The draft law on amendments to the Law on Foreigners in Montenegro has passed the stage of public hearings. The document has not yet been adopted by Parliament. But the hearing report is already available. It contains a table with amendments. Some accepted, others rejected. Details can be found in the official report on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro (available at mup.gov.me). There are explanations in the same place. And we will analyze the key points based on the available data.
According to Eurostat statistics for 2024, Montenegro has issued over 12,500 temporary residence permits to foreigners. Of these, 28% are based on real estate ownership. Another 15% is through employment. Against the background of the influx from Russia and Ukraine, the numbers are growing: in 2023, there were 9,800. After 2022 – plus 40% of applications. The data confirms the UNHCR report: the migration flow to the country has exceeded 50,000 people in 3 years.
Key innovations in the draft law
Here is what should be highlighted among the planned changes:
Employment and residence permit
- Barriers to a “director’s” residence permit. The executive director of a non-resident company, who owns more than 51% of the authorized capital, as well as sole proprietors will be able to renew their residence permit annually only if they hire 3 full—time employees, of whom at least 1 is a citizen of Montenegro.
- New “privileged” professions. For IT specialists and doctors, a 1-year contract with a Montenegrin employer is provided; the salary is more than 3 times the national average. Residence permit immediately for 3 years with the right to extend for another 3 years, which gives a continuous length of service the basis for permanent residence.
- Staff rental. A residence permit is being introduced for employees hired through foreign temporary labor agencies. The term is 1 year + an extension for 2.
- The maximum age of a primary work permit has been reduced from 67 to 66 years.
Family reunion
- Same-sex partners have been added to the circle of residence permit recipients.
- No financial guarantee document is required for the initial application of a family of a citizen of Montenegro or a permanent residence resident.
- The list of medical insurance requirements has been clarified.
Residence permit for the purchase of real estate
- When submitting, a tax certificate with the estimated value of the object is required.
- Upon extension — confirmation of payment of taxes on real estate.
- The minimum price threshold for a dominvest residence permit has been excluded from the project.
Education
- A residence permit is issued for the actual academic year (less than 12 months), so that parents of students do not accumulate five years of experience for permanent residence automatically.
Submission procedures
- Extension of residence permit: application 60-30 days before the end of the current one.
- You can apply only for the same reason as the previous residence permit (the exception is family members of a citizen with permanent residence).
- It is allowed to issue a power of attorney right upon submission, and an on-site mobile station of the migration police will appear for the disabled and seriously ill.
- The online portal VI provides for filling out a questionnaire, paying for and downloading scans remotely.
National visas
- The grounds for C (short-term) and D (long-term) visas are clearly separated. Mandatory introduction of biometrics.
PERMANENT residence
- A child receives the right to permanent residence if at least one parent already has permanent residence at the time of birth, even if the other parent is a foreigner with a residence permit.
- A certificate of absence of tax arrears is added to the documents.
- The threshold for the language exam has been rewritten: relief for graduates of Montenegrin schools/universities and citizens of the former Yugoslavia; benefits remain for children under 14 and persons over 64.
- The application for permanent residence extension is now submitted 60 days before the expiration date.
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Changes in Montenegro’s migration laws raise new issues in registration. If you’ve been postponing getting a residence permit, it’s about time. It will be more difficult later. Our experts are monitoring the innovations and are ready to advise on immigration issues today. Leave a request. Let’s analyze your specific situation and select the optimal design algorithm.
Implemented a system for tracking the stages of visa processing for clients, which increased their satisfaction by 30% (according to survey results).
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