MontenegroPermanent residence

Permanent residence in Montenegro

Permanent residence is a status for a foreign national who has lived in Montenegro on temporary permits for several years in a row and wants to settle in the country without being tied to the purpose of the move. The decision is taken by the Ministry of the Interior — the same authority that issues the temporary permits which build up the qualifying period. You no longer have to justify your presence afresh. The Ministry treats this status as a precondition for applying for Montenegrin citizenship.

Source: Ministarstvo unutrašnjih poslova Crne Gore — Pravilnik o načinu izdavanja i obrascu dozvole za stalni boravak

Who the permanent residence permit suits

There is essentially one rule — five years of continuous residence on temporary permits. The difference lies in where in that period the applicant currently stands.

Has already built up the required period

Has lived in Montenegro continuously for five years or more on temporary residence permits
Can confirm a regular income, accommodation and health insurance as at today's date
Knows Montenegrin at the level of basic communication

Still building up the period for permanent residence

Has lived in Montenegro on a temporary permit for less than five years
Renews temporary residence without interruptions in order to reach the required period
Is preparing to confirm income, accommodation, insurance and language by the time the five years are up

When the programme is not a fit

I have lived in Montenegro on a temporary permit for less than five years

Keep renewing the temporary residence permit (privremeni boravak) without interruptions until the required period is reached

There were breaks in my qualifying period — I left the country without a valid permit

Arrange temporary residence again: the Ministry of the Interior requires a continuous five-year period of residence

I only need a short visit — a holiday, medical treatment or a business trip

A visa or registration of temporary residence for a short period, not a permanent residence permit

I want Montenegrin citizenship without living in the country for a long time

Other grounds for admission to citizenship — permanent residence confirms a period already lived through, it does not shorten it

What it costs

Fee for filing the applicationPaid when the application is filed with the Ministry of the Interior for the place of stay	2 EUR
Administrative fee for the issue of the permanent residence permit	60 EUR
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	62 EUR

Paid separately

Health insurance policy — A mandatory condition for permanent residence, but the price of the policy is not part of the state fees
Renting or buying accommodation — Confirmation of secured accommodation is required, but the cost of the accommodation itself is separate from the state fee
Translation and legalisation of documents — Not covered by the administrative fee; paid separately to the translator or notary

Documents to gather

The conditions are listed in article 86 of the law, to which the Montenegrin Ministry of the Interior refers on the page “Informacije za strance”.

A valid passport or a document proving the identity of a stateless person
Proof of permanent, regular and sufficient means of subsistence
A health insurance policy
Confirmation of secured accommodation in Montenegro
Confirmation of a knowledge of Montenegrin at a level sufficient for basic communication
An application in the prescribed form, filed in person with the Ministry of the Interior for the place of stay

How the process runs

The Ministry of the Interior describes the procedure as the filing of an application in person with a decision within a fixed period.

1
Five years of continuous residence on a temporary permit
5 years
The applicant must live in Montenegro lawfully and without interruption for five consecutive years on temporary residence permits (privremeni boravak) — only this period is counted by the Ministry of the Interior when applying for permanent residence.
2
Filing the application in person with the Ministry of the Interior
The foreign national files the application in person with the Ministry of the Interior for the place of stay on the prescribed form and pays the fee for filing the application — 2 euros.
3
Consideration of the application
up to 6 months
The Ministry of the Interior takes a decision on the application within six months of the day the complete set of documents is filed.
4
Issue of the permanent residence permit
After a positive decision the applicant pays the administrative fee of 60 euros and receives the permanent residence permit.

Timelines and rights

Residence

Five years of continuous lawful residence on temporary residence permits. On humanitarian grounds or in the interests of Montenegro the Ministry of the Interior issues the permit even for a shorter period.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

Permanent residence is a mandatory condition for admission to Montenegrin citizenship.

Frequently asked questions about Permanent residence

After how many years of residence in Montenegro can you apply for permanent residence?

After five years of continuous lawful residence in Montenegro on temporary residence permits. The application is filed in person with the Ministry of the Interior for the place of stay.

How much does it cost to obtain a permanent residence permit in Montenegro?

The fee for filing the application is 2 euros and the administrative fee for the issue of the permanent residence permit is 60 euros.

How long does the Ministry of the Interior take to consider a permanent residence application?

Up to six months from the day the complete set of documents is filed.

Do you need to know Montenegrin in order to obtain permanent residence?

Yes. One of the conditions of article 86 is a knowledge of Montenegrin at a level sufficient for basic communication.

Which document governs the form and the procedure for issuing the permanent residence permit?

The procedure and the form of the permit are laid down by the Pravilnik o načinu izdavanja i obrascu dozvole za stalni boravak — a Ministry of the Interior document published on the gov.me portal on 31 March 2020.

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.