Montenegro
TRAVEL INSURANCE
The Department of Foreign Affairs strongly recommends that you obtain comprehensive travel insurance which will cover all overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before travelling to Montenegro. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.
Irish Citizens should note that the Irish Government does not provide funds for emergency medical repatriation or for repatriation of remains.
Summary
Montenegro is a country in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on
the Adriatic Sea to the south-west. The Montenegrin name of the
country is Crna Gora meaning "Black Mountain"
Internationally, Montenegro borders Croatia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania.
Area: 14,026 km²
Population: 625,266
Capital and largest city: Podgorica
Official languages: Montenegrin, Serbian
Currency: Euro
Calling code: +382
Drives on the: right
Time zone: CET - GMT +1
Climate: subtropical, continental
Average temperature: Summer 28 C, winter 5
C
Ethnic groups: 44.98% Montenegrins, 28.73% Serbs, other (Bosniaks,
Albanians, Muslims, Croats)
Religion: Eastern Orthodox 72%, Islam 15%, Muslims 3%, Catholics
3%
Public holidays:
New Year's Day 01 January,Orthodox Christmas Eve 06 January,
Orthodox Christmas Day 07 January, Labour Day 01 May, Orthodox Good
Friday 03 May, Orthodox Easter Monday 06 May, Victory Day 09 May,
Independence Day 21 May, Statehood Day 13 July
Government: Parliamentarian republic website:
http://www.gov.me/en/homepage
President: Filip Vujanović, Prime minister: Milo
Đukanović
Legislature: Parliament
Safety and Security
Most visits to Montenegro are trouble-free. There is an underlying threat from terrorism.
You must register with local police within 24 hours of your arrival
in Montenegro. You must carry your passport with you at all
times for identification purposes. Keep a photocopy in a safe
place. You should take out comprehensive travel and medical
insurance before you travel.
You are advised to take normal, sensible precautions to avoid
mugging, bag snatching and pick pocketing.
Emergency numbers : Police: 122; Fire department: 123; Ambulance: 124.
Crime
Crime levels are low, but street crime occurs, particularly in
larger towns. Watch out for pick pockets in public places like
airports and on public transport. You should be aware
of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could
be against civilian targets, including places frequented by
foreigners.
Health
Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible
funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and
repatriation.
The diseases below may be a risk in all or part of the country:
Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Tetanus, Tick-borne encephalitis
Contact your GP 8 weeks before your journey to get information
about the necessary vaccinations.
Hospitals and Clinics:
http://www.cenexmedical.com/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=30
Local Laws and Customs
Drug laws are similar to the ones in the EU member States. Possession or trafficking of drugs will result in strict penalties and often a lengthy prison sentence.
There are no laws against homosexual activity and same-sex couples
are tolerated. Discretion is advised however and it may be best to
avoid public displays of affection.
Taking photographs of military and police installations, personnel
or vehicles may lead to difficulties.
Entry requirements
Visas
Irish passport holders do not require a visa to enter Montenegro
for stays of up to 90 days. For an extension of stay beyond 90 days
you must apply for a long stay visa (D) or a temporary residence
permit no later than one week before the 90-day period
expires.
For more information visit the Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs http://www.mip.gov.me/en/index.php/Visas-for-Foreign-Citizens/
Border crossings
Only enter Montenegro through recognised border crossings.
If you are planning a mountaineering tour which involves crossing
borders other than at an official border crossing point contact the
National Tourist Organisation for advice.
On entering Montenegro, make sure that you get an entry stamp in your passport from the border police. If you try to leave Montenegro without an entry stamp you may face charges of illegal immigration, a heavy fine and possible imprisonment.
Registration
You must register with the local police within 24 hours of your
arrival, unless you are staying in a hotel or official tourist
accommodation, in which case you will be registered automatically
on checking-in. If you do not register you may be fined, detained
or face a court appearance. You may also face difficulties leaving
the country. If the company or person who you are visiting is
providing private accommodation for longer than 24 hours,
they are required to submit an application for your residence to
the police within 12 hours of your arrival and cancel it within 12
hours of departure.
If you are registering at a police station, you will need to bring
a registration card with you, which can be bought at any bookstore.
In some places it may be possible to register at tourist travel
agencies or at Local Tourism Organisations , depending agreements
with the police. You may also be asked to pay small residence tax.
Customs requirements
Although there is no limit to the amount of money you can bring
into Montenegro, you should declare sums of money in excess of
€2,000 (including travellers’ cheques or equivalent in other
currencies). To take more than €2,000 out of the country you will
need to provide proof that you brought the money in. Customs
Officers at all border points issue declaration forms. On
departure, you will need to return a certified copy of this
declaration to customs. For sums of money in excess of €15,000 you
should also have obtained a document which states the origin of the
funds. If you fail to comply with these rules, your money may be
confiscated.
To avoid customs charges, declare items of value like expensive
jewellery, photographic and computer equipment. It is a legal
requirement to declare all credit cards when entering or exiting
Montenegro. Failure to do so may result in a fine
Passport validity
Your passport should be undamaged and valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required.
Local travel
Information on local road closures is available on the Auto-moto
Association of Montenegro website
or by telephoning 19807, +382 20 234 999 or +382 63 239 987. You
can also use these numbers to ask for roadside assistance.
Road safety
You must have a valid driving license and international driver’s
license to drive legally in Montenegro. If you are taking
your car, you must have vehicle registration/ownership documents
and a locally valid insurance policy. There is a mandatory
insurance of vehicles at the border crossings. The European green
card is valid in Montenegro.
Because of poor road conditions and poor standards of driving in
Montenegro, there is an above average number of road
accidents. One particularly poor road is the Ibarska
Magistrala (linking Serbia to Montenegro): bad conditions and
overcrowding can make it dangerous.
You are required by law to wear a seatbelt. You must drive with
dipped headlights on during the day and must no t use a mobile
phone while driving.
You are advised to drive defensively, to avoid confrontation with
other drivers and to avoid driving at night outside urban
areas.
Natural Disasters and Climate
Average temperature: Summer 28 C, winter 5 C
The mountains of Montenegro include some of the most rugged terrain in Europe, averaging more than 2,000 meters in elevation. You are advised to take special precautions and a mountain guide to avoid accidents in the mountains.
Montenegro lies in a seismically active zone and small tremors are recorded throughout the last year. Serious earthquakes are less frequent but do occur.
Additional Country Info.
The Irish Embassy in Budapest is accredited to Montenegro – for contact details, please click here. (Opens in new window)
There is no Irish Honorary Consulate in Montenegro. The nearest Honorary Consul is in Belgrade (Serbia). For contact details, please click here. (Opens in new window)
Montenegrin Embassy in Budapest, Hungary
Arany Janos 15/I
1051 Budapest,Hungary
Tel:(+36) 1 373 03 00 / 1 Fax: (+36) 1 269 44 75 Email:
hungary@mfa.gov.me
Montenegrin embassies abroad: http://www.embassypages.com/montenegro
Tourist Information: http://www.montenegro.travel/en/montenegro
Money
The official currency of Montenegro is the Euro. Credit cards are
widely accepted throughout the country. Northern Irish bank
notes are not accepted.
Western Union Money transfer:
CRNOGORSKA KOMERCIJALNA BANKA
Trg Od Oruzja Bb
Kotor, 85330
+381-11-3341190
ATLAS BANKA AD PODGORICA
Tabacina Bb
Kotor, 85330
+381-11-3341190
DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR MISSIONS
