citizenship of Montenegro:

1. Foreigners who have been living in the country for a long time — for those who have been legally living in Montenegro for more than 10 years, the naturalization procedure is available. Strangely enough, Montenegro has one of the strictest requirements for the time spent in the country in all of Europe.
2. Montenegrin spouses have the right to obtain citizenship after only 5 years of living in the country
3. Refugees — if you apply for asylum on the basis of family violence, persecution, human trafficking and for a number of other reasons, you can get a long-term permit to live in the country, and after 10 years apply for citizenship.

Climate Conditions

Montenegro’s climate directly depends on the geographical location of the area. The coastal zone has a Mediterranean climate, while the rest of the territory has a continental climate due to the Dinaric Alps, which block maritime influence inland. Summers are long and dry, whereas winters are usually wet and short. The mountainous areas have an alpine climate, allowing for heavy snowfall, covering the main peaks with snow for most of the year.

Despite the dry and hot summer, the temperature is comfortable – generally not exceeding +29°C (June-July period). The average minimum temperature in summer is +19°C. The absolute maximum can sometimes reach 40°C.

The average winter temperature on the coast is +11°C. In the mountainous areas, the temperature can drop to -9°C. Snow in the highlands lasts from November to March. January’s average temperatures are around 5°C, with an absolute minimum of -10°C.

In the high mountainous areas, the climate is subalpine. Here, winters are cold with heavy precipitation and moderately warm summers. In January, the mountains' average temperature is -3°C. The Montenegrin mountains receive the highest precipitation in Europe, up to 4928 mm annually. In the northern regions and especially in the highlands, due to low evaporation, snow lasts several months or even the whole year.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, the population of the Republic is 620,029, corresponding to a population density of 44.7 people per km². On average, the population decreases by 0.1% per year due to rising mortality rates. The birth rate is 11.4 per 1,000 residents, and the death rate is 11.7 per 1,000 residents. The number of births per woman in 2023 is 1.8.

The life expectancy of Montenegrin residents is 75.9 years (women 78.8 years, men 73.2 years). The average age of the population is 38.8 years. 18.2% of the population is younger than 15 years old, and 16% are over 64 years old.

The population of Montenegro, like many Southeastern European countries, is multiethnic. According to the census, 278,865 people, or 44.98% of the population, identified as Montenegrins, 178,110 or 28.73% as Serbs, 53,605 or 8.65% as Bosniaks, 30,439 or 4.91% as Albanians, 20,537 or 3.31% as Slavic Muslims (ethnically), 6251 or 1.01% as Roma, 6021 or 0.97% as Croats, and 47,513 or 7.68% indicated other nationalities or did not provide data.

According to the constitution, the official languages of Montenegro are Montenegrin, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, and Croatian. 72% of Montenegro’s residents belong to the Serbian Orthodox Church. Besides Orthodox Christians, there is a Sunni Muslim minority, accounting for about 16% of the population, and several thousand Catholics, predominantly Croats and Albanians.

Economy

Montenegro has a transitional economic system. Its current state is a direct result of the wars, the industrial decline following the collapse of Federal Yugoslavia, and UN sanctions programs. Tourism is the main sector of the economy. The euro is used as the currency.

The service sector produces the largest share of GDP - 88% (or 73% of employed), followed by industry - 11% (or 23%) and agriculture - 1% (or 6% of employed).

The country's GDP in 2023 was 1.6 billion USD. GDP per capita is 7879 USD. The average economic growth rate over the past few years is 3.2%. The unemployment rate is 16.2%. The average inflation rate in 2022-2023 is 13%. In 2023, the national debt was 4.2 billion USD.

The most important mineral resources are bauxite (which is a major export), iron ore, and brown coal. Important industrial sectors are tobacco processing, aluminum production, and salt production. Agriculture specializes in vegetables, cereals, potatoes, tobacco, wine, citrus fruits, olives, and figs.

In the Global Competitiveness Index, measuring the country's competitiveness, Montenegro ranks 73rd out of 137 countries (as of 2023). In the Index of Economic Freedom, the country ranks 77th out of 180 countries.

Freedom of Travel (Visa-Free Countries)

In the global passport strength ranking, Montenegro ranks 36th, alongside Turkey and Russia. Citizens of the country have the right to visit 76 countries without obtaining visas (with a free stay period of 30 to 180 days). 46 countries require Montenegrins to obtain a visa on arrival, allowing a stay of up to 90 days. In 5 countries, it is sufficient to obtain an electronic entry permit and stay for 30 to 90 days.