During the summer holidays, Russians, and citizens of other countries of the former CIS, dream of a vacation on the shores of the warm sea, where travel services would be at the European level. But the resorts of Greece or Spain are not accessible to everyone. Not because of their high cost - since you can find very budget hotels in these countries if you wish, but because of the need to obtain a Schengen visa. And getting a Schengen visa is such a problem and a headache that I don’t want to go on any vacation. So we choose those countries for which you either don’t need a visa at all, or get no problems (that is, it is glued directly to the airport upon arrival). But what countries are these? Holidays on the Adriatic coast are very attractive, so many people doubt whether they need a visa to Montenegro?
Desiring to increase the flow 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 USA and Canada. Thus, a visa to Montenegro is not necessary for citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, provided that they enter the country for a vacation (without the right to employment) for a period of not more than a month. A month, or rather, 30 days, is counted from the stamp in the passport on arrival in the country.
But what if you, being in Montenegro, decided to extend your vacation? You can obtain permission to extend your stay in the country by contacting the migration officer at your local police station. But then you will need to provide compelling reasons for extending your stay in the country. In order not to be denied, it is better to leave Montenegro in one of the neighboring countries, and then enter it again. If you immediately plan to relax in this fabulous country for more than a month, then you will need a visa to Montenegro. To do this, you need to contact the Embassy of Montenegro with a corresponding application for a visa for a period of 3 months or six months.
To apply for a visa, you need to submit the following documents: a copy of a foreign passport, a completed application form if the trip is touristic, a voucher or a copy of the confirmation from the hotel (if the trip is private or business - a copy of the invitation) and two color photos of 3x4 cm. Consideration of the visa application lasts about 10 days, so you should take care to file the necessary documents early. In case of a positive decision on issuing a visa, the applicant is invited to come to the Embassy with a foreign passport to paste the visa. A visa to Montenegro is issued directly to the applicant personally or to another person by a power of attorney certified by a notary .
If you apply for a visa at the Embassy, you will be forced to pay a consular fee. Its amount may vary, based on what kind of visa to Montenegro you need. For example, a multiple-entry tourist visa that allows you to enter the country more than 2 times for a period of more than 30 days, for an adult will cost 62 Euros, and for a child under 14 years old - 32 Euros.
A visa to Montenegro is issued only if the passport is valid 3 months after the expected return to the homeland. 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 will most likely not be allowed into Montenegro. Also, a return ticket must be presented at the border as proof that you intend to stay in Montenegro for up to 30 days. Further, tourists must register at the hotel or in rented apartments with the owners during the day. Therefore, if you are planning an independent vacation (for example, in tents), it is better to spend the first night in a hotel. Hotels in the midst of the tourist season charge a tourist tax of EUR 1 per person per day. 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.