Montenegro to cancel visa-free regime for Russians and Belarusians from November 1

Citizens of Russia and Belarus will need to apply for visas to enter Montenegro from November 1, 2026. This was announced on July 27 by the press service of the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"On July 23, 2026, the Government of Montenegro adopted a resolution amending the decree on the visa regime, according to which citizens of countries whose visa regimes previously did not comply with the visa regimes of the European Union (Belarus, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey) will need a visa to enter Montenegro from November 1, 2026," — it is stated on the agency's website.

The Foreign Ministry of Montenegro noted that the decision is related to the fulfillment of the country's obligations on the path to European integration. The agency pointed out that the change in the visa regime will allow Montenegro to fulfill one of the conditions of negotiations with the EU on issues of justice, freedom and security.

At the same time, the country's authorities announced their intention to simplify the procedure for obtaining visas. You will no longer need to submit documents only through the diplomatic and consular missions of Montenegro.

Visa applications can already be submitted through VFS Global visa application centers in Russia, India, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the UAE. In the future, the network of such centers is planned to expand to a number of other countries, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, China and Armenia.

In addition, Montenegro is developing a new visa information system compatible with EU systems and the security standards of the Schengen area. In the future, the country's authorities plan to introduce electronic visas that will allow applying online.

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On July 16, the Dan portal announced Montenegro's intention to introduce a visa regime for citizens of Russia and Belarus from October 1, 2026.

On July 1, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia announced that Montenegro's visa centers had opened in eight cities in Russia: Moscow, Pskov, Yekaterinburg, Voronezh, Novorossiysk, Petrozavodsk, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. It was clarified that applications for all major categories of Montenegrin visas can be submitted at visa centers.