Montenegro stands in the final stages of EU accession negotiations
Montenegro officially notified Russia of the imposition of entry visas for Russian citizens effective November 1, 2026, as revealed on 10/21 by Russian Ambassador to Montenegro Alexander Lukashik to the TASS news agency. According to him, "from the specified date, entry into Montenegro for Russians will be permitted with a Montenegrin visa, as well as with visas from a number of other countries, including Schengen states." The diplomat explained that on November 1, at the initiative of Montenegro, its agreement with the Russian Federation on the terms of mutual travel for citizens, signed in September 2008, will cease to apply.
The authorities of Montenegro explained the imposition of visas for citizens of Russia, Belarus, Turkey, China, and Saudi Arabia as a necessary step to align their visa policy with the requirements of the European Union. Montenegro stands in the final stages of EU accession negotiations and plans to complete the technical aspects of this process by 2027. Notably, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that Russia's retaliatory decision also revoked the visa-free status for Montenegrin citizens.
She stated that Podgorica's actions will harm the interests of Montenegro's tourism industry, which will lose the overwhelming majority of Russian tourists and, consequently, forfeit revenue. Zakharova emphasized that the abolition of the visa-free regime will also deprive Montenegro of investments, and Brussels will not compensate for these losses.
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