According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro, as of September 2026, 69,945 foreign citizens have a residence permit in the country. The largest group among them are Russians - 17,907 people. This was reported by the Center for Civic Education (CGO) with reference to the official statistics of the ministry.
The citizens of Serbia are in second place (15,287 people), and Turkey is in third place (10,600 people). Together, these three countries provide almost two thirds of about 63% of all foreigners with a valid residence permit in Montenegro.
For comparison, according to the 2023 census, there were 13,550 Russian citizens living in the country. Thus, in three years, the number of Russians with a residence permit has increased by about 4,300 people. At the same time, the total number of foreigners with a regulated status, including temporary and permanent residence permits, exceeded 97,000 at the end of July 2026.
Montenegro is a small country with a population of about 624,000 people, so foreigners with residence permits make up more than 10% of its residents. This proportion makes migration processes a significant factor in the social and economic life of the country, especially against the background of the active influx of Russian and Serbian citizens in recent years.Source: Vijesti
