Residence Permit in Montenegro (Boravak)
Current as of August 2026 · Law on Foreigners with 2026 amendments · verified against the official MUP checklists of 18 Feb 2026
✓ All prices below are turnkey: state fees, translations and insurance are already included. No extra charges.
⚠️ Important for citizens of Russia and Belarus: Montenegro is aligning its visa policy with EU standards. From 1 November 2026, visas are being introduced for citizens of Russia and Belarus — visa-free entry (currently up to 30 days) is being abolished. If you plan to legalize your stay through a boravak, schedule your application before that deadline. Read more about the end of visa-free entry
What is a Boravak and why do you need it?
A Boravak is a temporary residence permit (TRP) in Montenegro that allows foreign nationals to legally reside in the country for a specified period. This status is essential if you plan to live, work, study, or conduct business in Montenegro. Obtaining a boravak is a mandatory step for a comfortable life in the country and requires preparing a complete set of documents in accordance with local legislation.
Grounds for obtaining a Boravak
A temporary residence permit in Montenegro can be issued on the grounds of employment, family reunification, business registration, or real estate ownership. Each ground has its own document requirements — choose your option below.
Collect documents for your ground
Submit to MUP (police)
Application review — from 15 days
Receive plastic boravak card
General requirements (apply to all grounds)
Boravak types and document packages
Residence Permit (Boravak) — Company Director
- •International passport — 1 page (printout)
- •Diploma nostrification — from €250 (issued no earlier than 6 months before application, or Ministry of Education decision; not required if you own more than 51% of the company or are a sole proprietor)
- •Lease agreement — from €250 (notarized, with original List nepokretnosti, for 1 year)
- •Criminal record certificate — from country of citizenship (we handle translation)
- •Proof of paid taxes and contributions for the period of your previous permit — only if you previously held a residence and work permit
- ✓Izvod from CRPS
- ✓Medical fitness certificate (Lekarsko uverenje)
- ✓Ponuda poslodavca — employment offer from your company
- ✓State fees
- ✓Tourist insurance for 30 days
- ✓Translation of criminal record certificate
ℹ️ First application requires: tourist registration and paid fee.
- •International passport — 1 page (printout)
- •Diploma nostrification — from €250 (no older than 6 months, or Ministry of Education decision)
- •Lease agreement — for 1 year, notarized with original List nepokretnosti
- •Criminal record certificate — from country of citizenship (we handle translation)
- •Tax payment confirmation — for the period of the permit (❗ from 1 January 2027 the company must show at least €5,000 in taxes and contributions paid per year — start tracking this figure now; the threshold does not apply to citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland)
- •Employment contract with your company (ugovor o radu)
- •Photo of previous boravak card
- ✓Izvod from CRPS
- ✓Medical fitness certificate (Lekarsko uverenje)
- ✓Ponuda poslodavca — document from your company
- ✓State fees
- ✓Tourist insurance for 30 days
Residence Permit (Boravak) — Employee
- •International passport — copy (printout)
- •Diploma nostrification — from €250 (for qualified specialists only, no older than 6 months)
- •Lease agreement — from €250 (notarized, with original List nepokretnosti, for 1 year)
- •Criminal record certificate — from country of citizenship (we handle translation)
- •Ponuda poslodavca — document from your employer (we can provide a template)
- •Employment contract — for a term of at least 12 months (❗ mandatory requirement from 2026)
- •Salary confirmation — minimum €600/month (for specialists with nostrification — from €800/month)
- •Proof of paid taxes and contributions for the period of your previous permit — only if you previously held a residence and work permit
- ✓Izvod from CRPS
- ✓Medical fitness certificate (Lekarsko uverenje)
- ✓State fees
- ✓Tourist insurance for 30 days
- ✓Translation of criminal record certificate
ℹ️ First application requires: tourist registration and paid fee.
- •International passport — copy (printout)
- •Diploma nostrification — from €250 (for qualified specialists only; not needed again if the nostrification decision was already submitted with a previous application)
- •Full-time employment contract (ugovor o radu na puno radno vrijeme)
- •Tax and contribution payment confirmation — for the previous employment year
- •Ponuda poslodavca — document from your employer (we can provide a template)
- •Lease agreement — for 1 year, notarized with original List nepokretnosti
- ✓Izvod from CRPS
- ✓Medical fitness certificate (Lekarsko uverenje)
- ✓State fees
Residence Permit (Boravak) — Family Reunification (Employment)
- •International passport — 1 page (printout)
- •Izjava — letter from the company where the sponsoring family member is employed (we provide a template)
- •Income certificate of the sponsoring party — confirming sufficient income to support the family (not required when reuniting with a close family member who is a Montenegrin citizen)
- •Proof of housing conditions — document confirming adequate housing is available (from 2026)
- •Lease agreement — from €250 (notarized, with original List nepokretnosti, for 1 year)
- •Criminal record certificate — from country of citizenship (❗ including children aged 16+; valid for no more than 6 months; we handle translation)
- •Marriage certificate — you provide, we translate
- •Birth certificate(s) of children — you provide, we translate
- •Copy of both sides of the boravak — of the person the application is based on
- •For children: copies of both parents' passports
- •If one parent is absent from Montenegro: notarized consent of the absent parent (you provide, we translate)
- ✓State fees
- ✓Tourist insurance for 30 days
- ✓Translation of criminal record certificate
- ✓Translation of marriage certificate
- ✓Translation of birth certificate(s)
- ✓Translation of notarized consent of absent parent (if required)
ℹ️ First application requires: tourist registration and paid fee.
- •International passport — 1 page (printout)
- •Izjava — letter from the company where the sponsoring family member is employed (we provide a template)
- •Copy of both sides of the boravak — of the person the application is based on
- •For children: copies of both parents' passports
- •Lease agreement — for 1 year, notarized with original List nepokretnosti
- •If one parent is absent: notarized consent (you provide, we translate)
- ✓State fees
- ✓Translation of marriage certificate
- ✓Translation of birth certificate
- ✓Translation of notarized consent of absent parent (if required)
Residence Permit (Boravak) — Real Estate
- •List nepokretnosti — original (❗ no older than 7 days · ownership share of at least 50%)
- •Criminal record certificate — from country of citizenship or consulate (valid for no more than 6 months; we handle translation)
- •Bank statement from a Montenegrin bank — at least €7,300 on the account
- •Proof of property value — at least €150,000 (❗ for citizens outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland). The only document accepted by MUP is the real estate transfer tax assessment decision (rješenje o utvrđivanju poreza na promet nepokretnosti) issued by the municipal tax authority, with a tax base of at least €150,000. The price in the sale contract and appraiser reports do not by themselves prove the value.
- •International passport — copy (printout)
- ✓State fees
- ✓Tourist insurance for 30 days
- ✓Translation of criminal record certificate
ℹ️ First application requires: tourist registration and paid fee.
- •List nepokretnosti — original (❗ no older than 7 days · ownership share of at least 50%)
- •International passport — copy (printout)
- •Property tax payment confirmation — for the entire period of the previous permit
- ✓State fees
Residence Permit (Boravak) — Real Estate + Family Reunification
- •International passport — 1 page (printout)
- •List nepokretnosti — original (❗ no older than 7 days · sponsor's ownership share of at least 50%)
- •Criminal record certificate — from country of citizenship (❗ including children aged 16+; valid for no more than 6 months; we handle translation)
- •Marriage certificate — you provide, we translate
- •Birth certificate(s) of children — you provide, we translate
- •Copy of both sides of the boravak — of the person the application is based on
- •For children: copies of both parents' passports
- •If one parent is absent: notarized consent (you provide, we translate)
- •Bank statement from a Montenegrin bank — at least €7,300 per person (the sponsor's account may be used)
- •Proof of property value — at least €150,000 (❗ for citizens outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland). The only document accepted by MUP is the real estate transfer tax assessment decision (rješenje o utvrđivanju poreza na promet nepokretnosti) issued by the municipal tax authority, with a tax base of at least €150,000. The price in the sale contract and appraiser reports do not by themselves prove the value.
- ✓State fees
- ✓Tourist insurance for 30 days (per person)
- ✓Translation of criminal record certificate
- ✓Translation of marriage certificate
- ✓Translation of birth certificate(s)
- ✓Translation of notarized consent of absent parent (if required)
ℹ️ First application requires: tourist registration and paid fee.
- •International passport — 1 page (printout)
- •Marriage certificate — you provide, we translate
- •Birth certificate (children only) — you provide, we translate
- •Copy of both sides of the boravak — of the person the application is based on (print for each person)
- •For children: copies of both parents' passports (first page)
- •If one parent is absent: notarized consent (you provide, we translate)
- ✓State fees
- ✓Translation of marriage certificate
- ✓Translation of birth certificate (if required)
- ✓Translation of notarized consent of absent parent (if required)
There is also a digital nomad permit — contact us and we will tell you at a consultation whether it suits your situation.
⚖️ Transitional provisions (Law on Foreigners amendments — 2026)
In 2026, amendments to Montenegro's Law on Foreigners came into force, affecting several grounds for obtaining a boravak. Key transitional rules:
- •The amendments were adopted by the Parliament (Skupština) on 31 December 2025 and apply from January 2026.
- •Those who already hold a real estate boravak have one year from the amendments' entry into force to bring their status into line with the new requirements. The €150,000 value requirement affects renewals as well, not only first-time applications.
- •From 1 January 2027, renewing a director/entrepreneur boravak will require the company to confirm payment of at least €5,000 in taxes and contributions for the year. The threshold does not apply to citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
- •Employer-related requirements (no repeated fines for illegal employment, a Commercial Court certificate of no bankruptcy proceedings, and a financial statement proving active business) apply from 1 January 2027.
- •From 1 January 2027, renewal applications must be submitted no earlier than 60 and no later than 30 days before the current permit expires — filing in the final days will no longer be possible.
- •Several provisions of the amendments are being challenged before the Constitutional Court of Montenegro; until the court rules, the rules remain in force.
- •Applications submitted before the amendments came into force are processed under the previously applicable rules.
Current as of August 2026. Certain requirements are still being clarified at the level of secondary legislation — we recommend consulting us about your specific situation.
When is it an initial application vs a renewal?
Renewal is only possible if the ground for your residence permit does not change.
- • You work at company A and continue working there
- • TRP based on real estate, property still in your ownership
- • Family boravak, family status unchanged
- • You worked at company A but are moving to company B
- • Had employment-based TRP, now opening a sole proprietorship or company