Montenegro announces tightening of the visa regime for Russian citizens

Montenegro will soon tighten the visa regime for Russian citizens, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić confirmed, emphasizing that this measure comes as part of the country’s obligations on the path towards European Union membership, The Geopost reports.

Spajić said that harmonization with the EU’s visa policy is a necessary step, stressing that the Government is trying to adapt its rules as much as possible to European standards. According to him, Montenegro already acts “as if it were an EU member” in many respects.

“We will very soon start tightening the visa regime for Russian citizens. This is a step in the process of full harmonization of Montenegro’s policies with those of the European Union,” Spajić stated.

Currently, Russian citizens can enter Montenegro without a visa and stay for up to 30 days with a valid passport—a leniency that has contributed to the large number of Russian tourists and residents in the country.

However, as the country approaches EU membership, the Government is implementing a stricter entry control system. Similar measures have recently been taken against other states: in October, Montenegro abolished the visa-free regime for citizens of Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, and Egypt, also to comply with Brussels’ policies.

Montenegro’s National Security Council has also approved a series of reforms in the field of migration, including reducing the visa-free stay period from 90 to 30 days for some countries that are not aligned with the EU’s visa policy.

/The Geopost