Montenegro plans to align its visa policy with EU standards, which is one of the requirements for accession to the European Union. As part of this, the country will tighten visa rules for Russian citizens. Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić spoke about this in an interview with Euronews, as reported by UNN.

DetailsIt is noted that the Balkan state expects to join the EU by 2028, and the process of bringing national legislation into line with European standards is currently underway.

Spajić emphasized that Montenegro fully adheres to the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, including visa matters.

Even without member status and the corresponding benefits, we behave like a member state [of the European Union]

He acknowledged that tourism plays a significant role in Montenegro’s economy. However, the country will soon fully adapt its visa policy to EU standards. For example, in October, Montenegro abolished visa-free travel for citizens of Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, and Egypt.

Currently, Russian citizens can travel to Montenegro without a visa for up to 30 days. In contrast, the EU banned the issuance of multiple-entry Schengen visas to Russians in early November. Now they will only be issued single-entry visas, with the exception of certain humanitarian cases.

This means that each time Russians want to travel to the EU, they will have to submit a new application, which allows for thorough vetting of applicants and reduces potential security risks.

Some categories of Russians will still be able to obtain multiple-entry visas: these include close relatives residing in the EU, family members of EU citizens, transport workers, dissidents, and employees of public organizations.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the need for diplomatic work with all EU members. According to him, it is necessary to convince all 27 member states that it is in their national interest to see Montenegro as part of the bloc.

We need all 27 member states to feel, to genuinely believe, that it is in their national interest to see Montenegro as part of the EU. We must convince them of this. We cannot relax.

Particular attention in the interview was paid to the issue of the rule of law, which traditionally receives close scrutiny regarding Balkan countries. The Prime Minister reported on progress in reforms, including the closure of Chapter 5 of the negotiation process, which concerns public procurement.

“Again, we have much more to do. We must demonstrate that we are doing a great deal of work in the context of the rule of law,” Spajić emphasized.

EU tightens visa rules for Russians, revoking multiple-entry Schengen visas07.11.25, 12:23 • 26327 views