Montenegro will introduce visa requirements for citizens of Belarus, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye from 1 November 2026, as the country aligns its visa policy with that of the European Union. The measure will affect several important tourism markets. In 2025, visitors residing in Russia, Türkiye, China and Belarus, for which separate tourism statistics are available, generated 427,106 arrivals and 3.23 million overnight stays in Montenegro.
Those markets accounted for 21.9% of all overnight stays by foreign tourists during the year. Russia represented the largest share, with approximately 2.41 million overnight stays. Visitors from Türkiye generated around 640,000 nights, while tourists from China and Belarus recorded approximately 115,000 and 60,000 nights, respectively. The impact of the new requirements will depend in part on the accessibility of the visa application process. Applications can already be submitted through VFS Global centres in Russia and Türkiye, while centres are planned in the other countries affected by the new regime.
Montenegro is also developing an electronic visa system, although a launch date has not yet been confirmed. Under standard procedures, visa processing can take 10 days, while processing periods may extend to 30 or 60 days. Longer processing periods could affect short holidays, business travel and spontaneous trips. The fees, required documentation, processing deadlines and locations of application centres will therefore determine the practical requirements for travellers before the new visa regime enters into force.
