Tag: montenegro

According to sources in Montenegro, Serbia is becoming the leading destination in the Balkans for citizens of the Russian Federation, gradually replacing Montenegro, which for many years had been considered the region’s most attractive country for purchasing real estate and long-term residence.

Although Serbia has no access to the sea – a factor that was previously one of the key considerations for Russian citizens when choosing a country to relocate to – numerous legislative changes introduced in Montenegro in recent years have significantly complicated, and for some categories of foreigners effectively prevented, obtaining and renewing residence permits.

As one of the most serious candidates for European Union membership, Montenegro has been rapidly aligning its legislation and public policies with EU standards. These changes have had a negative impact on Russian citizens. The new Law on Foreigners, previously introduced sanctions affecting Russian nationals, and plans to introduce a visa regime with Russia have contributed to an increasing outflow of Russians from Montenegro and a gradual shift in the country’s foreign population toward a larger share of citizens from EU member states and other countries.

According to some estimates, more than 14,000 Russian citizens have left Montenegro in recent years. The main reasons cited include difficulties in doing business, restrictive measures introduced by the new Law on Foreigners, rising living costs, and expectations of further price increases associated with Montenegro’s prospective accession to the European Union.

According to the same sources, most Russians leaving Montenegro have chosen Serbia as their new destination, where the conditions for doing business and obtaining residence permits are considerably more favorable. Spain has emerged as the second most popular destination, particularly among digital nomads, IT professionals, and young families.

Before this wave of migration began, just over 20,000 Russian citizens were registered in Montenegro, which represented a significantly higher share of the country’s population than the total number of Russian immigrants in Serbia.

Despite the outflow, Russian citizens still rank second among foreign nationals residing in Montenegro, behind only Serbian citizens.

The primary reasons Russians relocate from Montenegro to Serbia are more favorable conditions for financial operations and visa regulations. Serbia has maintained a fully visa-free regime for Russian citizens, allowing stays of up to 30 days with the possibility of so-called “visa runs” or extending legal stay through company registration. In addition, banking procedures for Russian citizens are considerably simpler and more accessible in Serbia than in Montenegro.

According to Montenegrin sources, Serbia has also been showing a trend toward faster naturalization, both through regular procedures and special government decisions. During the first five months of this year alone, 44 Russian citizens obtained Serbian citizenship, while from 2022 through mid-2026, the total number exceeded 300.

Most Russians relocating from Montenegro to Serbia re-register their IT companies or sole proprietorships in Belgrade and Novi Sad, taking advantage of Serbia’s simplified procedure for obtaining a unified work and residence permit. Similar procedures in Montenegro have become significantly less accessible as a result of the country’s alignment with European Union legislation and policies.