Why Did Montenegro Start Requiring Visas for Turkish Citizens? (2025)

Why Did Montenegro Start Requiring Visas for Turkish Citizens?

For many years, Montenegro was one of the easiest Balkan destinations for Turkish travelers – almost a “grab your passport and go” kind of trip.

However, as of 30 October 2025, visa-free travel for ordinary Turkish passport holders has been temporarily suspended, and a visa requirement has been reintroduced.

So why did Montenegro start requiring visas for Turkish citizens?

In this article, we will look at:

The timeline of how the decision was made,
The official reasons announced by the Montenegrin government,
The deeper background factors such as security, domestic politics, and migration,
And the practical consequences for Turkish travelers.

1. Short Timeline: How Did the Decision Happen?

25 October 2025 – Incident in Podgorica

On 25 October 2025, a stabbing incident took place in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. Early media reports and social media discussions linked the event to “Turks” and triggered a wave of anti-Turkish sentiment online.

26–27 October 2025 – Suspension of the visa-free regime

Following the incident and the public tension it created, the Montenegrin Prime Minister announced via social media that the visa-free regime for Turkish citizens would be temporarily suspended.

On 27 October 2025, the government formally decided in a remote session to temporarily suspend visa-free travel for Turkish citizens. The main justification was the need to review and strengthen mechanisms for monitoring the entry and stay of foreigners in the country.

30 October 2025 – Start of implementation

After publication in the official gazette, the decision entered into force on 30 October 2025. From this date:

Ordinary (burgundy) Turkish passport holders are required to obtain a visa before traveling to Montenegro.
Holders of diplomatic, service, and special passports remain exempt under certain conditions and time limits.

2. Official Justification: Security and Migration Control

The Montenegrin government presented the decision as “temporary” and focused primarily on security and public order.

In official statements, the key points were:

The need to strengthen control mechanisms for the entry and stay of foreigners,
Public order and security concerns that increased after recent incidents,
Heightened sensitivities around the Turkish community and visitors from Türkiye.

In summary, the official line is:

“We are not closing the door to Turkish citizens, but we want to have tighter control over who enters and how long they stay.”

3. What Is Really Happening in the Background?

While the official explanations focus on security and public order, there are several deeper background factors that help explain the decision. The following points are analysis and interpretation:

3.1. Rapidly increasing travel and migration pressure

In recent years, Montenegro has attracted a growing number of visitors from Türkiye, both for:

Tourism (short holidays in Kotor, Budva, etc.), and
Longer-term stays, often tied to real estate purchases or residence permit plans.

As in many destinations, this growing flow can trigger concerns about:

Tourists who stay longer than planned,
People trying to use property purchases or long stays as a pathway to residence,
Irregular work or undeclared long-term stays.

The visa decision can be seen as a way to slow down this flow and gain more control over who comes and why.

3.2. Domestic politics and public pressure

After the incident in Podgorica, some local media initially reported the event in a sensational or misleading way, which intensified debates around Turkish residents and visitors.

Even if court decisions and further investigations later show a different picture, the political reflex often comes quickly: governments feel the need to “look tough” in the eyes of their voters. A temporary visa requirement is a visible tool to signal that.

3.3. Regional and European context

Montenegro is a country with EU membership ambitions. This implies stricter expectations regarding:

Border management,
Migration policies,
Security and public order.

Introducing a temporary visa requirement can also be read as a way of saying:

“We are aligned with European standards, we have control over our borders and migration flows.”

4. Is This Temporary or Permanent?

When the decision was announced, the government repeatedly described it as a “temporary suspension” of the visa-free regime.

Montenegrin officials have indicated in statements that they expect visa-free travel for Turkish citizens to be restored once the review of control mechanisms is completed and tensions calm down.

However, until an official announcement reinstating the visa-free regime is published, in practice the visa requirement remains in place.

Quick note:
When planning a trip, always double-check the latest information from:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro,

Montenegrin embassies/consulates,

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye.
Travel rules do not change like a rock; they change more like a news ticker – gradually and in small updates.

5. Which Turkish Citizens Need a Visa Now?

5.1. Ordinary (burgundy) passport holders

Ordinary Turkish passport holders must now obtain a visa before traveling to Montenegro.
This applies to touristic trips, business visits, and short stays that were previously covered by visa-free travel.

In some cases, travelers who hold a valid multiple-entry Schengen, US, UK, or Canadian visa or a residence permit in those countries may benefit from certain facilitations or exemptions for short stays (e.g. up to 30 days). However, these conditions are updated frequently and must always be checked on official sources.

5.2. Special, service, and diplomatic passports

Holders of diplomatic, service, and special (green) Turkish passports generally remain exempt from the visa requirement for certain periods, often defined as up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
Again, the exact rules should always be verified based on the most recent bilateral agreements and official announcements.

6. What Has Changed for Turkish Travelers?

6.1. The era of “spontaneous weekend trips to Kotor” is over (for now)

In the past, many travelers from Türkiye used to book a flight from Istanbul and make a last-minute weekend escape to Kotor or Budva without much planning.

Now, the situation is very different:

You need to apply for a visa in advance,
Prepare supporting documents,
Factor in extra costs, processing time, and potential delays.

This effectively removes Montenegro from the list of “super easy last-minute Balkan getaways” for Turkish tourists – at least for now.

6.2. Impact on tourism and flight traffic

Initial observations indicate a significant drop in flight and passenger numbers between Türkiye and Montenegro after the decision.

As a result:

Many Turkish travelers will likely shift their attention to other visa-free Balkan destinations such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, or North Macedonia.
On the Montenegrin side, there may be a short-term loss in tourism revenue from the Turkish market.

6.3. What about the long term?

If the visa-free regime is restored quickly:

This period will probably be remembered as a short-lived political and security crisis that temporarily disrupted travel patterns.

If, however, the visa requirement remains in place for a long time:

Montenegro risks becoming, in the eyes of many Turkish travelers, a “harder-to-reach Balkan country”, and may lose ground to its regional competitors that remain visa-free.

7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. When did Montenegro start requiring visas for Turkish citizens?

Montenegro started requiring visas again for ordinary Turkish passport holders on 30 October 2025, when the visa-free regime was temporarily suspended.

2. Why was this decision made?

Officially, the decision is based on:

A recent security incident in Podgorica and the heightened public sensitivity that followed,
The need to review and strengthen mechanisms for monitoring the entry and stay of foreigners,
Public order and security concerns.

In practice, it is also influenced by domestic politics, public pressure, and broader migration management considerations.

3. Is this decision permanent?

The Montenegrin government has described the measure as temporary. Officials have publicly stated that they expect to return to a visa-free regime for Turkish citizens after the review of control mechanisms is completed.

However, until an official decision restoring visa-free travel is published, the visa requirement remains valid.

4. If I have a Schengen visa, can I enter Montenegro without a Montenegrin visa?

In some cases, travelers holding a valid multiple-entry Schengen, US, UK, or Canadian visa or a residence permit in those countries may be allowed to enter Montenegro for a short stay without a separate Montenegrin visa.

Because these rules change frequently, you should always verify the latest conditions directly with Montenegrin consular authorities and the official websites of both countries’ foreign ministries.

5. Which Balkan countries can Turkish citizens still visit without a visa?

As of now, Turkish passport holders can still travel visa-free to several Balkan countries, including (but not limited to):

Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
North Macedonia

Always check updated lists of visa-free countries for Turkish citizens before planning your trip, as visa policies can change.

Montenegrolist