How to Obtain Residency in Montenegro
Why seek to obtain residency in Montenegro?
- An absolutely gorgeous country with mountains, beaches, and historical towns.
- A low cost of living; Montenegro is competitively ranked in the Numbeo Cost of Living Index.
- Affordable, quality real estate.
- Geographic location – in Europe.
- 9-15% corporate income tax, 9-15% personal income tax, 15% capital gains tax, 15% dividend tax – amongst the lowest in Europe
- Multiple international schools.
- Affordable healthcare.
What are the Residency options in Montenegro?
- Residency through the ownership of local real estate.
- Residency by creating a local company and appointing yourself a director.
1. What documents to you need to obtain residency in Montenegro
You’ll need the following documentation to obtain residency in Montenegro:
- Passport
- A clean, criminal record from your country of citizenship
- Letter of application for registration
- Marriage and birth certificates for your family members
- A diploma which demonstrates your education level such as university or high school (in some cases)
- For residency through real estate – a copy of the real estate title deed
- For residency through a local company – the company documents and proof you are registered as the director
- Medical insurance
All documents need to be translated into Montenegrin. The immigration agent will take care of this. Documents from back home must be apostilled.
The whole process can take 45 days. It’s quite a bureaucratic process.
2. If you obtain residency in Montenegro, can it lead to citizenship?
Yes it can.
- You must spend 5 years in Montenegro with your temporary residency. The government wants you to stay AT LEAST 9 months per year to renew it on a yearly basis. If you don’t spend the minimum amount of time, then you will have to apply for a temporary visa again, and the countdown will start from year one. Simply renewing the residency is much simpler from a bureaucratic point of view.
- After 5 years of maintaining temporary residency, you are entitled to permanent residency.
- 5 years later (year 10), you can apply for Montenegrin citizenship.
If you are interested in obtaining residency in Montenegro through either real estate ownership or company formation, feel free to get in touch using the form below or by sending an email to info@movetothebalkans.com.