Montenegro Visa Rules: ID Card 30 Days, Passport 90
Montenegro's new visa decree keeps entry with an ID card for up to 30 days for Serbian citizens, while introducing visas for Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China.
Citizens of Serbia can still enter Montenegro with an ID card after November 1, but for no more than 30 days, while a stay of up to 90 days requires a travel document. That follows from the new visa decree adopted by the Montenegrin government and made public on October 27. The decree applies from November 1, 2026, and takes effect the day after its publication in the Official Gazette of Montenegro, at which point the previous one ceases to be valid.
What do Articles 1 and 2 of the decree say?
Under Article 1, citizens of more than 80 countries, including Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, European Union members, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, may enter Montenegro, cross its territory and stay for up to 90 days without a visa, with a valid travel document.
Article 2 deals specifically with ID cards. Citizens of those countries, the decree states, “may enter, cross the territory of and stay in Montenegro for up to 30 days, without a visa, with a valid ID card.” That right applies to citizens of:
- Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and North Macedonia
- European Union member states
- Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Norway
- San Marino, the Holy See and Switzerland
Holders of a valid Schengen, American, British, Canadian, Irish, Japanese, Australian or New Zealand visa, as well as residence permits of those countries, can also stay up to 30 days without a visa, or for a shorter period if the visa or permit expires sooner. Citizens of Peru can stay up to 30 days under a reciprocal travel agreement.
Who needs a visa from November 1?
From that date, visas are required for citizens of Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China. RTCG and N1 report that this is an alignment with European Union visa policy. The government made the decision on those five countries back in July, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the time that Montenegro had thereby met one of the final benchmarks in negotiating Chapter 24, which covers justice, freedom and security. According to a government statement carried by N1, meeting the visa requirement opens the way to drawing about four million euros from the European Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
The sources describe the act differently: RTCG writes about a new decree, N1 about amendments to an existing one. N1 also reports that the government of Prime Minister Milojko Spajic adopted the amendments late last week, while RTCG does not mention the exact day.
How will visas be issued, and what comes next?
Applications for a Montenegrin visa no longer have to be submitted only at embassies and consulates. Through the company VFS Global, they can be filed at application centers in Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates, among other places. The government has announced new centers, including in China, Belarus and Saudi Arabia.
The change is sensitive for tourism: according to figures from the statistics office MONSTAT, foreigners accounted for more than 91 percent of overnight stays in collective accommodation in August. Spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova announced in mid-October that once Podgorica introduces visas for Russian citizens, citizens of Montenegro will also need visas to travel to Russia.
