Dual citizenship in Montenegro

Benefits of the Montenegro citizenship program

1. Montenegro could become part of the European Union; The country has been announced to join the European Union in 2025.
2. Visa-free entry to more than 120 countries, including Schengen countries;
3. The fastest citizenship approval process in Europe; The period is only 3 months.
4. There are no residency requirements;
5. There are no language requirements. Citizenship in Montenegro does not require renunciation of the applicant's current citizenship.

List of documents for obtaining second citizenship of Montenegro through investment

The first step towards a second passport and economic citizenship of Montenegro by investment is to fill out an application. The application form prescribed by the competent government agency is provided to the candidate by the hired immigration agent.

Conducting due diligence checks on the main applicant/dependants (if any) will require a fairly standard set of data/documents, including the following:

• Certified copies of passports + identity cards;
• Extracts from the birth register;
• Extracts from the marriage register (if necessary);
• Insurance policies valid on Montenegrin territory that cover health insurance;
• Certificates confirming that the applicant/dependants are free from infectious diseases, issued in accordance with the rules of the candidates’ country of residence/homeland.
• Documents confirming the legality of sources of income;
• Certificates from the police confirming no criminal record.

When applying for Montenegrin citizenship for investment in real estate, the applicant will need documents confirming the transfer of the amount of 250,000 euros / 450,000 euros (depending on the location of the selected development project) to an escrow account.

When applying for Montenegrin citizenship through business investment, the applicant will have to submit the following documents:

• Business plan covering capital investment/return on investment;
• A document confirming either the ownership of assets in the form of land/buildings, or the right to lease land/buildings for at least a decade (an agreement certified by a notary is suitable);
• A document with urban planning and technical conditions and an architectural design approved by the local government authority / competent government agency, if the investment project concerns construction or reconstruction work.

If it is subsequently discovered that an individual who received Montenegrin citizenship through investment provided false information / intentionally concealed essential facts or circumstances relating to the granting of the status of a Montenegrin citizen, the competent authority has the right to cancel the passport of such an individual.

Following the requirements of the law, the authorities are also canceling Montenegrin citizenship by investment. In such a case, the investor is deprived of the right to reimbursement of funds spent in obtaining the status of a Montenegrin economic citizen.

Conditions of the Montenegro citizenship by investment program

To obtain Montenegrin citizenship by investment, the following investment requirements must be met:

1. Make a free contribution to the state in the amount of 100,000 euros;
2. In addition to the contribution, make a real estate investment of 250,000 euros (in less developed areas in the north of the country) or 450,000 euros (in more developed areas in the south).

Interesting: In this citizenship program in Montenegro, there is no requirement to maintain investments for a certain period of time.

Upcoming Initiative

According to some reports, the Balkan country is about to launch a new passport program. Most likely, its participants will be able to acquire Montenegrin citizenship through investment. The likely investments of applicants will range from 300 thousand to 1 million euros. A similar initiative was already attempted in 2010. However, the program was closed under pressure from the EU after a few months.

In the meantime, it is impossible to obtain Montenegrin citizenship for money. Immigrants from Russia who dream of settling in the Balkans will still have to wait 5-10 years to become a citizen of this republic.

Procedure for obtaining Montenegrin citizenship by investment

1. Collection of documents; The standard package of documents for obtaining Montenegrin citizenship by investment includes: a valid passport or other identification document;
2. certificate of no criminal record;
3. a certificate from the bank about the account balance, as well as other documents confirming the financial solvency of the person;
4. statement;
5. other information required by the program.

Conditions for obtaining economic citizenship of Montenegro through investment

Important: When applying for a Montenegrin passport, you should take into account 3 important circumstances:

• Limit:
  According to the relevant legislation, the acceptance of applications for Montenegrin citizenship by investment on the basis of a special program will cease once the limit of 2000 satisfied requests has been reached. Reason to hurry!
• Agent:
  A foreigner receiving Montenegrin citizenship through investment under a special program is prohibited from contacting directly the authorities of the host country. The applicant must apply through the services of a licensed immigration agent.
• Licensed Contractors:
  The candidate's background is assessed by international audit/detective agencies licensed for the relevant activities. Immigration agents and international compliance assessors are licensed by the competent Montenegrin government authority.

The applicant is free to apply for Montenegrin citizenship by investment individually / together with family members. The following relatives may be included in a collective application:

• Spouse;
• Dependent children of the applicant aged 18+;
• Children under 18.

The main applicant/dependants must meet the following criteria:

The candidate will additionally have to pay state fees/notary expenses,

transferring funds in the amount:

• Individual applicant - 15,000 euros;
• Any additional family member of 2-4 people - 10,000 euros;
• Any additional family member (5th and subsequent) - 50,000 euros.

There are due diligence fees,

carried out in relation to applicants for a second passport and citizenship of Montenegro by investment (Due Diligence procedure). Fees are charged as follows:

• Individual applicant - 7,000 euros;
• Family of 2-4 members - 10,000 euros;
• Any additional family member (5th and subsequent) - 1,500 euros.

You must select one of the financial options described below and meet the relevant investment requirements

:

Note:

The conditions for obtaining the status of a Montenegrin citizen when making investments in agriculture / processing industry are preliminary, and the corresponding investment projects have not yet been approved. Therefore, the partner (licensed immigration agent) is ready to accept only applications for economic citizenship of Montenegro for investment in real estate.

Who can become a citizen of Montenegro?

There are other legal ways to acquire citizenship. This:

• right of birth;
• nationality;
• entry into citizenship.

Also, a number of international acts or treaties allow for additional reasons (they can be clarified at the Consulate).

In the first case, a baby found on the territory of Montenegro, provided that there is no information about his parents (or was born in the Republic), acquires the right to obtain citizenship. If the baby's father and mother have already acquired citizenship (both, one of the parents, at the time of the child's birth), then he automatically inherits their right to reside in the country. The situation will be similar if children are born in another state, but from one of the Montenegrins, and the second parent has no objections to the heirs acquiring citizenship of the Republic.

An additional condition for a child to obtain citizenship is the presence of a parent who is a resident of Montenegro; the fact of existence for the second is not required at all (as is his citizenship). Anyone who has reached the age of 18 and has lived in the country for at least 10 years has every reason to become a full citizen. After this period, you can submit an official application for citizenship.

When marrying or marrying a resident of the Republic, the second spouse has a chance to be legalized in the country if he spends 5 years or more in it. In turn, the mother and father of the child, who have a Montenegrin passport, automatically transfer the right of citizenship to their minor child.

Additional conditions (international regulations) are that the Republic inherits the rights of the former SFRY: people who have confirmed their citizenship have good reason to receive the coveted permit for citizenship in Montenegro.

Expert support for applicants for economic citizenship of Montenegro by investment + mini-FAQ

Your partner, a licensed immigration agent, will help you successfully obtain a second passport and citizenship of Montenegro through investment, spending a minimum of time, effort and nerves. The cost of services of such a company, which has experienced Russian-speaking experts in the field of organizing an effective immigration process, starts from 60,000 euros.

Do you want to get answers to questions regarding obtaining dual citizenship of Montenegro for investing in premium real estate/business as quickly as possible? We recommend that you contact the portal specialists directly right now using the feedback form / telephone numbers on the contacts page (popular instant messengers are linked to the numbers).

Does Montenegro have EU membership?

No. Montenegro currently has the status of a candidate country for EU membership. The Balkan state is likely to join the European Union in 2025.

What is the legal basis for the scheme for granting Montenegrin citizenship to investors?

The legal basis for the scheme for granting Montenegrin citizen status to foreign investors was published in the Official Gazette 34/10, 40/16 and 62/18. Key amendments to legislation relating to this issue were adopted at the parliamentary session on November 22, 2021.

Double citizenship

While there are some similarities in the Republic's policies aimed at attracting new citizens in relation to other EU states, there are rules that simply do not apply in Montenegro. You cannot be a citizen of Russia and Montenegro at the same time; you will have to choose one. Spain, Portugal, Latvia, Italy establish by their legislation the receipt of a residence permit in case of purchasing a home; in the Balkan Republic this rule does not apply.

In Montenegro, you can get a residence permit for up to a year by purchasing an apartment or a mansion for 40 thousand dollars, but nothing more. This fact does not have any impact on permanent residence; it will not be possible to obtain citizenship of the Republic of Montenegro when purchasing real estate in it.

Note!

Dual citizenship, which is popular in some other powers, is not allowed: only official, single citizenship. Therefore, Russians who want to legalize themselves in the Republic will have to make a choice by renouncing Russian citizenship.

Is dual citizenship of Montenegro and Russia allowed?

The country's authorities do not recognize dual citizenship, so a foreigner who wants to become a citizen of this state will have to renounce his previous citizenship.

The exception is for persons who receive Montenegrin citizenship by investment. What distinguishes this program very favorably for financially wealthy people from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

In this case, you can have two passports and not have to renounce your native citizenship.

Dual citizenship of Montenegro through investment: process and procedures

The immigration route, ending with obtaining a second passport and economic citizenship of Montenegro by investment, is as follows:

• Stage 1.
  Selecting a licensed immigration company, negotiations with employees of a similar company, preliminary screening of the candidate, signing an agreement with the selected licensed agent.
• Stage 2.
  Collecting documents and filling out forms, submitting an application for Montenegrin citizenship by investment, accompanied by employees of a licensed immigration company.
• Step 3.
  Payment of government fees related to processing the application/completing the due diligence procedure. The funds are transferred to the account of a licensed immigration company. The latter redirects the funds received to the state account and to the account of a contractor company authorized by the authorities, which carries out verification of investors.
• Stage 4.
  Fulfillment of investment obligations based on the chosen financial option (Montenegro citizenship through investment in real estate / business), by transferring the necessary amounts to the escrow account.
• Stage 5.
  Submission of the application for Montenegrin citizenship by investment to the government. The review will take 3-4 months. A formal decision will then follow.
• Stage 6.
  Obtaining a passport of a Montenegrin citizen. Important: Once approved, applicants and dependents (if any) are required to visit the Balkan country to submit biometrics/collect passports.

To speed up your consultation, we recommend that you fill out the questionnaire below in advance.

Citizenship by investment and when purchasing real estate

Having a national and ethnic connection with Montenegro or at least Serbia is the easiest way to become the owner of a Montenegrin passport. In the absence of such a connection, other methods must be considered. One of the options that allows you to move to Montenegro for permanent residence and become its citizen is to invest in its economy.

Investments

Dobrota, Montenegro.
Near Kotor. Photo: Trish Hartmann Since 2010, Montenegrin legislation has made it possible to obtain “economic citizenship.” Apart from this Balkan country, only a few European countries have considered it possible to include among their citizens foreigners who are capable of making significant cash injections. Citizens from any other country can obtain citizenship in Montenegro after investing 500 thousand euros in a certain industry.

After meeting this main condition, the applicant automatically becomes a candidate for obtaining a Montenegrin passport out of turn. Additionally, economic migration programs require the provision of evidence of the profitability of the applicant’s business, a high level of wealth, cleanliness and openness of the biography. But knowledge of the language and length of residence are not required. The main disadvantage of obtaining a Montenegrin passport this way is that only the investor receives citizenship, but the family and children do not.

However, even compliance with all the stringent requirements listed above is not a 100% guarantee of acceptance into the ranks of true Montenegrins. This is due to the fact that the “economic citizenship” program is very “raw” and requires significant improvement. The desire of the Montenegrin government to join the EU forces it to constantly coordinate its actions and build on the legislation of European powers. At the moment, a tender has been announced for the thorough development of obtaining citizenship through investment.

Buying a property

Purchasing property from 40 thousand euros gives the right to submit documents to request an annual residence permit and nothing more. The desire to obtain permanent residence even five years after purchasing a house or apartment and its constant renewal will remain an unfulfilled dream. Unlike some European countries (Portugal, Latvia, Spain), it is impossible to obtain Montenegrin citizenship when purchasing real estate.

To obtain a residence permit through the acquisition of property, you must prepare and submit the following documents to the Ministry of Internal Affairs:

• property sheet (confirms the unencumbered and legal nature of the property);
• a copy of the international passport and its translation into Montenegrin;
• medical insurance for a month;
• receipt of payment of the state fee of 25 euros;
• bank account statement (must be at least 3,650 euros);
• certificate of good conduct in the Russian Federation.

General conditions for obtaining citizenship

Passport of a citizen of Montenegro
If you are not a Montenegrin by birth, and you do not have the required amount to obtain economic citizenship, you can only follow the traditional path. Namely:

1. Obtain a temporary residence permit and renew it for five years. The grounds for obtaining a residence permit may be: education, marriage, opening a business or contract work, research work. However, you can be absent from the country for no more than two months a year. If this rule is violated, the residence permit will be revoked.
2. After the specified period, obtain the right to permanent residence. Stay in this status for at least five years.
3. After 10 years of an immaculate stay in the country from the point of view of migration legislation, you will most likely be able to obtain a passport as a citizen of Montenegro.

Before obtaining Montenegrin citizenship, a Russian citizen who has reached the age of majority will have to:

• renounce your original citizenship (dual citizenship is not possible in the Balkans);
• pass an exam on knowledge of the Montenegrin language;
• provide documents proving no criminal record.

The group of exceptions to the general rule includes only persons who have married citizens of Montenegro. To obtain citizenship of this country, they only need to live in Montenegro for 5 years (not 10), and also prove the availability of money and property.

For Russians there is another alternative way to become Montenegrins, but it is quite specific. Since the state was previously part of Yugoslavia, people who at one time became subjects of this particular country can, without much delay, receive a passport from the now independent Balkan power.