Citizens of Russia and Belarus for stay in Montenegro from November 1 of this year will be necessary visa. The government has extended the visa-free regime for Russians and Belarusians until October 31, as well as for citizens of China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Harmonization of visa policy with the European Union is a request of Brussels through the final criteria from Chapter 24 (justice, freedom and security).
According to the government decree, citizens of the mentioned countries can be in tourist groups for up to thirty days until the end of October or with a business passport of that country and a guaranteed return, reports Deutsche says.
Due to the incidents and protests of the citizens of Podgorica, at the end of 2025, the visa-free regime was first abolished for Turkish citizens, and then the visa-free stay was shortened from 90 to 30 days.
According to the Reform Agenda, Montenegro will fully harmonize its visa policy with the European Union by the end of next year, while the deadline for some countries to take the first steps is the end of the third quarter of 2026.
Do visas threaten the economy?
But where is the balance between European demands, security and economic interests of Montenegro? Because foreign citizens have become a significant part of the economic life of this small state.
Bojan Bugarin, an expert on the status issues of foreigners and migrants, told DW that harmonizing the visa policy with the EU is a strategic goal that has no alternative, but that "doesn't mean that we have to apply every European policy without thinking about our specifics."
He adds that the official Podgorica must be especially careful towards Russia and Turkey, because last year Russian tourists accounted for 16,4 percent of the total overnight stays by foreign guests, and Turkish tourists accounted for 4,3 percent.
"If we introduce a visa for someone and at the same time do not facilitate their procedures for residence, founding a company or doing business, then we risk them choosing another country," says Bugarin.
As he adds, the problem for foreigners is not the rules, but the fact that they often change. Then those who have already invested, bought real estate, founded a company and started to build a life have the feeling that conditions are getting tougher afterwards.
"It is not good to make life difficult for every foreign investor or entrepreneur due to certain abuses. Montenegro should be a country that attracts quality foreigners, not a country that encourages them to leave through administrative barriers," Bugarin points out.
Croatia as a good example
Croatia joined the EU in 2013, and it had to harmonize its visa policy with the European one no later than three months before membership. Then it introduced a visa regime for citizens of Russia, Turkey and others.
At the same time, it made the issuance of visas as easy as possible, so, for example, the possibility of submitting applications through accredited travel agencies and visa centers was introduced for Russian citizens. The process lasted only a few days, and it was possible to issue multiple visas.
This is a model that Montenegro should also consider, says Bugarin, warning that Montenegro has a much smaller economy than Croatia and is more dependent on tourism, which is why it would have to protect its interests in negotiations with European partners.
Montenegrin passport more attractive after EU entry
It can be expected that with the accession of Montenegro to the EU, interest in Montenegrin citizenship will increase significantly, especially among people from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Turkey who have roots in Montenegro.
"The passport will be more attractive, but the value of that passport will also depend on how we organize the process of acquiring citizenship and how we manage that resource," warns Bugarin.
"Montenegro should make a serious and effective policy towards the diaspora and people of Montenegrin origin," he believes.
This practically means that citizens of Serbia will also be allowed to stay in this country for a maximum of 90 days a year after Montenegro joins the European Union.
By the way, the Montenegrin passport ranks 35th in the global ranking of mobility, which measures the number of destinations accessible without a visa or with simplified entry procedures.
In the region, the passports of Croatia are better ranked, which occupies the fifth place, while the passports of Serbia and North Macedonia are just ahead of the Montenegrin passport - the Serbian one is in 33rd place, and the Macedonian one is in 34th place. The Albanian passport and BiH passport are in the 40th place, and the Kosovo travel document is in the 53rd position.
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