If you're looking to create a business or move to the beautiful Balkan country of Montenegro, you should know the necessary rules and regulations regarding a temporary residence permit in Montenegro.
General information
1. Temporary residence permit (in the local language is called privremeni boravak) allows foreigners to stay in Montenegro for one-year maximum. So If you decide to spend more than 90 days in Montenegro over half a year, you need to apply for boravak. A temporary residence permit can be prolonged for only one year.
After 5 years, the foreigner can apply for permanent permission (called stalni boravak). Permanent permission is issued for a five-year period, followed by five more years, etc. By obtaining this document, you receive all the rights Montenegrins have, except the right to vote.
3. After you've lived in Montenegro for ten years, the foreigner can apply for Montenegrin citizenship (called državljanstvo).
Temporary residence permit
The Montenegrin Immigration law (Zakon o strancima) provides 13 reasons for obtaining a temporary residence permit. The most popular are given for work (owning a business or employment), family members, if you are a student, if you are a member of a yacht crew or are a yacht owner, and if you own property.
A critical thing to be mentioned here: a foreigner who founded a company in Montenegro CANNOT obtain a temporary residence permit just because he is the founder of a company. The Montenegrin Immigration law doesn’t provide such an opportunity. Very often, foreign founders of Montenegrin companies hire themselves to their own company as an Executive director and obtain the residence permit as an employee.
Another important detail is that in every city in Montenegro, local authorities have their additional demands regarding documents required for the residence permit application.
Lastly, with a valid temporary residence permit, you can be absent from MNE just one month a year. If you plan to be gone for 90 days, it is necessary to inform your immigration inspector.
Documents
The documents you need to bring with you to apply for the temporary residence permit are:
1. Valid passport - for everyone, including children
2. Diploma or another relevant document which proves your education (college, prof.degree, high school)* - for employment, it depends on the municipality in Montenegro where you apply
3. No criminal record certificate (proof from your country of origin that you do not have a criminal record) – not older than six months, only for adults 16 years and older
4. Marriage certificate - for family members
5. Birth certificate - for children under 18 years old
6. Property possession certificate (in the local language called List nepokretnosti) - for owning or renting property in Montenegro
All other documents like medical insurance, company documents, etc. will be prepared in Montenegro.
Translation of all documents should be done in Montenegro by a licensed translator.
Also, check if you need to get an Apostille for your documents. If your country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention and there are not any additional bilateral agreements between your country and Montenegro, you will need an Apostille.
You should also confirm your solvency to the Montenegrin authorities. This means that you need to have 3650 euro per person in your account placed in a Montenegrin bank.
Process
The process of the obtaining the residence permit includes 2 or 3 phases:
- Consultations with your immigration adviser and collecting all the documents
- Applying for the temporary residence permit at the police station and getting your boravak
- Finalizing all procedures regarding employment, registration in tax authorities and state medical insurance (except the boravak for property owners)
The term for the consideration of an application depends on the reason: 20 days for a working permit and 40 days for others.
The whole process takes approximately 1.5 months.
Usually, there is no problem in getting your temporary residence permit if your documents are prepared correctly.
Applying for visas for other countries
By obtaining a temporary residence permit, you can apply for visas for other countries at the Consulate offices in MNE.
The visa's expiration date depends on the expiration date of your temporary residence permit. Most Embassies accept an application for visas after you've stayed in MNE no less than six months with your boravak.
For more information and for all your immigration, business and investment needs, you can contact Julie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
