Montenegro Citizenship

Foreign citizens who want to move to Montenegro have several options in terms of residence permits. They can work or set up their own businesses and live here for the desired period of time and if they want, they can apply for Montenegro citizenship.

There are several ways of obtaining citizenship in Montenegro, which is why the country appeals many foreign citizens who can make a good living here. By the end of 2021, Montenegro also has the citizenship by investment scheme in place, however, this immigration choice implies a significant amount of money to be injected in the economy.

Below, our specialists explain the main ways through which foreign citizens can obtain citizenship in 2023. We are at your service with tailored immigration services.

Who is eligible for Montenegro citizenship?

According to Montenegro’s Nationality Law citizens of any country of the world are allowed to apply for citizenship as long as they are willing to renounce their former nationalities. There are several ways through which one can obtain Montenegrin citizenship.

Here are the main grounds under which citizenship can be acquired in Montenegro in 2023:

1. origin if the applicant has Montenegrin ancestors or close relatives;
2. birth if the applicant is a child of foreign citizens but is born in Montenegro;
3. naturalization if the applicant has lived in this country based on a residence permit;
4. based on international agreements with other countries.

Investors who want to have their own businesses in Montenegro can choose the naturalization pathway of obtaining citizenship based on long-term residency.

If you want to know if you meet the requirements to apply for Montenegro citizenship, our specialists are at your service for assistance.

How to obtain citizenship in Montenegro based on origin and birth

One of the safest ways of obtaining Montenegro citizenship is by origin or birth. This will be granted based on a set of documents to the following categories of applicants:

• children with Montenegrin citizens who have left the country at a certain point;
• children who had at least one Montenegrin parent and who was born in this country;
• children of Montenegrin citizens who were born abroad and who have not acquired the citizenship of the other state;
• foreign children adopted by Montenegrin citizens.

If you meet any of the above criteria or want to know if you enter any of the categories above, you can discuss with our specialists.

Montenegrin citizenship by admittance

One of the most employed paths for obtaining Montenegro citizenship in 2023 remains admittance or long-term residency. There are numerous foreign citizens who have moved to Montenegro for various reasons and decided to remain here.

Considering that obtaining a residence permit for Montenegro is not difficult, staying here and making a living is even simpler. The main requirements to obtain citizenship through admittance are:

• for the applicant to have lived in Montenegro based on a long-term residence permit for 5 years;
• for the applicant to have lived in Montenegro based on a permanent residence permit for 10 years;
• for the applicant to have been married to a Montenegrin citizen for at least 3 years.

Additional requirements apply to all categories of applicants. For instance, those who have obtained long-term residency and have lived in Montenegro for 5 years must know that they have the right of leaving the country for more than 10 months during the entire 5-year period or 6 months at a time.

Foreign citizens who are married to Montenegrin citizens must have lived with their spouses here for 3 years in a period of 5 years. During this entire period, they must have not left Montenegro for more than 30 days. Another requirement is for the wedding to have taken place in Montenegro.

If you are interested in Montenegro citizenship, our specialists can explain the documents you need to supply and file with the governmental authorities in charge of immigration.

Benefits of obtaining citizenship in Montenegro

Montenegrin citizenship comes with various benefits, among which the possibility of travelling without a visa in more than 120 counties. Also, Montenegro has applied to EU accession which should happen by 2025. Apart from these, the country offers one of the lowest personal income tax rates in Europe – 9%.

If you want to apply for citizenship in Montenegro in 2023 and need assistance, our company is at your disposal with various services, including assistance in setting up companies in this country, so do not hesitate to contact us.