Owning a home here qualifies you for temporary residency. For non-EU nationals the property must be registered in your name and worth at least €150,000. The permit runs up to one year, is renewable, and leads to permanent residency after five years.
Updated 25 September 2026
Property ownership qualifies you to apply for temporary residency in Montenegro. The rules changed on 17 January 2026. For non-EU nationals the property must be registered in your name in the cadastre and worth at least €150,000. On a resale, the proof is the transfer-tax decision issued by the municipality. A new build bought from a developer pays VAT instead of transfer tax, so you apply once the unit is finished, registered in your name and you have your first annual tax decision. For a new build, your first annual tax decision is used as the proof of value, since new builds never receive a transfer-tax decision. I confirm this with MUP for each client before the application is filed. An off-plan contract cannot be used. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and family members of EU citizens, are exempt from the €150,000 threshold.
Buying from the US? See my guide to buying property in Montenegro as an American.
A property-based permit is for people who live in Montenegro. It can be cancelled if you spend more than 30 days outside the country. Until January 2026 you could be away up to 90 days if you told the police first; that exception was removed. If you will split the year between Montenegro and home, the 90-day visa-free stay may suit you better than a permit.
You must show proof of health insurance with the application. In practice, what is accepted:
Most people file a local policy valid for 30 days at the time of submission. Cover for the full permit period avoids questions at the counter.
| Coverage type | Annual cost (per adult) |
|---|---|
| Local / basic private cover | ~€250-€600 |
| International expat-style cover | ~€600-€2,000+ |
Your title is recorded in the cadastre - the extract from it is your proof of ownership.
Health insurance, background check (apostilled and translated where required), passport, address registration.
You can file in person or, since 2026, online. After an online filing you have 10 days from arriving in Montenegro to give your photo, fingerprints and signature at the MUP office where you live. The biometrics are the one step that cannot be done remotely.
The legal deadline is 40 days from a complete application; in practice expect 4-8 weeks, longer in peak season or if translations and apostilles are incomplete.
The permit is valid for up to one year. You renew it in person between 60 and 30 days before it expires, on the same ground, with proof that your taxes were paid while the permit ran. The permit does not give you the right to work in Montenegro.
After five years of continuous residence on a temporary permit you can apply for permanent residence, as long as your temporary permit is still valid on the day you apply. Under the current Law on Foreigners, time on any temporary permit counts, including one based on property. Older guidance, including an out-of-date English page on the government website, says property years do not count; that rule belonged to the law repealed in 2018. Confirm with MUP when you apply. The other conditions are steady means of support, health insurance, accommodation, proof that you paid your taxes during temporary residence, and basic Montenegrin, which is tested. Applicants under 14 or over 65, and citizens of former Yugoslav republics, do not take the language test.
Your spouse, your children under 18 (including step and adopted children) and a same-sex life partner can obtain residency through family reunification once you hold temporary residence. They do not need their own property.
If you are weighing visits against a longer stay, the Montenegro entry check tells you what basis you can use before residency is in place.
The purchase itself - process, costs, taxes and doing it remotely: Buying Property in Montenegro - the full guide >
Yes, once the property is registered in your name in the cadastre. For non-EU nationals it must be worth at least €150,000; EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are exempt. An off-plan contract does not qualify. The permit can be cancelled if you spend more than 30 days outside Montenegro.
Proof of ownership from the cadastre, for non-EU nationals proof the property is worth at least €150,000, health insurance, means of support, a background check and local address registration. You can file online, but your fingerprints and photo are taken in person at MUP.
Legal deadline 40 days from a complete application; realistically 4-8 weeks.
Yes. Your spouse, children under 18 and a same-sex life partner through family reunification once you hold temporary residence.
Not more than 30 days. The permit can be cancelled if you spend longer outside the country. If you will spend several months a year abroad, the 90-day visa-free stay may suit you better.
No - it closed in 2022. Property gives temporary residency, then permanent residency after five years, not citizenship by purchase.
Local private cover ~€250-€600 per adult per year; international expat policies ~€600-€2,000+.
Sources: Law on Foreigners, Arts. 43, 44, 56, 61b, 63-65, 86 and 88, as amended by Sl. list CG 3/2026 (in force 17 January 2026) - Official Gazette. Citizenship by Investment end date - Ministry of Interior report, 26 May 2022.