If you are considering moving to Montenegro, one of your main concerns is probably obtaining residency. There are multiple ways to obtain residency, with and without the help of local specialists. In this post we intend to give you all the relevant information to make your journey towards obtaining Montenegro residency a little easier.
Why do I need residency?
Depending on your passport and on how much time per year you want to spend in Montenegro, you will have to decide whether or not it makes sense to apply for Montenegro residency. Generally, if you intend to be in Montenegro for more than 6 months in a year, you should definitely apply for residency.
Coming to Montenegro with an EU passport
If you are planning to visit or live in Montenegro while holding a EU passport, you are allowed a 90-day visa-free visit to Montenegro within a period of 180 days. Which means that 180 days after first entering Montenegro you are again allowed a 90-day stay, without the need to apply for a visa or residency. However, be aware that this is only the case if you enter the country with your passport! It is also possible to enter Montenegro with a ID card issues by an EU nation, but if you do so you are only allowed to stay 30 days.
You may have heard that Montenegro is on its way of joining the EU, and you may wonder how this affects the visa requirements for EU citizens traveling to Montenegro. As of now, it doesn’t. Montenegro is not (yet) a member of the EU, but is currently a candidate country.
There is an agreement in place between the EU and Montenegro that allows EU citizens to stay up to 90-days visa-free in Montenegro. Montenegrin citizens in return are granted the same rights when traveling to the Schengen area, which largely consists of EU countries.
Holders of an EU passport should therefore consider applying for residency if they want to spend more than 90 days within a 180-day time period in Montenegro.
UK and US passport holders
Similarly to EU passport holders, UK citizens and US citizens are allowed to stay up to 90 days in Montenegro, visa-free.
Other passports
For holders of other passports, the rules depend largely on the country that has issued your passport. We suggest that you look up the current information on the website of the Montenegrin government, which explains the different rules clearly and in English. Below we have listed a few countries and the requirements applicable to the passport holders of the respective countries, but please check the official website of the Montenegrin government, as these rules may change over time.
- Russian Federation: 30 days, visa free
- Ukraine: 90 days, visa free
- Serbia: 90 days with a passport, 30 days with an ID card, visa free
- India: visa required
Need to pay local taxes
Not only is it required to obtain residency if you want to stay for a longer time in Montenegro, also consider that when you spend more than 183 days per year in Montenegro (or in pretty much any other country for that matter), you will be officially required to pay income taxes in that country, as it is considered your main country of residence.
Montenegro residency by investment
One of the ways to obtain temporary residency in Montenegro is by investing in real estate.
In 2022 the StartUp scheme was rolled out, which allows one to apply for residency by spending at least €100,000 on local real estate. Once you have obtained residency this way, you are allowed any activity, such as working.
If you are interested in purchasing real estate in Montenegro, we are selling various properties in different locations and price categories. In case you didn’t find anything to your liking among our current properties – no need to worry! We also offer personalized property searches for those interested in buying a property on Montenegro.
Montenegro golden visa
For those interested in obtaining Montenegrin citizenship (passport) rather than just residency, the Montenegrin government offers the so-called ‘golden visa’. To apply for this visa, the following requirements apply:
- Donation of €200,000 to the Montenegrin government (regardless of where you purchase a property)
- Investment of at least €250,000 in real estate in the northern/rural areas of Montenegro (except Podgorica)
- OR Investment of at least €450,000 in real estate in Podgorica or on the coast of Montenegro
If the Montenegro golden visa is something you are interested in, be sure to keep an eye on any potential developments and changes around this topic. As Montenegro is a candidate member of the EU, many people hope that by obtaining a golden visa from the Montenegrin government they will have a EU passport in the future. The EU is not thrilled about Montenegro essentially ‘selling’ possible EU passports and is pressuring the Montenegrin government to cancel the golden visa scheme.
Montenegro residency by company formation
Don’t worry if you don’t have a few hundreds of thousands of euros laying around to put into local real estate. Another way to obtain temporary residency is by opening a local company. To do so, you will need to provide the government with a number of documents (see the list below) and you will have to pay yourself a monthly salary of a few hundred euros, depending on the type of business you have opened. This money goes back into your own pocket of course, after having paid local tax on it. Other costs may be made to hire a lawyer, accountant or other type of consultant, but this is not mandatory and therefore up to you.
Corporate tax in Montenegro is very favorable at a rate of 9% on the first €100,000 earned. The maximum corporate tax, when you have a yearly profit higher than €1,500,000 is still very favorable at approximately 15%.
In contrast to having residency based on employment by another company in Montenegro, residency based on company formation allows you to leave the country for extended periods of time.
Montenegro residency by digital nomad visa
Recently, a third option for obtaining temporary residency in Montenegro has been made available. Similarly to the digital nomad visa issued by the government of Croatia.
The visa lasts 2 years, which is longer than the temporary residency obtained by opening a company, which has to be renewed every year. The visa can be renewed once, but after these 4 years are up you will have to leave the country for at least 6 months until it is possible to apply again.
To be considered for the digital nomad visa you will need to show proof of (foreign) employment and of sufficient income. You do not have to pay taxes on this income in Montenegro.
After some delays, the first applications for the digital nomad visa have been processed in the beginning of 2023.
Permanent Montenegro residency
After 5 years of temporary residency, it is possible to apply for permanent residency in Montenegro.
If this is what you are looking for, keep in mind that the digital nomad visa does not count. The years spent in Montenegro on the digital nomad visa cannot be used to apply for a permanent residency due to the conditions of this visa.
How do you do it and how long does it take to get Montenegro residency?
It is possible to apply for residency by yourself against a relatively low cost, but you will need to speak the local language well. There are many companies and lawyers that offer to help you apply for and obtain residency, usually for a few hundred euros.
The time to proces residency applications varies based on where you apply, but it usually takes between 1 and 2 months.
What documents do you need for Montenegro residency?
If you intend to apply for residency, it is important that you bring the right documents. We have listed a general view of the required documents below, but advise you to obtain information from a local expert that deals with obtaining residency in Montenegro. While it’s certainly cheaper to do it yourself, the process can be complicated if you are not familiar with the country, it’s policies and especially the Montenegrin language.
- Passport
- A criminal record without any convictions, issued by your country of citizenship
- In some cases a high school or university diploma
- Proof of medical insurance
- Residency through investment: the title deed of the obtained real estate
- Residency through company formation: proof that you are the director of a Montenegrin company
- If applying for family members you need your marriage certificate of your spouse and the birth certificates of the children
- And finally, your letter of application for residency