End of Visa-Free Travel: Montenegro Introduced Visas for Turkey. How and Where to Get One in 2025
From October 30, 2025, Montenegro abruptly suspended the 17-year visa-free agreement with Turkey, which had been in force since 2008. This decision, affecting thousands of tourists, investors, and family members, caused shock in both countries. Of...
As of October 30, 2025, Montenegro abruptly suspended the 17-year visa-free agreement with Turkey, which had been in force since 2008. This decision, affecting thousands of tourists, investors, and family members, caused shock in both countries. Officially, Podgorica explained the move as a necessary step to strengthen control and ensure public safety after a criminal incident. However, behind this decision lie deeper geopolitical motives and serious economic consequences.
How can you get a visa now?
The new rules apply to Turkish citizens holding ordinary (burgundy) passports. To travel to Montenegro, they now need to obtain a visa in advance.
Application procedure: Visa applications are accepted in person at the Embassy of Montenegro in Ankara or at the Consulate General in Istanbul. An electronic visa (e-visa) is currently not available for Turkish citizens. The standard processing time is about 10 business days, but delays are possible.
Required documents: To obtain a tourist visa (type “C”, up to 90 days), a standard set of documents will be required:
Valid passport, valid for at least three months beyond the visa’s expiration date.
Completed and signed visa application form.
One color photograph in passport format (3.5 x 4.5 cm).
Proof of travel purpose (hotel reservation, invitation from an individual or legal entity).
Proof of sufficient financial means for the duration of the stay (for example, a bank statement).
Confirmed round-trip tickets.
Medical insurance policy, valid for the entire trip.
Turkish citizens wishing to obtain a visa must apply to one of these two missions.
Important exceptions: A visa is still not required for holders of diplomatic, official, and special (green) Turkish passports. In addition, Turkish citizens may enter Montenegro for up to 30 days without a Montenegrin visa if they hold a valid multiple-entry visa or residence permit from one of the following countries: the Schengen Area, the USA, the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Japan.
A blow to tourism and the economy
The consequences of the decision were immediate. Tourist traffic from Turkey, Montenegro’s second-largest market after Serbia, plunged almost instantly. Load factors on flights from Istanbul to Podgorica fell from an average of 120–150 passengers to just 40, a drop of about 70%.
This is a colossal blow, considering that Turkish tourists accounted for 15% of all passenger traffic in the first three quarters of 2025. Moreover, this was a rapidly growing market: the share of overnight stays by Turkish tourists rose from 2.9% in 2023 to 4.9% in 2024. The introduction of visas effectively destroyed the short-trip and weekend-tour segment, since few are willing to go through bureaucracy for a 3–4-day holiday.
Not only airlines and Podgorica Airport, for which Turkey was one of the few year-round destinations, will suffer, but also the entire tourism industry: hotels, restaurants, and local travel agencies. Also at risk are 6,866 companies in Montenegro owned by Turkish citizens, who are now facing a worsening investment climate.
Medical tourism: asymmetric risks
Particular concern is raised by the possible impact on medical tourism. Here, there is a clear asymmetry: Turkey is a global hub for medical services, attracting 1.8 million patients in 2023 thanks to high quality and affordable prices. Montenegro, by contrast, has only potential in this area, while its citizens often have to travel abroad for complex treatment due to underdeveloped infrastructure.
Many Montenegrins use Turkish clinics. As one Montenegrin parliamentarian noted, if Turkey introduces retaliatory visa measures, “this will hit Montenegrin citizens harder, because we use your hospitals.” The Turkish ambassador has already warned of possible “reciprocal measures.” Thus, Podgorica’s decision threatens not just tourist trips, but its own citizens’ access to vital medical services.
Political background and the future of relations
The official reason for abolishing the visa-free regime was the stabbing incident in Podgorica, which triggered public unrest. However, many analysts see this as merely a pretext. The main reason is said to be Montenegro’s strategic course toward EU membership, which requires harmonizing visa policy with Schengen Area standards, and therefore introducing visas for Turkey.
The decision caused a split even within the Montenegrin government. President Jakov Milatović strongly criticized it as “hasty,” capable of damaging bilateral relations and “fueling anti-foreign sentiment.”
Despite assurances from the authorities that the measure is “temporary,” its repeal in the future is unlikely due to obligations to the EU. This move marks a turning point in which Montenegro chooses European integration, while risking long-term economic and humanitarian ties with a key partner — Turkey.
