MontenegroCitizenship

Citizenship for special interest in Montenegro

An exceptional route to Montenegrin citizenship: the state recognises a person as valuable for scientific, business, economic, cultural or sporting achievements. The decision is taken by the Ministry of the Interior, and for the state interest the candidate is first proposed by the President, the Speaker of the Assembly or the Prime Minister. There is no need to live in the country for years or to give up the previous citizenship. The criteria for assessment are laid down by the government in a separate act. The route is designed for individual cases of recognised merit.

Source: Vlada Crne Gore — Predlog odluke o izmjeni Odluke o kriterijumima za utvrđivanje naučnog, privrednog, ekonomskog, kulturnog i sportskog interesa Crne Gore za sticanje crnogorskog državljanstva prijemom

Who is granted citizenship for special interest

The Law on Montenegrin Citizenship divides admission for special interest into two mechanisms — they differ in who proposes the candidate and whose opinion the Ministry's decision requires.

State and other special interest

The candidate is proposed by the President of Montenegro, the Speaker of the Assembly or the Prime Minister
The decision is taken by the Ministry of the Interior on the basis of that proposal
The route is designed for people of political, diplomatic or other state significance for the country

Scientific, business, economic, cultural or sporting interest

The law names no separate initiator — the matter is decided by the Ministry of the Interior itself
The Ministry must obtain the opinion of the authority responsible for the particular field before deciding the matter
The criteria for assessment in each field are laid down by the government in a separate act, not by the citizenship law itself

When the programme is not a fit

You run an ordinary business in Montenegro without internationally recognised achievements

A residence permit through registering a firm or through employment, and ordinary naturalisation after 10 years of lawful residence (art. 8 of the Law)

You were counting on buying citizenship through investment, as the special programme once allowed

The economic citizenship by investment programme closed on 31.12.2022 — the business interest under the same art. 12 is now confirmed by the authority for regional investment development, not by an investment scheme

You are married to a Montenegrin citizen

Admission through marriage (art. 11 of the Law) — at least 3 years of marriage and 5 years of lawful residence in Montenegro

You simply want to live in Montenegro without extraordinary achievements

An ordinary residence permit and permanent residence after 5 years of continuous temporary residence

Who it suits

Documents

The decision is taken by the Ministry of the Interior. On the state and other interest of Montenegro — on a proposal from the President of Montenegro, the Speaker of the Assembly or the Prime Minister. On the scientific, business, economic, cultural and sporting interest, the Ministry decides with the opinion of the relevant authority.

What it costs

Fee for filing the application for admission to citizenship	2 EUR
Fee for the Ministry's decision on admission to citizenship	100 EUR
Fee for service of the decision through a consulate abroadPaid instead of the fee for the decision where the document is served through a Montenegrin diplomatic or consular mission	100 EUR
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. the “Fee for service of the decision through a consulate abroad” branch replaces the “Fee for the Ministry's decision on admission to citizenship” line — 102 EUR. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	102 EUR

Paid separately

Translation and certification of documents — Separate fees under the same law — for certifying a signature or a translation, for each page, for example
Consular services when filing from abroad — A separate fee for applying through a diplomatic mission

How the process runs

The procedure runs without fixed intermediate deadlines, apart from the final time limit for the Ministry's decision.

1
Initiating the case
For the state and other special interest the candidate is proposed by the President of Montenegro, the Speaker of the Assembly or the Prime Minister. For the scientific, business, economic, cultural and sporting interest the law names no separate initiator — the matter is decided by the Ministry of the Interior.
2
Opinion of the relevant authority
The Ministry of the Interior requests the opinion of the state administration body responsible for the field — science, business, the economy, culture or sport — in which the candidate represents a special interest for Montenegro.
3
The Ministry's decision on admission
no later than 1 year from the day the procedure begins
The Ministry of the Interior issues a written decision on admission to citizenship. The law obliges the authority to decide the question of acquisition or loss of citizenship no later than one year from the day the procedure begins.
4
Service of the decision and acquisition of citizenship
Citizenship is treated as acquired from the day the decision on admission is served. An adult admitted to citizenship makes a solemn declaration in the manner laid down by the government.
5
Entry in the register of Montenegrin citizens
The competent authority enters the new citizen in the register of Montenegrin citizens of its own motion.

Timelines and rights

Work

A citizen does not need a temporary residence and work permit — those rules concern foreign nationals only.

Who you can bring with you

The law gives no separate simplified ground for a spouse under the article on special interest — the family obtains citizenship under other articles of the same law.

Children

A child obtains citizenship by admission together with a parent, where that parent has themselves obtained citizenship by admission (including for special interest), the child holds no other country's citizenship or has been released from it, and lives lawfully and continuously with that parent in Montenegro. If the child has turned 14, their consent is required.

Spouse

There is no separate ground for admission for special interest — the spouse of a Montenegrin citizen may obtain citizenship in their own right through marriage: at least 3 years of marriage and at least 5 years of lawful continuous residence in Montenegro before the application is filed.

Payment of the fee for the family

Where a single decision of the Ministry of the Interior covers at the same time the admission, termination or determination of citizenship of the applicant's spouse and non-working children, the administrative fee is paid once rather than for each family member separately.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Article 12 of the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship allows a person to be admitted to citizenship even if they do not meet the conditions of article 8, including the period of lawful residence.

Citizenship obtained by this route is not renewed — the decision on admission is final and, by default, of indefinite duration. It can be lost only on the general grounds of article 24 of the law: for example, if the person has voluntarily obtained the citizenship of another country with no applicable international treaty on dual citizenship, if the decision on admission was taken on the basis of knowingly false information, or if the person's conduct seriously harms the vital interests of Montenegro. Dual citizenship is generally recognised by the law: a Montenegrin citizen who also holds the citizenship of another country is treated as a Montenegrin citizen in proceedings before Montenegrin authorities.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

This route does not require permanent residence to be obtained first. The ordinary procedure is different: 5 years of continuous temporary residence give the right to apply for permanent residence.

Route to citizenship

Citizenship is granted by way of exception: the general conditions of article 8 of the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship — ten years of residence and renunciation of the previous citizenship — do not apply to this route.

Frequently asked questions about Citizenship for special interest

Do you have to give up your previous citizenship in order to obtain Montenegrin citizenship for special interest?

No. Ordinary naturalisation requires renunciation of the previous citizenship (article 8 of the Law), but admission for special interest — article 12 — expressly allows Montenegrin citizenship to be granted even where the person does not meet the conditions of article 8, including that requirement.

Do you first have to obtain a residence permit or permanent residence in Montenegro?

No. The ordinary procedure requires ten years of lawful continuous residence in Montenegro before the application is filed. Admission for special interest is an exception to article 8, so that residence requirement does not apply either.

Who proposes a candidate for citizenship for special interest?

For the state and other special interest the candidate is proposed by the President of Montenegro, the Speaker of the Assembly or the Prime Minister, and the decision is taken by the Ministry of the Interior. For the scientific, business, economic, cultural and sporting interest the law names no separate initiator — the Ministry takes the decision with the mandatory opinion of the authority responsible for the relevant field.

How much is the state fee for this citizenship?

The fee for filing the application is 2 euros and the fee for the decision on admission to citizenship is 100 euros. If the decision is served through a Montenegrin diplomatic or consular mission abroad, the fee for service is likewise 100 euros.

Within what period must the Ministry of the Interior take a decision?

The law obliges the competent authority to decide the question of acquisition or loss of citizenship no later than one year from the day the procedure begins.

Is dual citizenship allowed on admission for special interest?

Yes. The law generally recognises dual citizenship: a Montenegrin citizen who holds the citizenship of another country is treated as a Montenegrin citizen in proceedings before Montenegrin authorities. Admission for special interest is a route on which the requirement to renounce the previous citizenship expressly does not apply.

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.