Podgorica has not yet made a final decision on the introduction of a visa regime for Russian citizens. As Deputy Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament Nicolla Kamaj told Izvestia, the issue is being discussed, but there is no exact timeline. Earlier, the republic's Foreign Ministry called September 2026 a possible date, but now the authorities have taken a wait-and-see attitude. The reason is not only the dependence of the local economy on Russian tourists, but also the shift in the prospects of Montenegro itself on its way to the European Union.
Experts attribute the pause to the fact that, due to Iceland's desire to accelerate its accession to the EU, Montenegro may join the union no earlier than 2030. This reduces the urgency of introducing visas for Podgorica, which is one of the requirements of Brussels.
At the same time, Russian tourists remain critically important for the country: in 2025, they accounted for 16.4% of all visitors, second only to the Serbs. In addition, about 21 thousand Russian citizens permanently reside in Montenegro.
Today, Russians can stay in Montenegro without a visa for 30 days.
Source: Izvestia
