Visa types and how to apply
Montenegro issues three types of visa: A, C and D. Most visitors need a C visa (short stay up to 90 days). Here is what each visa allows, what documents you need and where to apply.
On this page
Types of visa
| Visa | Purpose | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| A — airport transit | Change of plane without leaving the international transit area | Transit area only; visa valid up to 3 months |
| C — short stay | Tourism, business, private visits, events | Up to 90 days in any 180 days; single or multiple entry |
| D — long stay | Study, research, medical treatment, use of own property, religious service, volunteering, digital nomads | More than 90 days, up to 6 months in a year |
A visa does not give the right to work. For work you need a residence and work permit — see temporary residence.
A visa does not guarantee entry. The border police check your documents and can refuse entry or shorten your stay, for example if you do not have enough money or you have already used 90 days in the last 180 days.
Who needs a visa
Citizens of the EU, the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, Serbia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and about 60 other countries do not need a visa for stays up to 90 days. Check your country on the visa check page.
From 1 November 2026 citizens of Belarus, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye need a visa. Earlier, visa-free entry ended for Armenia, Egypt, Kuwait, Uzbekistan (October 2025) and Azerbaijan (January 2026). Montenegro plans to align fully with the EU visa list by the end of 2027.
Exception: if you hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit, you can enter Montenegro without a Montenegrin visa for up to 30 days, but not longer than that visa or permit is valid.
Where to apply
You apply in person at a Montenegrin embassy or consulate. In justified cases the mission can accept the application without your visit, but you must come in person when the visa is issued.
Since 2026 you can also apply through VFS Global visa centres. Centres work in India, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. Centres in Pakistan, China, Armenia, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Belarus, Nepal and Uzbekistan are planned.
There is no e-visa yet. Montenegro is building an EU-compatible visa information system; biometric data (photo, fingerprints, signature) can be collected.
List of embassies and consulates: gov.me — diplomatic missions.
Documents for a C visa
- Completed and signed visa application form ("Zahtjev za izdavanje vize").
- Passport valid at least 3 months after the visa ends.
- One colour photo, 35 × 45 mm.
- Proof of purpose: a guarantee letter from a private host, or an invitation from a company, a state authority or an event organiser.
- Proof of paid accommodation: hotel booking or tour voucher.
- Proof of money for the stay and the return trip: bank statement, cards, cash or traveller's cheques.
- Return or onward ticket.
- Travel health insurance for the whole stay.
- Proof that you paid the consular fee.
The mission can ask for other documents about your purpose and your accommodation. Our visa wizard builds a personal checklist for your case.
The law does not set a fixed amount of money per day or a minimum insurance cover. Many missions expect cover of at least EUR 30,000, as for Schengen. Ask the mission where you apply.
Invitation and guarantee letters
For a private or business visit the mission can ask for a letter from your host. A guarantee letter ("garantno pismo") comes from a private person. An invitation letter ("pozivno pismo") comes from a company, a state body or an event organiser.
The host confirms that they cover your stay and your departure if necessary. If a guest is expelled and nobody else pays, the host pays the costs of removal and can be fined EUR 500 to 2,000.
Ask the mission whether the letter must be certified by a notary or the police.
Fees and processing time
The consular fee is EUR 35 for an A, C or D visa (Law on Administrative Fees, tariff 126). The application itself is free: you pay for the issued visa. Children under 14 with their own passport pay half. VFS centres add their own service fee.
The mission decides within 10 days of the application. When the application needs more checks, the time can be extended up to 30 days. Apply early, especially before the summer season.
The 90/180 rule
With a C visa or without a visa you can stay up to 90 days in any 180 days, counted from your first entry. When you have used 90 days, you must leave and you can come back only when enough days fall outside the 180-day period.
Montenegro counts its own days. Days in Schengen countries do not count for Montenegro, and days in Montenegro do not count for Schengen.