Entry and exit

Border control

Foreign person shall pass the border control when entering or leaving Montenegro, in accordance with the provision of the law governing the border control.

Entry into Montenegro means crossing of the state border, i.e. a border crossing point where border controls are being performed.

Denial of entry

A foreign person shall not be permitted to enter Montenegro, if:

• He/she uses another person’s, invalid, i.e. false passport or other document;
• He/she fails to satisfy the other requirements prescribed by the law;
• This is required by reasons of national security, public order and public health;
• He/she is in transit across the territory of Montenegro and fails to satisfy the requirements for entry into a third country;
• A pronounced protective measure of expulsion is in force, or a security measure of deportation of a foreign citizen from the state, protective measure of deportation of a foreign citizen from the territory of Montenegro or his/her stay is cancelled;
• He/she has insufficient financial resources to support himself/herself during his/her stay in Montenegro and to return to his/her country of origin or to travel to a third country.

The denial of entry shall be in person notified to a foreigner by the administrative authority in charge for police affairs (hereinafter referred to as the police).

The police maintain the records of denial of entry of a foreigner into Montenegro police keep records.

Denial of exit

A foreigner shall not be allowed to exit from Montenegro if:

• He/she uses another person’s, invalid, i.e. false passport or other document;
• There is reasonable suspicion that he/she intends to avoid criminal or misdemeanor prosecution, serve of his/her prison sentence, the enforcement of the court decision or court order or executive decision of another competent authority;
• He/she fails to satisfy the requirements for entry into the country he/she intends to travel to;
• This is required by reasons of national security and public order.

The police shall issue a decision on denial of exit and such denial shall be entered into a travel document.

Against the decision an appeal may be file to the public administration authority responsible for internal affairs (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry) within eight days of receipt of the decision.

The enforcement of a decision shall not be postponed by an appeal.

Upon termination of the above reasons the foreigner shall be allowed to exit from Montenegro.

Entry, movement and stay

A foreigner may enter, move across and stay in Montenegro with a valid travel document, with a visa entered into, or a valid travel document accompanied with a temporary residence permit, temporary residence and work permit, or permanent residence permit, unless otherwise provided under this Law or an international treaty.

A foreigner whom Montenegro is obliged to accept on the basis of international treaty, when thus required due to humanitarian reasons, reasons of public order or public health, shall be granted an entry to Montenegro without a valid foreign travel document.

Nationals of certain countries may also enter Montenegro with a valid identity card issued by competent authority of another country, or other document under which their identity and nationality can be determined, in accordance with international treaty or regulation on visa.

Retention of foreigners in the transit area of the airport and the port or anchorage pier, in terms of the law, shall not be considered an entry into Montenegro.

The restriction or prohibition of movement

A foreigner shall be restricted or prohibited the movement in a particular area in Montenegro if thus required due to the reasons of national security, public order or public health, in accordance with the law.

The entry of a foreigner with multiple citizenships

A foreigner holding multiple citizenships is considered to be a citizen of a state that issued the passport with which he/she entered Montenegro.

The foreigner shall be obliged to use the passport with which he/she entered Montenegro during his/her stay in Montenegro.

Entry and exit based on a joint passport

A foreigner whose name is entered into the travel document of another person shall enter or exit Montenegro only accompanied by the person into whose travel document his/her name is entered.

Foreign persons who have a joint passport or another joint foreign travel document shall enter or exit Montenegro only together.

The foreigners inscribed into a travel document shall have also another individual document containing a photograph on the basis of which his/her identity can be determined. The group leader shall have his/her own passport.

Obligations of a carrier

A carrier may bring a foreigner to a border crossing point or the territory of Montenegro if the requirements from the law are met by the foreigner.

The carrier that drove a foreigner shall, at its own expense, drove him/her away from the border crossing point or away from Montenegro and if this is not possible, the carrier must, at its own expense, find another way of transport, or, if another transportation type is not possible, he is obliged to cover the costs of the foreigner's stay and return cover the costs of the foreigner’s stay and return.

The aforementioned provision shall also apply to carriers that brought the foreigner in transit across the territory of Montenegro if they refused to transport the foreigner to the country of destination or if the foreigner is prohibited to enter into the country of destination.

The organizer of a tourist or business travel shall cover the costs of a forced stay and removal from Montenegro of the foreign beneficiaries of their respective services, including the costs of a stay in a shelter for foreigners, if the foreigners are expelled for the reasons referred to in this law, and they are not able to cover their own expenses.

A physical or legal entity whose interference resulted in a visa issued to a foreigner or a foreigner being allowed to enter Montenegro shall bear the monetary obligation where such costs cannot be covered by the organizer of the tourist or business travel, or a foreigner.