A popular destination for visa-free travel, Montenegro will require visas for citizens of five countries, including Türkiye, starting Nov. 1, 2026, to align its policies with the European Union.
The Montenegrin Foreign Ministry announced comprehensive changes to its existing visa regime regulation, stating citizens of Türkiye, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Belarus must obtain official visas to enter the country. By matching its visa policy entirely with the EU, the Montenegrin government fulfilled one of the final criteria necessary to close Chapter 24 of its ongoing EU accession negotiations. Under the new government regulation, citizens of these five nations can continue to utilize the current visa-free travel regime until the end of October.
The Montenegrin government previously suspended its visa-free travel practice for Turkish citizens on Oct. 27, 2025, following a series of incidents and organized protests in the capital Podgorica late last year. Authorities officially lifted the suspension shortly after on Dec. 23, 2025, but simultaneously reduced the visa-free stay limit for Turkish nationals from 90 days to 30 days. Conducting accession negotiations with the EU, Montenegro aims to officially become the 28th member state in 2028.
