Entrance to Montenegro: what are the rules and do Russians need a visa?

The countries of the Balkan Peninsula are somewhat different from most other European countries in the sense that their visa policies can change quite often. Take the same Montenegro - not so long ago she wanted to become one of the countries of the Schengen group, but then changed her mind and decided to focus on the needs of tourists who do not want any extra visa procedures. Given that for many of our fellow citizens this country is very interesting as a vacation destination, it’s worthwhile to examine in more detail how to legally enter this country.

For citizens of Russia and other states, Montenegro puts forward the same visiting rules as any other foreign country. First of all, you need a passport whose term has not expired, but you can not get a visa for a short visit, in general. The return ticket is almost always checked by border guards, be prepared to present it. Children need to enter either with both parents, or with a notarized permission of one of them (or both) that the person is not against the child’s departure from the country.

Animals to cross the border need a veterinary passport and documentation confirming timely vaccination, while chipping is not included in the list of mandatory requirements. Most tourists arrive in Montenegro through the airports of Podgorica and Tivat, but if you come by car, need a driver's license of international or Russian standard, as well as international insurance.

From the unusual, it should be noted that Montenegro is like most cafes: local border guards disapprove of attempts to bring any food into the country. If suddenly you are going to cross the border in one direction or another with any historical values, you will have to first obtain special permission from the local authorities.

But in cash this country, unlike many others, does not impose restrictions - arrive at least with a suitcase of bills. Like many other states, Montenegro does not allow the import of a large number of excisable goods from abroad. Of alcoholic beverages, you can bring as a gift no more than a liter of something strong, for wine the permitted volume is increased to two liters. Smokers can carry with them a maximum of 200 cigarettes per person, for cigars the limit is 50 pieces per adult.

Since 2008, for citizens of the Russian Federation, a simplified visa regime has been operating in Montenegro, which allows visa-free entry for up to 30 days. Since the vast majority of compatriots come to this small country solely for the purpose of resting for a week or two, for Russians arriving here on a short vacation, a visa is not required.

That is why Montenegro can be called the best destination for "last minute" trips - with a minimum of formalities, you can get together and go on a trip as soon as possible.

Another thing is that sometimes you want to stay in the country a little longer, and then you still have to do a visa. Please note that, according to local rules, no one looks at the time of entry and exit, because you actually do not have 30 days, namely 30 calendar days. If you arrived at 23.59 local time, the day of arrival will count towards you, as well as the day of departure, if you departed at least one minute after the first.

For citizens of Belarus and Kazakhstan, as well as for Russian tourists, when traveling up to 30 days, a visa is not required - registration in a simplified form is carried out at the entrance to the country. Citizens of Ukraine in this regard are even easier - for them visa-free entry is allowed for up to 90 days.

Montenegro is a small country, you can drive it from region to region in a matter of hours, therefore you must reach your destination from the airport on the same day. There is such a rule that within one day after arrival, a citizen of any other country must come to the local municipality (or even to the police station) and register with local authorities.

This is done not only to make it easier for the authorities to keep order, but also for the collection of tourist tax. Each municipality independently determines how much you have to pay for your stay here, however, the current prices do not exceed the amount of 1 euro per day.

Registration is carried out by filling out a special form for foreigners. There are so many tourists from the post-Soviet space in Montenegro that all the information on the form is duplicated in Russian specially for them, so you won’t need a translator. If everything is in order, the official will give you the so-called white cardboard - a special card that confirms the legality of your stay in the state.

If you initially know that the period of your stay in the country will definitely exceed 30 days, it makes sense to immediately apply for one of the visas - the types of visa documents for entry into Montenegro will be discussed below. However, there are other ways to solve the problem. Suppose you planned to relax in Montenegro for no more than a month, but you suddenly fabulously liked it and you do not want to go home - especially if circumstances allow.

Given the tiny size of the country, the most reasonable way to extend your stay here is to go abroad briefly. It turns out that you left the country, and when you return, they put a new stamp on your passport, and 30 days begin to be counted again.

If we consider neighboring countries from the point of view of convenience for a “visa wound” (as they call a short-term departure from the country in order to zero out their stay here), then Croatia is usually called the most convenient destination - at least if you have a multiple-entry Schengen visa. This country is also good because regular excursions are organized here from Montenegro, and getting into it from the Adriatic coast is not difficult.

At the same time, with trips to other neighbors the situation is usually not that worse, there are not so many excursions and organized trips. For example, you can travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia without a visa for the same 30 days, however, the borders with them are away from the sea coast, therefore it is not always convenient for beach tourists. The convenience, however, is that such entry rules are year-round, because these countries are not sea resorts.

Of all the neighbors of Montenegro the hardest thing is for citizens of post-Soviet states to get into partially recognized Kosovo, because that's where everyone needs visas. Given that these countries do not recognize the independence of Kosovo, they do not have embassies of this country, therefore, a visa can be issued at the border at the entrance. However, there is one problem: there are no clearly established rules for obtaining a visa permit, and therefore unpleasant surprises are not excluded. True, many tourists say that with an open Schengen visa to Kosovo they should let you in without problems.

For a trip to Montenegro, you can get a visa in one of four categories, and the cost will vary depending on the category.

We’ll say right away that the first two categories described are not needed by any of the citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus or Kazakhstan, since visa-free entry conditions for holders of such passports require a longer stay in the country.

• A - the simplest category, it is relatively rare and, in general, is issued only for those guests who use Montenegrin international airports in Podgorica or Tivat for transit to another country. With such a document, you really will not visit the country, because it does not even give you the right to leave the airport - you just left one plane and are waiting for a transfer on the spot.

• IN - Already a little more serious, this is also a purely transit document, but it allows you to cross the country in any convenient way. Such a document may be appropriate if you travel, it allows you to stay on the territory of Montenegro for 5 days, and since the country is very small, and you can drive it for three hours, this gives you the opportunity to look around.

• WITH - the most popular category of Montenegrin visa, designed for those tourists who initially plan a trip for a period of more than 30 days and do not want to count the time so as not to miss the moment for a “visa-wound”.Get it, and you can stay in the state 90 days in a row without leaving anywhere. The document is valid for a year, an extension procedure is not provided - if necessary, just apply for a visa again.

• D - the most serious category of permission, its issuance is supposed only if you state serious reasons for a long stay in Montenegro. Good reasons include work, study or treatment, as well as participation in various humanitarian programs or reunion with a family whose members have Montenegrin citizenship.

Please note that Montenegro is not included in the Schengen area, because her national visa does not allow entry to the Schengen area.

Consular offices of Montenegro in the post-Soviet territory usually issue only a category C visa, which, as a rule, fully meets the needs of the average domestic visitor to this country. To obtain permission to enter, collect a package of documents, each of which we will discuss with a discussion of the details.

A passport for traveling abroad, including to Montenegro, is required. If you want to get a Montenegrin tourist visa, your document must meet two main criteria: it should contain two blank pages, and its validity period should extend not only to the trip, but also to three months after its planned completion. To submit, you must prepare a copy of the first page.

In addition, it is necessary to fill out a special questionnaire with standard questions for people entering this or that country. The form is issued at the consular department, but in general it can be found on the Internet and printed independently. Marked fields are required, entering data is usually allowed in both English and Russian. Any mistake or correction may invalidate such a document, therefore, take the filling responsibly.

If you are traveling for more than a month, the embassy staff, as well as the border guards, may have a legitimate question about where you plan to live all this time. When applying for a visa evidence must be provided that Montenegro is waiting for you. A convincing argument will be a tourist voucher with a prescribed point of stay, confirmation of a reservation from a hotel or hostel, an invitation from a Montenegrin resident or an agreement on rental housing with someone from the locals.

Like many European countries, Montenegro imposes certain requirements for incoming tourists on financial security. Compared to other countries, prices are relatively modest - 20 euros per day is enough for an adult; children are not interested in the budget at all.

It is easiest to prove that you have the funds using a bank certificate, as an alternative, a certificate of employment or documentary evidence that you are visiting and the host takes all the waste.

Montenegro does not require compulsory health insurance from entering the country, but the question of its availability is worth at least considering. First of all, during a period of many weeks in the country, the likelihood of contacting a doctor is not excluded, and so his services will already be paid.In addition, the presence of an insurance policy will once again prove to the embassy staff that you are an honest person, and are unlikely to create any problems for the locals, because the likelihood of obtaining a visa will increase.

If you decide to apply for a visa yourself, you should come to the Montenegrin Embassy in full force to all those who are going to travel to the country, although for minors (under 14 years old) a personal presence is not necessary. Submission is carried out at least 14 days before the start of the trip, but no earlier than 30 days, somehow you cannot register in advance - the queue is live.

Experienced people advise you to come in advance, since the reception of documents is carried out only three times a week for an hour and a half, and you can simply not be in time. The situation is complicated by the fact that little Montenegro has embassies far from everywhere, therefore, citizens of other post-Soviet countries can also stand in line for the embassy in Moscow.

note that a visa is not made free of charge - the consular fee for an adult is 62 euros, for citizens under 14 it is reduced to 32 euros. The big advantage is that payment is made purely after obtaining a visa, that is, in case of refusal, you do not pay anything. At the same time, it is important to know that payment is accepted only in euros, it will not work to pay in equivalent in another currency.

In order not to go specifically to the embassy, ​​you can try to apply for a Montenegrin visa through a travel agency or visa centers working in the city where the potential tourist resides. It is better to collect a package of documents similar to what is required for submission to the embassy, ​​because without it, whatever one may say, it will not do. Moreover, each similar institution independently determines the cost of its services - if you do not count the road, then the costs, of course, will cost more than just paying the consular fee.

Like any hospitable tourist country, Montenegro tries not to deny entry to potential guests. Most often, there will be no problems with obtaining a visa, but in some cases, citizens are still denied entry permits. According to accepted international practice, the consular post has the right not to explain the reason for the refusal. At the same time, having decided to submit the package of documents again, once again check for the following interference:

• all documents must be legal and valid, discrepancies in the spelling of names and other similar blots can cause doubts at the consul;
• any deliberate fraud of embassy staff, if any, is a reason for refusing entry;
• many consular offices are suspicious of previously convicted people, but if you also “forgot to mention” such a fact of biography, this will cause a lot of unnecessary suspicions;
• specific behavior bordering on inadequate also does not help to obtain a visa;
• all mandatory vaccinations must be done in a timely manner and have documentary evidence, otherwise you will not be allowed into Montenegro for a long time.

Montenegro is perfect for families, because many of our compatriots come here with their children. According to the rules, children are any minor citizens under the age of 14 years. In principle, if the whole family goes on vacation, there will not be any particular difficulties with entry - the child does not even need to issue his own passport if he is inscribed in one of the parents' passports by all the rules.

When only one of the parents travels with the child, you will need notarized confirmation that the second parent has nothing against the fact that the child is taken out of the country. If for some reason the children go on their own or accompanied by people who are not their parents, appropriate permission is required from both the mother and the father. The last rule applies to absolutely any “outsiders”, even if it’s not just a trainer or educator, but even a grandmother with grandfather or an aunt with an uncle.

For information on how to properly apply for a Montenegro entry visa, see the next video.