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Montenegro, meaning “Black Mountain” in English, is a small, mountainous country in Southeast Europe with a coastline along the Adriatic Sea, bordered by Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania.
Montenegro is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, including its dramatic coastline, majestic mountains, and crystal-clear lakes, as well as its rich history and unique culture.
To obtain long-term residency in Montenegro, you’ll typically need a long-stay visa (Visa D) for stays over 90 days, followed by a temporary residence permit, and after five years of continuous residence, you can apply for permanent residency.
1. Purpose: Allows foreigners to stay in Montenegro for longer than 90 days, but not longer than six months within a year.
2. Reasons for Obtaining: Employment, education, scientific research, or other activities.
3. Application: Apply through the Montenegrin diplomatic or consular post in your home country or the nearest location that processes visa applications for Montenegro.
Montenegro offers various visa and residency options, including short-stay (C) and long-stay (D) visas, as well as temporary and permanent residence permits, with pathways for digital nomads, work, and family reunification.
1. Short-Stay (C):
For tourism, business, or personal purposes, allowing stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
2. Long-Stay (D):
For stays longer than 90 days but less than 6 months within a year, for various purposes including business or family reunification.
3. Temporary Residence Permit:
Allows foreigners to stay in Montenegro for a year, renewable, based on factors like employment, study, property ownership, or family reunification.
4. Permanent Residence Permit:
Granted after five years of continuous legal residence with a temporary permit, or in exceptional circumstances.
5. Work Permit:
Allows foreigners to legally work and live in Montenegro for a specified period.
6. Family Reunification Permit:
Allows family members of Montenegrin citizens or legal residents to join them in Montenegro.
In Montenegro, a residence permit, either temporary or permanent, can be obtained for purposes like:
1. Employment,
2. Study,
3. Family reunification,
4. Real estate ownership,
5. Company formation,
6. Scientific research,
7. Medical treatment,
8. Humanitarian reasons
1. Valid Passport
2. Sufficient Funds
3. Clean Criminal Record
4. Proof of Address
5. Proof of Education
6. Police Certificate
7. Proof of Employment or Business
8. Health Insurance
9. Family Reunification
The Montenegro citizenship by investment programme was launched in 2019. Applicants can apply by investing in one of several government approved real estate development projects. The investment element ranges from €250,000 in the northern and central region to €450,000 in the coastal region. An additional government donation of €200,000 is required, plus application and due diligence fees.
Montenegrin citizenship by investment and a second passport from a European nation is an attractive option for many of our clients. However, it must be noted that although geographically in Europe, Montenegro is not part of the EU. Although it is striving to meet the EU requirements for accession it is not expected until at least 2025.
Citizenship of an EU country carries a large premium in the market because of the settlement rights allowing citizens of any EU country to live anywhere within the EU. Obtaining citizenship in Montenegro at this stage for such a purpose would be speculative as to timescale and far from certain.
When applying for citizenship by investment in Montenegro the main applicant can include their spouse and dependent children up to the age of 18 years old under one family application. Applicants must have a clean criminal record, hold a valid passport or travel document and provide proof of the source of their funds. There is no minimum stay requirement and the application only takes an average of 6-12 months to be processed.
Benefits Of Montenegro Citizenship For Indian Nationals?
1. Visa-Free Travel: A Montenegrin passport allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 120 countries.
2. Schengen Area: Access to the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a 6-month period.
3. Potential EU Membership: Montenegro is a candidate for EU membership, which could lead to further travel benefits within the EU.
4. Expedited Visa Procedures: Holders of a Montenegrin passport also enjoy expedited visa procedures in 32 countries where eVisas are granted.
5. Low Income Tax: Montenegro has one of the lowest personal income tax rates in Europe, at 9%.
6. Dual Citizenship: Montenegro allows dual citizenship, so you don’t have to renounce your Indian citizenship.
7. Right to Live and Work: Montenegrin citizens have the right to live and work in Montenegro.
Working in Montenegro can be appealing due to its beautiful scenery, rising economy, and a growing number of job opportunities, particularly for those seeking a lower cost of living and a unique experience. However, it’s important to be aware that the job market and wages may not be as competitive as in Western European countries.
To work in Montenegro, foreign nationals typically need a work visa and a work permit, obtained after securing employment and fulfilling specific requirements, which include a valid passport, proof of health insurance, and a police background check.
Permanent Employment:
1. Definition: A long-term, ongoing employment relationship with an employer, typically without a predetermined end date.
2. Characteristics: Offers job security, potential for career advancement, and access to benefits like health insurance and paid time off.
3. Examples: Full-time positions, salaried roles.
Seasonal Employment:
1. Definition: Work that is done during specific times of the year or for a limited period based on seasonal demand.
2. Characteristics: May involve tasks related to agriculture, tourism, or retail during peak seasons.
3. Examples: Summer camp counselor, ski resort employee, holiday retail worker.
Temporary Employment:
1. Definition: Short-term work arrangements that may last for a few days, weeks, or months.
2. Characteristics: Often used to cover absences, projects, or peak workloads.
3. Examples: Covering maternity leave, assisting with a project, or working during a busy season.
Freelance Work:
1. Definition: Self-employed individuals who offer their services on a project-by-project basis to multiple clients.
2. Characteristics: Provides flexibility in terms of work hours, location, and projects, but requires managing finances, taxes, and benefits independently.
3. Examples: Freelance writers, graphic designers, consultants, or programmers.
In Montenegro, popular professions are found in tourism, construction, the service sector, and IT, with roles like chefs, waiters, nurses, doctors, construction workers, and IT specialists being in high demand.
High-Demand Sectors and Professions:
1. Tourism & Hospitality: Waiters, bartenders, chefs, and other hospitality staff are highly sought after, especially during the summer season. Chambermaids and other hotel staff are also in demand.
2. Construction: Construction workers, engineers, and architects are in demand, especially during the fall to spring period.
3. IT: Software developers, IT specialists, programmers, and professionals with expertise in web development and cybersecurity are in demand.
4. Service Sector: Sales positions, especially in large retail chains, are in demand. Beauty parlors, hairdressers, spas, and massage parlors are also developing.
5. Medical Sector: Nurses and doctors are in demand.
6. Real Estate: Real estate agents, architects, and engineers are in demand due to the growing real estate market.
7. Other: Teachers, bank employees, and other professionals in various fields are also in demand.
In Montenegro, the average monthly gross salary is around €1042, while the average net salary (after taxes and contributions) is approximately €832. The minimum monthly wage is around €533.
Average Salaries:
1. Gross: €1042
2. Net: €832
Minimum Wage:
1. Monthly: €533
2. Hourly: 3.33 EUR per hour
what does it take to get a job in a good company with a decent salary?
1. Knowledge of foreign languages. Start learning or improving languages right now – this knowledge will be useful for you if not in Montenegro, then certainly open a lot of doors in another country.
2. Elementary sales skills, including “selling yourself as an employee”, as well as communication skills. Present yourself as a specialist and agree on working conditions, you must be able to do it and it is also better to learn in advance.
3. Availability of at least minimal savings for the first time. Capital will give you an opportunity to look for suitable work calmly and without fuss, and in case of minor failures do not get lost and continue to look for.
4. The car. This is certainly not the main thing, but, firstly, the car will allow you to move faster and more convenient around the country, not adjusting to the schedule of transport and not spending money on taxi. And secondly, the car can serve as a spare opportunity for temporary work, for example, in taxi, transfer, delivery, etc. At the same time among the customers you can meet the same person who will help in finding a job, because “word of mouth” has not been canceled yet and in Montenegro it is quite common.
To get a work permit in Montenegro, a foreign national needs a job offer from a Montenegrin employer, who then submits a request to the Montenegrin authorities, followed by the foreign national gathering necessary documents and submitting them for processing.
– Work permit;
– A certificate of non-conviction with an apostille on the reverse side;
– Original contract for hiring housing or an extract from the cadaster on the ownership of housing – list nepokretnosti;
– Copies of all pages of the passport;
– Translation of the passport into the Montenegrin language;
– Medical insurance or certificate of medical examination in the Montenegrin language;
– A bank certificate on the availability of a sufficient amount of funds in an account in any of the banks of Montenegro. The total amount should be 3650 euros, but in 2017 immigration officials accept documents even with 1000 euros on the account;
– Receipt for payment of state duties.
After obtaining a work visa you need to come to the tax inspection, register a work record card, and also arrange medical insurance and get a medical record card (zdravstvenu knjizicu).
1. Personal work permit.
Issued to foreigners who have permanent resident status. The document allows you to work in Montenegro without any restrictions on an equal basis with local residents. It has an unlimited duration, in special cases it can be issued for one year.
2. Work placement permit.
The right to work in Montenegro, on the basis of which a labor contract is signed. The standard document is issued for one year, with the right to extend for another two years.
3. Work permit.
Typically, it is applied for temporary or seasonal employment for a short period, usually up to 6 months. Terms are prescribed in the employment contract.
Separate categories of foreign workers are not required work permit in Montenegro, usually it is temporary work. It can be, for example, athletes, scientists, representatives of creative professions, journalists, diplomats.
To regulate the employment of foreign nationals in Montenegro, the Montenegrin government issues three different types of work permits:
To apply for a Montenegrin employment permit, foreign nationals should gather the following documents for submission:
In 2022, Montenegro relaxed work and residence permit requirements and no longer requires separate evidence, such as a bank statement or proof of salary issued by the employer, to prove that the applicant has the financial means to support themselves in Montenegro. An offer of employment is now considered valid proof and must state that the employer will pay at least the minimum wage.
