To be able to continuously reside on Montenegro you need to obtain a permanent residence permit. 

Who can get a permit?

A foreigner who has legally stayed in Montenegro for five consecutive years before submitting an application for a temporary residence permit or approved additional protection in accordance with the legislation governing the granting of asylum.

As an exception, permanent residence may be granted to a foreigner who has been granted temporary residence in Montenegro for a period of less than five years continuously before submitting an application, if humanitarian reasons require it ,or it would be in the interest of Montenegro.

How to obtain a permanent residence permit for a child?

A permanent residence permit can be issued to a child under the condition that:

• Both parents obtained permanent residence at the time of his/her birth

• One of the parents at the time of his birth is a citizen of Montenegro and permanently resides in Montenegro or a foreigner who has a permanent place of residence, with the consent of the other parent

• One of the parents has a permanent residence permit at the time of his birth, and the other parent is unknown or deceased.

What are the conditions for issuing a permanent residence permit?

A foreigner may be granted a permanent residence permit if they:

• Have a valid foreign travel document

• Have not been  sentenced to imprisonment for more than six months for a criminal offense, or the legal consequences of the conviction have ceased

• Have not been sentenced to imprisonment for more than six months in the country of origin for a criminal offense, or the legal consequences of the conviction have been suspended

• Have the means to support themselves

• Have health insurance

• Have accommodation

• There are no restrictions for reasons of national security, public order or public health.

Submission of an application for a permanent residence permit

An application for a permanent residence permit is submitted by a foreigner in person to the Ministry at his place of residence using the prescribed form.

At the time of submitting an application for a permanent residence permit, a foreigner must have a temporary residence permit.

What is the deadline for accepting a permit application?

An application for the issuance of a permanent residence permit is accepted within six months from the moment of submission of a complete application.

What is the validity period of a permanent residence permit?

A permanent residence permit is issued for five years.

A foreigner under the age of four is issued a permanent residence permit for two years. Within eight days after the expiration of the permit, you can apply for replacement of the permit for permanent residence.

What rights will you have with permanent residence?

A foreigner granted permanent residence in Montenegro has the right to:

• Work

• Education and professional training

• Recognition of diplomas and certificates

• Social, medical and pension insurance

• Tax benefits

• Access to the market of goods and services

• Freedom of association, membership in organizations representing the interests of workers or employers.

A foreigner can fulfill their right in accordance with the laws regulating the manner of exercising these rights.

Montenegrin citizenship is issued for the following reasons:

• By origin;

• By birth on the territory of Montenegro;

• By naturalization 

• By international agreements and treaties. 

Citizenship by origin

A child acquires Montenegrin citizenship by birth:

• Whose both parents are citizens of Montenegro at the time of the child's birth

• One of whose parents is a citizen of Montenegro at the time of the child's birth, and the child was born in Montenegro

• One of whose parents is a citizen of Montenegro at the time of the child's birth, the other parent has no citizenship or is unknown, and the child was born on the territory of another state

• One of whose parents at the time of the child's birth is a citizen of Montenegro, and the child was born on the territory of another state, if the child is to remain stateless

• Born on the territory of another state, one of whose parents is a citizen of Montenegro at the time of the child's birth, if the application for entry into the Book of Births and the Register of Citizens of Montenegro is submitted before the child reaches the age of 18, if the child does not have the citizenship of another state

• A person who has turned 18 years old, one of whose parents is a citizen of Montenegro, and the other is a citizen of another state, if the application for entry into the Register of Citizens of Montenegro is submitted before the child reaches 23 years of age

• In case of full adoption, if one of the adopters is a citizen of Montenegro.

Citizenship by birth

Montenegrin citizenship by birth on the territory of Montenegro is acquired by a child born or found on the territory of Montenegro, if both parents are unknown or unknown by nationality or stateless, or if the child remains stateless.

Citizenship by naturalization 

A person acquires Montenegrin citizenship through admission:

• Who has been granted permanent residence in Montenegro in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Foreigners

• Who has been married to a citizen of Montenegro for at least 3 years

• Has a permanent residence in Montenegro

• Whose citizenship would be of particular interest to Montenegro.

A Montenegrin emigrant and a member of their family in the third degree of kinship in the direct line can obtain Montenegrin citizenship by admission if they have legally and permanently resided in Montenegro for at least two years and meet the conditions of the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship: https://www.imidaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Montenegrin-Citizenship-Act.pdf. 

A person who has been married to a Montenegrin citizen for at least three years and has lived in Montenegro legally and continuously for at least five years can obtain Montenegrin citizenship through naturalization and if the conditions specified in paragraphs 1 of Article 8: 1, 4, 5 and 7 of this Law has been fulfilled.

A child acquires Montenegrin citizenship through admission if:

• Both parents acquired Montenegrin citizenship through admission

• One of the parents acquired Montenegrin citizenship through admission and if he/she legally and permanently resides in Montenegro with the child

• Legally and permanently resides in Montenegro with the adoptive parent, who is a Citizen of Montenegro, in case of incomplete adoption.

What are the conditions for obtaining citizenship?

You can get Montenegrin citizenship if:

• You are over 18 years old

• You are released from the citizenship of another state

• You have lived continuously in Montenegro for 10 years before applying for citizenship

• You have housing and a guaranteed source of income in Montenegro, which is sufficient for social and material security

• You have a clean criminal record

• You have basic knowledge of the Montenegrin language

• You have settled all legal obligations such as taxes before applying.

Citizenship based on international treaties

Montenegrin citizenship can be obtained on the basis of ratified international treaties or agreements signed by Montenegro.

What is the procedure for obtaining citizenship in Montenegro?

In order to successfully apply, you will need to provide some personal documents for yourself and your family members:

• Citizenship application form

• A notarized copy of the passport (certified by an apostille is an international stamp, standard in design, which confirms the legality of a certain document)

• Original birth certificate/extract

• Original marriage certificate/extract

• Medical insurance policy valid in Montenegro

• Medical opinion with an assessment of the state of health for the presence of infectious diseases

• A document confirming the origin of funds for your investments and fees.

After you apply, a government official will assess and determine whether you are a suitable candidate for Montenegrin citizenship.

In order to obtain a residence permit, digital nomads need:

1. Prove a monthly income from an overseas company for the previous year of at least 1,350 euros per month (3 minimum wages). 
2. Provide a rental agreement with a company, entrepreneur, registered to provide accommodation services or have your own property in Montenegro. 
3. To obtain health insurance, it is possible to provide international medical insurance for travelers.

A digital nomad will be able to enter Montenegro on the basis of a long-term visa (D visa), after which the digital nomad will be entitled to apply for a residence permit.

The digital nomad visa to Montenegro allows the digital nomad to stay in the Balkans for up to 2 years, doing remote work legally.