Overview
A foreigner who is employed by, or works electronically for, a foreign company (or their own company not registered in Montenegro) can apply in person to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) in their place of residence for a digital-nomad residence permit. The Ministry decides within 40 days of a complete application.
The government's promotional “Programme for Attracting Digital Nomads” ran to 2025; the permit itself is written into the Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette 12/18, 3/19, 86/22) and remains in force.
Editor's note — Several 2026 guides say the scheme “ends on 31 December 2026”. The official digital-nomad portal does not say that; it describes the promotional programme as running “until 2025” while the legal permit continues. Ask MUP for the current position before you plan around a deadline.
Who is eligible
- Employed by, or working electronically for, a company registered outside Montenegro — or your own company not registered in Montenegro.
- Proof of financial means to support yourself (no figure on the official page; practitioners cite a multiple of the national minimum wage).
- Health insurance, proof of accommodation, and a passport valid at least three months beyond the permit.
- Clean criminal record (no conviction carrying six months' imprisonment or more).
- Employment contract or other document proving you perform the work electronically for a foreign company.
Income & financial requirements
Reported benchmark ≈ €1,800–2,400/month depending on education level.
Tourist policies are reported to be accepted.
Lease or ownership in Montenegro.
Beyond the permit period.
The official portal lists “proof of financial means of support” without a number. Relocation practitioners in 2026 report that MUP benchmarks the requirement to three times the minimum wage — roughly €1,800 a month for applicants without a degree and €2,400 with one — but this is not published law, so confirm with the regional MUP office.
Bank statements and the foreign employment or service contract are the core evidence.
Costs & fees
- Modest administrative fees for the application and the permit card (set by MUP).
- Health insurance for the full period and certified translations into Montenegrin.
- Local registration of your address within the statutory deadline.
Taxes
Montenegro amended its income-tax rules in 2021 to exempt registered digital nomads' foreign-source earnings for the duration of the permit, according to local practitioners; standard personal income tax is otherwise 9–15%. Confirm the exemption's current scope with a Montenegrin accountant.
Montenegro uses the euro but is outside the EU and Schengen.
How to apply
Enter Montenegro
Most Western passports enter visa-free for 90 days.
Register and prepare
Register your address, sign a lease, arrange insurance and translate documents.
Apply in person at MUP
File at the regional unit for your municipality with the employment/electronic-work contract and proof of means.
Decision within 40 days
Collect the residence permit; extensions are filed before expiry.
Duration & renewal
The permit is issued for up to two years and can be extended for a maximum of two more, giving four years in total. It does not itself lead to permanent residence.
Bringing family
Spouses, minor children and stepchildren under 18 may join the digital nomad through family reunification for the same period.
Pros & cons
Advantages
- Two-year first grant, four years total
- Euro-priced but far cheaper than the EU coast
- Family reunification available
- Reported income-tax exemption on foreign earnings
Considerations
- No published income figure
- In-person filing at MUP with translated documents
- Not EU/Schengen; no PR track
- Programme end date is disputed — verify