Montenegro prepares for EU membership with comprehensive visa reform - EXCLUSIVE
Montenegro has fully aligned its visa policy with the European Union's visa policy, thus meeting one of the final benchmarks for closing Negotiating Chapter 24 - Justice, Freedom, and Security, as well as one of the key obligations from the Reform Agenda.
This was said by the source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro in an exclusive interview with CE Report.
The Government of Montenegro adopted the Decree on Amendments and Supplements to the Decree on Visa Regime on July 23, 2026, according to which citizens of countries that previously created discrepancies between Montenegro's visa regime and the European Union (Belarus, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye) will need a visa to enter Montenegro starting from November 1, 2026.
In the initial phase of implementing the harmonized visa policy, a period of adjustment can be expected for both travelers from the countries affected by the new measures and for the tourism sector and airlines as they adapt to the new business conditions. This is an expected process that accompanies alignment with the legal framework of the European Union and has also been seen in other candidate countries during accession negotiations. The effects will primarily depend on the importance of individual source markets for Montenegrin tourism, as well as on the efficiency of implementing the new visa procedures and how quickly travelers and businesses adjust to them.
Although aligning the visa regime means that citizens of certain countries will need a visa to enter Montenegro in the future, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been actively and systematically taking steps to mitigate the possible negative effects of these changes, while also taking measures to make the process of obtaining a Montenegrin visa as simple and accessible as possible.
The most important news for citizens of countries that need a Montenegrin visa is that they no longer have to submit their application exclusively at the diplomatic-consular offices of Montenegro. Referring to the cooperation with VFS Global, the world's leading partner in providing visa services, applications for a Montenegrin visa can now already be submitted at VFS application centers in India, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia. In the near future, centers will also be opened in Pakistan, China, Armenia, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Belarus, Nepal and Uzbekistan, while further expansion of the network to Jordan, Kuwait, Thailand, and Indonesia is planned.
In this way, foreign citizens will be able to apply for a Montenegrin visa at the nearest VFS application center, without needing to travel to the embassies or consulates of Montenegro, which will significantly simplify the procedure and make it faster and more accessible.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is carrying out one of the most important projects in the field of visa policy management – setting up a new, modern Visa Information System that will be fully compatible with the information systems of the European Union and aligned with Schengen security standards. The ultimate goal of this project is to introduce an electronic visa (e-visa) system, which will allow visa applications to be submitted online, with faster processing and more efficient service for foreign citizens.
By aligning its visa policy with the European Union, Montenegro is fulfilling one of the important obligations on the path to EU membership, while at the same time modernizing its visa system and making it easier for citizens from many key markets to visit Montenegro. This way, Montenegro strengthens security, public administration digitalization, and its competitiveness as a tourist and investment destination.
Photo: Pexels (Free Stock Photos)
This interview was prepared by Julian Müller
