Residence permit

For a long stay in Montenegro, you need to either continuously update your tourist status by the so-called "visaran", or apply for a Residence Permit ("boravak").

Advantages of the Residence Permit

For almost everyone

The right to stay in the country without repeated travel to the boarder
JMBG - identification number (aka as TIN in other countries).
Ability to open a bank account.
Registration of postpaid SIM-cards of mobile operators.
Registration of children in municipal kindergartens and schools.
Opportunity for immediate relatives (spouse, children under 18) to obtain a residence permit in Montenegro on the basis of family reunification (not available to seasonal workers).
Opportunity to study at a driving school and obtain a Montenegrin driving license.
The possibility of exchanging a driver's license of a foreign state for Montenegrin.
Possibility of registering a car for an individual with Montenegrin temporary (1 year) numbers.
The right to pass the Montenegrin language proficiency exam and receive a certificate of this.

Depending on the base

Property

The right to extend your residence permit every year according to a simplified scheme. The number of renewals is unlimited.
Eligibility for permanent residence after 5 years of continuous Montenegrin residence permit.

Work

State health insurance (for the employee, spouse and children under 18).
Social payments for children.
Paid maternity leave.
An employee has the right to extend his residence permit for work under a simplified scheme no more than 2 times (total 3 years in total).
For the founder - the director of the company with a share of at least 51%, the right to extend his residence permit every year according to a simplified scheme. The number of renewals is unlimited.
For the founder - the director of the company with a share of at least 51%, the right to obtain permanent residence after 5 years of continuous Montenegrin residence permit.

Study

The right to extend your residence permit every year according to a simplified scheme. The number of renewals is unlimited.
The right to obtain permanent residence after 10 years of continuous Montenegrin residence permit.
The right to extend your residence permit on the basis of studies for another two years after the actual graduation.

Family reunion

The right to extend your residence permit every year according to a simplified scheme. The number of years of renewal depends on the conditions for the renewal of the residence permit of the family member to which you have joined.
The right to obtain permanent residence after 5 years of continuous Montenegrin residence permit (except in cases of reunification with a family member whose residence permit does not imply obtaining permanent residence).
State health insurance (if reunification with a family member whose residence permit is based on employment).
The right to work from the second year of continuous residence permit (if reunification with a family member whose residence permit is based on employment).
The right to extend the family reunification waiver for children who have become adults, provided that before that they had an uninterrupted boravak for reunification for at least 3 years.

Remote work (Digital Nomad)

Person employed in a non-Montenegro companies may apply for a digital nomad residence permit. According to the article 60a of Immigration Law

Limits

Absence in Montenegro for more than 30 days a year (more than 90 for the director of the preschool educational institution). There is a small exception for absence for a very important reason, but it is necessary to warn the foreigners inspector about them in advance and provide evidence of this reason after returning to Montenegro. These are serious medical grounds, difficult family circumstances, etc. They are discussed with the foreigners inspector before departure.

You undertake to maintain the basis of your residence permit for the entire period of validity of the issued boravka. If the basis is terminated, it is strictly necessary to leave Montenegro on the day of its termination, enter in the status of a tourist, inform the MUP about the termination of your residence permit and hand over the card. That is, you can’t get a job, quit after a couple of months or six months and live on the basis of a warship until it ends. It is impossible to buy real estate, get a residence permit and sell a house / apartment without the need to immediately leave the country and return as a tourist. Well, you understand. You also need to study if you are a borawak in your studies.

You must keep your residence permit card and carry it with you. If you are afraid of losing it, in an exceptional case you can wear a copy of it (for example, to the beach).

When submitting documents for a residence permit, you are required to take fingerprints, take a picture and leave an electronic signature.

Tax obligations fall on your shoulders when purchasing movable and immovable property in Montenegro and registering in your name. Same as with employment.

How to get

In all cases, to request a residence permit, it is required to present a certificate of good conduct. It must be strictly with a "wet seal". They say in Budva they accept a printout of the electronic version. For Russian citizens, apostille is not required.

When you make translations of birth certificates, marriage certificates and other papers that do not change, ask the translators to make 5 copies, otherwise you will pay for the translator every year.

With the prospect of permanent residence and citizenship

Start a company

2-3 weeks for registration of a legal entity, then a request for a residence permit, as the director of this company. Spouses and children