Montenegro is increasingly looking to neighbouring countries to strengthen its medical workforce as demand for experienced specialists grows and the domestic labour pool remains limited. The move of Serbian gynaecologist Tatjana Vešović from the public hospital in Vršac to the state hospital in Bar, together with her radiologist husband, illustrates the emerging cross-border recruitment trend.
Vešović, an experienced specialist approaching retirement age, cited better pay and working conditions in Montenegro, with specialist earnings reaching around €4,500 per month, depending on duties and additional work. The Health Ministry said the public healthcare system now employs about 2,125 doctors, approximately 150 more than when the current minister took office. Foreign doctors and physicians working under different contractual arrangements have contributed to the increase.
Montenegro taps the regional medical labour market
Montenegro’s population of little more than 600,000 limits the depth of its domestic medical labour pool, particularly in specialised fields. Retirements or departures can therefore have a significant effect on individual hospitals, especially outside Podgorica. Regional recruitment offers shorter relocation distances and fewer barriers than moves to Western Europe. Serbian and Montenegrin languages are mutually understandable, while medical education and clinical practices share similar historical foundations.
For experienced specialists, Montenegro can provide an alternative to relocating to Germany, Austria, Switzerland or Scandinavia, where higher earnings may come with greater language, licensing and relocation requirements.
Recruitment must support healthcare capacity
The economic value of additional doctors depends not only on headcount but also on how effectively they increase hospital capacity.
A radiologist can extend the use of diagnostic equipment, while a surgeon can enable procedures that would otherwise be referred elsewhere. Additional specialists can also reduce workloads that contribute to staff departures. This is particularly important because medical equipment and infrastructure require qualified personnel to operate them effectively. Shortages of radiologists, anaesthesiologists and other specialists can leave expensive healthcare assets underused.
Foreign recruitment creates new service demand
International medical recruitment requires qualification checks, licence recognition, employment documentation and, where necessary, residence and work arrangements. Relocating doctors may also need housing, schooling and other support for their families. If Montenegro begins recruiting dozens or hundreds of specialists, demand could increase for recruitment agencies, credential-verification services, relocation providers, professional training and digital workforce-management systems.
Housing could become particularly relevant in coastal municipalities such as Bar, Budva, Kotor and Tivat, where accommodation costs can affect the value of higher salaries.
Domestic training remains essential
Regional recruitment can address immediate shortages, but experienced foreign specialists may themselves reach retirement within several years. A longer-term model would combine international recruitment with domestic workforce development. Senior specialists could mentor younger Montenegrin doctors, while regional mobility could provide access to specialised training programmes that are difficult to maintain in a country of Montenegro’s size. Private healthcare providers would also compete for the same specialists. Higher public-sector compensation could increase competition for medical staff and encourage employment arrangements combining public hospitals and private practice.
Retention is as important as recruitment
Montenegro could lose the benefit of regional recruitment if newly hired specialists later move to Croatia, Germany or other higher-paying markets. Salary is therefore only one factor. Workload, hospital organisation, professional autonomy, equipment and administrative conditions also influence doctors’ decisions. The Vešović case involved both remuneration and the professional environment, illustrating that recruitment depends on more than wages alone.
There is also a regional labour-market issue. Recruiting doctors from Serbian hospitals can strengthen Montenegro’s staffing while creating vacancies in Serbia, meaning that regional recruitment may redistribute existing medical capacity rather than increase it across the Western Balkans.
Workforce planning gains importance
With approximately 2,125 doctors in the public system, Montenegro could use workforce data to track specialists by age, location, specialty and expected retirement.
Such planning could identify shortages before they become critical. If a hospital expects two surgeons to retire within three years, recruitment or training could begin well in advance. Healthcare staffing also has implications beyond hospitals. The quality of healthcare affects the ability to attract and retain skilled workers and can influence decisions by engineers, executives and foreign investors considering long-term activity in Montenegro. The move of two Serbian specialists to Bar remains a single case, but it illustrates Montenegro’s emerging effort to compete for medical professionals within the regional labour market.
The strategy combines higher specialist remuneration, regional recruitment and workforce planning while maintaining domestic medical education as a source of longer-term supply.
