Montenegro announced that citizens of Turkey, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Belarus will be subject to a new visa requirement as part of the country's accession with the European Union (EU).
According to the country’s Foreign Ministry, Turkish citizens will need to obtain a visa to travel to Montenegro starting November 1.
With the Montenegrin change, the number of Western Balkan countries Turkish passport holders can visit visa-free will decrease to five: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Amid a sharp rise in Schengen visa rejections for Turkish citizens, Montenegro had become an important destination for Turks.
The Montenegrin government said the change was made within the framework of the country's EU membership negotiations, as it aims to become the EU's 28th member in 2028.
Montenegro temporarily suspended visa-free travel for Turkish citizens on October 25, 2025, following the stabbing of a Montenegrin citizen in Podgorica.
The government lifted that suspension on December 23, 2025, while reducing the visa-free stay period for Turkish citizens from 90 days to 30 days.
