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• Montenegro is a Prospective EU member state

• Family members included and transferable to descendants

Work in Montenegro

Montenegro is a small mountainous country with amazing nature, which is located on the Balkan Peninsula and is washed by the warm Adriatic Sea. In recent years, it has gained immense popularity with tourists from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other CIS countries. It is noteworthy that the annual number of tourists visiting Montenegro is several times more than the local population, which is about 650 thousand people. And this is not surprising. Warm sea, 73 kilometers of various beaches, pleasant climate, more than 200 sunny days a year, stunning nature, clean mountain air, understandable language, unity of religious and cultural values, a huge number of attractions and historic buildings, and the benevolence and responsiveness of local residents of this country attract a huge number of tourists at any time of the year. Having visited this country once, many people start to think seriously about moving here and stay for a while, and perhaps forever.

Types of employment: Permanent work, Seasonal work, Temporary work, Freelance

Montenegro is a resort country, which is mainly oriented towards tourist business and everything that is connected with it. Unfortunately, despite the huge tourist flows, at present this mountainous country cannot please the population with the opportunity of high and fast earnings. The average salary in Montenegro during the year is about 300-400 euros per month. Seasonal (summer) work is paid better, but these amounts are not astronomical in comparison with the workload and the duration of the working day – about 700-900 euros per month with a working day from 7-8 am to 9-10 pm. It is also worth considering that the unemployment rate in Montenegro is about 19.5% and one must be prepared for healthy competition in the labor market.

In order to solve the problem of finding a job faster, you first need to decide on the type of employment, and there are only 4 of them in Montenegro:

A. Permanent work,
 B. Seasonal work,
 C. Temporary work
 D. Freelance

A. Permanent work.

Permanent employment is when the employer hires a person for stable work and signs an employment contract with them for an indefinite or long term. At the same time, the company must obtain a work permit for an employee, officially employ it, pay salary, and make monthly deductions to the social insurance fund in compliance with all laws. For all its complexity, it is worth noting that the vacancies for this type of employment do not depend on the season and are open throughout the year.

B. Seasonal work.

Seasonal work in Montenegro is connected with the tourist sphere and is most common among Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians. In March-April, many hotels, cafes and restaurants, night clubs and bars, excursion bureaus and travel agencies on the coast of Montenegro open a huge number of different vacancies for everyone who wants to work in summer. The duration of seasonal work ranges from 1 to 8 months, with a 10-12-hour working day.

C. Temporary work.

Many people mix the concepts of temporary and seasonal work up, but these are completely different things. This type of employment is more like a part-time job, as it only takes a few hours a day. Plus, having a temporary job, you can work all year long and combine it with your main one. The working contract in this case is made out by the employer in advance, the period of validity of which is strictly limited.

The following activities can be classified as temporary work: a governess or a nanny, taking care for an elderly member of the family (nurse), maids, drivers. There are also vacancies for windows, cars or yachts washers, dog walk assistants or handymen (“Husband for an hour”), which help lonely and busy people keep the house in order.

D. Freelance.

Freelance is, perhaps, the most common way of earning in the world and Montenegro is no exception. Why not? The sea, the sun, nature, climate, natural products and affordable prices – what else is necessary for life … Freelance can be both the main activity and part-time work, since for this type of employment, in fact, only time and high speed internet are needed.

Popular professions in Montenegro

For people from Russia and CIS countries, perhaps the most popular vacancy in the labor market of Montenegro is the position of realtor. This is due to the fact that the real estate market in this country is constantly developing and expanding, and the country simply needs skilled specialists in this field. In order to find a job successfully and immediately start earning, you will certainly need knowledge in real estate, as well as work experience and it is desirable that it was in an international real estate agency in any country. Besides, knowledge of several foreign languages, including Serbian or Montenegrin, is quite necessary, since there are a lot of foreign capital and foreign property owners in Montenegro.

Also, such professions are quite popular in Montenegro as: hotel administrator, hotel manager, sales manager, nanny, foreign language teacher, school teacher, cook, photographer, organizer of entertainment and training events.

In summer (tourist) season, when vacationers from all over the world are actively beginning to come to the country, service workers are most in demand. Therefore, from May to September 2017, you can easily find the following vacancies:

• Seller of sightseeing tours;
• Waiter/waitress;
• Bartender;
• Hotel maid;
• Seller;
• Masseur.

When the summer season ends and the construction season begins (“preparatory”), which lasts from October to June, at this time, employees of construction and municipal specialties are required:

• Engineer;
• Installer;
• Mason;
• Carpenter;
• Plumber;
• Handyman.

Salary in Montenegro

The level of remuneration in Montenegro is rather low in comparison with the developed European countries. On the other hand, it is worth noting that the cost of living and expenses for daily needs in this country is also significantly lower than in the same Europe.

The average salary in Montenegro in 2016 was 500 euros per month, after net of taxes (without deduction about 750 euros). The minimum wage is 288 euros/month. Given these data, foreign workers can expect about 300-500 euros per month. The cost of products, clothing and goods for daily use in Montenegro is much cheaper than, for example, in Moscow or St. Petersburg, so the amount is quite enough for a comfortable existence. Of course, in the labor market, there are periodically vacancies with a salary of 1000 euros and above, but, as a rule, these are proposals from large Russian or foreign companies that are urgently seeking specialists of a certain category and with specific skills.

Is it possible to get a an occupational work? What skills are needed?

Work in Montenegro will be available to every immigrant at any time of the year, especially if they have a higher or specialized education.

Montenegro is one of the few countries in Europe where foreign citizens can easily find jobs in responsible and even managerial positions. So, for example, in this resort country you can work without problems in the field of science and culture, in the field of enterprise management, and also in the field of information technologies. In other words, the diploma of graduating from a higher or specialized educational institution obtained in another country is “quoted” here without any confirmation or re-examination. Exception is only medical specialties.

Every foreign citizen who wants to get a job in Montenegro should register at the Employment Office. To do this, you must provide a diploma (certificate), which clearly indicates the qualifications for this or that specialty. This rule applies to all people who have received primary, secondary or higher education, and even holders of academic degrees or awards. The registration in the employment center guarantees you official employment in the territory of Montenegro in the future.

So, 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.

How to get a work permit

Work in Montenegro, like in many other countries around the world, requires official registration. Any work without appropriate permits can result in significant fines, both for the employee for the employer.

In order to obtain a work permit and, in the future, get an occupational work, you first need to conduct a procedure for confirming the diploma of education – nostrification. The presence of a nostrified diploma and an insert to it is an obligatory condition for issuing a work permit. In case of a absence of higher education, it is necessary to nostrify a diploma of secondary special or school education. The only exception is for director of the firm, who may not pass the procedure for recognizing the documents on education.

It is worth noting that recently the policy of the Government of Montenegro is aimed at limiting labor migration, therefore the employer will have to walk around the various institutions for a long time and leave 200 euros or more during the passage of all bureaucratic procedures.

In order to obtain a work permit for an employment inspection, the following is provided:

 – Certificate of payment of taxes;
 – Employer’s application for employment;
 – Application for open vacancies;
 – Nostrified diploma and an insert to it for any employees, except for the director;
 – Copy of the passport of the employee;
 – Receipt for payment of state duty;
 – Certificate of payment of taxes from the salary of the previous employer, if the workplace is not the first.

After obtaining a work permit, a migrant can file documents and obtain a temporary residence permit for a period of 1 year.

To obtain a residence permit, you must apply to the Immigration Service (MUP) and introduce the following documents:

 – 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).

Types of work permits in Montenegro:

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.

Types of Work Visas in Montenegro

To regulate the employment of foreign nationals in Montenegro, the Montenegrin government issues three different types of work permits:

• Personal work permits: This permit can be issued to foreign nationals who reside in Montenegro. It may be issued for up to one year, and the holder of a personal work permit has free access to the labor market during the time when the permit is valid.
• Employment permits: Employment permits are issued to foreign nationals upon the request of an employer in Montenegro.
• Work permits: A work permit is issued for seasonal employment, training, contractual work, and other business purposes that are limited to a short period of time.

Requirements to Obtain Montenegro Work Visas

To apply for a Montenegrin employment permit, foreign nationals should gather the following documents for submission:

• A valid passport
• Proof of health insurance
• A police background check from the applicant’s country of origin
• A police background check from Montenegro
• An employment offer from a company based in Montenegro

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.

Seek expert guidance from Coraledu, the leading Overseas Consultant, for your work and settlement in Montenegro, the world’s No.1 destination.