Visa to Montenegro: how to open the doors to the Adriatic

During the summer holidays, Russians, and citizens of other countries of the former CIS, dream of rest on the shores of the warm sea, where the tourist service would be at the level of the European. But the resorts of Greece or Spain are not available to everyone. Not because of its high cost - because if you want you can find very budget hotels in these countries, and because of the need to obtain a Schengen visa. And getting a Schengen visa is such a problem and a headache that I do not want any vacation. So we choose those countries for which you do not need a visa at all or you do not need to get a visa (that is, it is stuck directly at the airport upon arrival). But what countries are these? Rest on the Adriatic coast is very attractive, so many people doubt, but do you need a visa to Montenegro?

Wishing to increase the influx of tourists to its sea and mountain resorts, Montenegro canceled visas for up to 30 days for citizens of the European Union, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, the US and Canada. Thus, a visa to Montenegro is not necessary for citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, provided that they enter the country for recreation (without the right to work) for a period of not more than a month. A month, more precisely, 30 days, is counted from the stamp in the passport of arrival in the country.

But what if you, while in Montenegro, decided to extend your vacation? You can get permission to extend your stay in the country by contacting the local police department with a migration official. But then you will need to provide convincing reasons for extending your stay in the country. In order not to get refused, it is better to leave Montenegro in one of the neighboring countries, and then drive into it again. If you immediately plan to rest in this fabulous country for more than a month, then you will need a visa to Montenegro. To do this, you need to apply to the Montenegrin Embassy with the appropriate application for a visa for a period of 3 months or for six months.

To submit a visa, you must submit the following documents: a copy of the passport, a completed application form, if the travel is a tourist, a voucher or a copy of the confirmation from the hotel (in case the trip is private or business - a copy of the invitation) and two color photos 3x4. About 10 days, so you should take care to submit the necessary documents beforehand. In case of a positive decision on issuing a visa, the petitioner is invited to come to the Embassy with a foreign passport for pasting a visa. The visa to Montenegro is issued directly to the applicant personally or to another person under a notarized power of attorney.

If you apply to the Embassy for a visa, you will be forced to pay a consular fee. Its amount can vary based on which visa you need in Montenegro. For example, a multiple-entry tourist visa that allows you to enter the country more than 2 times for more than 30 days, for an adult it will cost 62 Euros, and for a child under 14, 32 Euros.

A visa to Montenegro is issued only if the foreign passport is valid 3 months after the alleged return to the country of origin. The same rules apply to those tourists who enter the country without a visa for up to 30 days. So be careful: if the validity of your passport is coming to an end, you, most likely, will not be allowed to enter Montenegro. Also on the border you need to show a return ticket as proof that you are going to stay in Montenegro for up to 30 days. Next, tourists during the day must register at the hotel or in the hired apartments from the owners. Therefore, if you are planning an independent holiday (for example, in tents), it is better to spend the first night in a hotel. Hotels at the height of the tourist season charge a tourist tax of 1 Euro per person per night. If you want to enter Montenegro with an animal (cat or dog), you need to provide a certificate from the state veterinary service about the animal's health status.