Investors are interested in obtaining Montenegrin citizenship

Investors are interested in obtaining Montenegrin citizenship under the Economic citizenship program

PODGORICA, February 14. According to the latest report of the European Commission, about 400 foreign investors have applied for Montenegrin citizenship under the program of economic citizenship of this Balkan country.

As the European Commission notes, as of mid-June 2023, the decision on these 398 applications has not yet been made by the Montenegrin authorities. At the same time, Brussels believes that all such applications should be carefully checked for compliance with the restrictive measures of the European Union.

In general, the EU positively assesses Montenegro's steps to harmonize its legislation in the field of visa policy with pan-European norms. In particular, in 2023, this small Balkan republic introduced visas for citizens of the UAE, Cuba and Ecuador, who previously used visa-free entry.

At the same time, Montenegro maintains a visa-free regime with 12 non-EU countries. Of these, 7 have a permanent visa-free regime, and for citizens of 5 more states, a simplified tourist visa-free regime is in effect from April to October.

The Government of Montenegro has introduced additional control measures to prevent abuse of this regime. In particular, tourists from these countries can enter the country only as part of organized groups and in the presence of a paid voucher from a local tour operator.

Nevertheless, the EU calls on the Montenegrin authorities to continue the gradual harmonization of the visa rules of this country with the pan-European norms and standards. This is especially true of such sensitive issues as the issuance of citizenship to investors.