MontenegroCitizenship

Admission to citizenship in Montenegro

A route to Montenegrin citizenship for those who have long lived in the country or are connected with it by marriage, descent or special merits. The applicant confirms the period lived, accommodation, income and good character — buying property or running a business is not required. The documents are filed through Montenegrin consulates abroad and the decision is taken by the Ministry of the Interior. In most cases the law requires the previous citizenship to be given up.

Source: Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova Crne Gore — Prijem u crnogorsko državljanstvo

Who may be admitted to citizenship

The Law on Montenegrin Citizenship sets out the general procedure for admission and simplified conditions for particular categories of applicant.

On the general ground — long residence in the country

10 years of lawful continuous residence in Montenegro before the application is filed
Your own accommodation or a document confirming the right to use accommodation, and a regular source of income
No conviction to unconditional imprisonment of more than a year, and no threat to the security and defence of the country

On a family or ethnic link — a shorter period

The spouse of a Montenegrin citizen — 3 years of marriage and 5 years of residence in the country
A Montenegrin emigrant or their descendant down to the third generation in the direct line — 2 years of residence
For these two categories neither renunciation of the previous citizenship nor the 10-year period of residence is required

When the programme is not a fit

I am not prepared to give up my present citizenship

Getting round this requirement is all but impossible — the law makes an exception only for stateless persons, for those who will automatically lose their previous citizenship on obtaining Montenegrin citizenship, and for those refused release because of unfulfilled military service. In other cases permanent residence in Montenegro is worth considering, as it leaves the second citizenship untouched.

I have lived in Montenegro for less than 10 years and am not married to a citizen of the country

First arrange temporary and then permanent residence and build up the required period — on the general grounds you can apply for citizenship only after 10 years of lawful continuous residence.

I have no regular source of income or confirmed accommodation in Montenegro

First resolve the question of employment or accommodation — without a confirmed regular income and secured accommodation the application will be rejected under article 8 of the citizenship law (the exact list of supporting documents is confirmed by the consulate).

I was sentenced to unconditional imprisonment of more than a year

Wait until the legal consequences of the conviction expire — until then admission to citizenship is unavailable on any ground.

What it costs

Filing the application at a diplomatic or consular missionTariff no. 148 of the law on administrative fees; the official page of the programme states a combined consular fee for admission to citizenship of EUR 135	10 EUR
Service of the decision on admission to citizenshipTariff no. 150 of the law on administrative fees, paid on receipt of a positive decision; where the decision covers the spouse and minor children at the same time, the fee is paid once for the whole family	100 EUR
Certification of the signature on the declaration renouncing the previous citizenshipTariff no. 160/1 — where the renunciation of the previous citizenship is arranged through a Montenegrin consulate	+150 EUR
Issue of a Montenegrin passport after citizenship is grantedTariff no. 151, arranged at the consulate after the decision is served	+50 EUR
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Certification of the signature on the declaration renouncing the previous citizenship” adds 150 EUR; “Issue of a Montenegrin passport after citizenship is granted” adds 50 EUR. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	110–310 EUR

Paid separately

Translation and notarial certification of foreign documents — Charged separately: certification of a translation at the consulate costs from EUR 15 to EUR 40 for the first 100 words plus a supplement for each further word (tariff no. 162)
The fee for terminating (being released from) the previous citizenship in the country of origin — Paid under the laws of that country and not included in the Montenegrin consular fee

Documents to gather

The exact list is confirmed by the consulate locally, but the law and the application form name the following basic set:

The completed form “ZAHTJEV ZA PRIJEM U CRNOGORSKO DRŽAVLJANSTVO” (version 1.0 of 27.03.2025)
A document showing lawful continuous residence in Montenegro for the required period
Confirmation of secured accommodation — ownership or another document confirming the right to use accommodation (a lease, for example)
Confirmation of a regular source of income — an open-ended employment contract, a certificate of a pension in Montenegro, other regular income or confirmation of maintenance by another person under the law
A certificate that there is no conviction to unconditional imprisonment of more than one year — from Montenegro and from the country of origin
A document showing renunciation of (release from) the previous citizenship, or proof that the applicant will lose it automatically on obtaining Montenegrin citizenship
Confirmation that taxes and other compulsory payments in Montenegro have been paid
Confirmation of a basic knowledge of Montenegrin
A receipt for payment of the consular fee

How the process runs

The procedure brings together the requirements of the citizenship law and the practice of the diplomatic and consular missions.

1
Filing the application at the consulate
The applicant files the application in person on the official form at the Montenegrin diplomatic or consular mission for the place of stay; for persons lacking legal capacity the application is filed by the guardian and for children under 18 by the parents. The consular fee is paid at filing.
2
Checking the conditions for admission
The Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration checks the period of lawful continuous residence, the existence of accommodation and a regular income, the absence of a conviction to unconditional imprisonment of more than a year, the absence of threats to the security and defence of the country, the payment of taxes and, where required, a basic knowledge of Montenegrin.
3
Decision on the application
up to 1 year from the day proceedings are opened
The ministry must issue a written decision with reasons and with an explanation of the right to challenge it in an administrative dispute no later than one year from the day proceedings begin; if the applicant fails to take a requested step, the case is treated as discontinued after three months (after six if the applicant lives abroad).
4
Service of the decision and acquisition of citizenship
Montenegrin citizenship is treated as acquired on the day the decision on admission is served. An adult also makes a solemn declaration, the form and procedure for which are laid down by the government.

Who you can bring with you

The law relaxes the requirements for spouses of Montenegrin citizens, for Montenegrin emigrants and their descendants, and for applicants' children.

The spouse of a Montenegrin citizen

At least 3 years of marriage (including where the marriage ended with the spouse's death) and at least 5 years of lawful continuous residence in Montenegro before the application is filed; neither renunciation of the previous citizenship nor the ten-year period of residence is required.

Montenegrin emigrants and their descendants down to the third generation in the direct line

At least 2 years of lawful continuous residence in Montenegro; renunciation of the previous citizenship is not required.

The applicant's minor children

A child without foreign citizenship (or who has renounced it) acquires Montenegrin citizenship by admission where both parents or one of them obtain it by admission and the child lives lawfully and continuously with that parent in Montenegro; the consent of the other parent is required, and for children over 14 their own consent.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Ten years of lawful continuous residence in Montenegro before the application is filed. For the spouse of a Montenegrin citizen five years of residence and three years of marriage are enough, and for descendants of Montenegrin emigrants down to the third generation, two years.

Montenegrin citizenship has no term and does not need renewing. If at the time of filing the applicant has not yet obtained release from their previous citizenship, they may be given a guarantee valid for two years — admission is completed only if the release is confirmed within that period, otherwise the admission proceedings are discontinued. A person who has lost Montenegrin citizenship and obtained the citizenship of another country may apply for admission again after at least one year of lawful continuous residence in Montenegro.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

The law requires release from the previous citizenship. Accommodation, sources of income and the absence of a sentence of unconditional imprisonment of more than one year are additionally checked.

Frequently asked questions about Admission to citizenship

Do you have to give up your present citizenship in order to obtain Montenegrin citizenship?

Yes, the law requires renunciation of (release from) the citizenship of another country. The exceptions are where the applicant is already stateless, provides proof that they will automatically lose their previous citizenship on obtaining Montenegrin citizenship, or has been refused release because of unfulfilled military service: a written declaration renouncing the previous citizenship is then enough.

How many years do you have to live in Montenegro in order to apply for citizenship?

On the general ground — 10 years of lawful continuous residence before the application is filed. For the spouse of a Montenegrin citizen 5 years of residence and 3 years of marriage are enough, and for a Montenegrin emigrant and their descendants down to the third generation, 2 years of residence.

How much does it cost to file an application for admission to Montenegrin citizenship?

The official page of the programme states a consular fee of EUR 135. Under the law on administrative fees the charge for filing the application at a consulate is EUR 10 and for service of the decision on admission EUR 100; where the decision covers the spouse and minor children at the same time, the fee for service is paid once for the whole family.

How long does consideration of an application for admission to citizenship take?

The Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration must issue a decision within one year of the day proceedings on the application begin.

What happens to the applicant's children if they obtain Montenegrin citizenship?

A minor child without foreign citizenship (or who has renounced it) becomes a Montenegrin citizen by admission together with the parent, provided they live lawfully and continuously with that parent in Montenegro; the consent of the other parent is required for this, and for a child over 14 their own consent.

Other ways to move to Montenegro

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Montenegro.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.