Travel information about Montenegro
The phrase «good things come in small packages» may be a cliché, but in the case of Montenegro, it’s true. This tiny corner of south-eastern Europe is located in some of the continent’s most glorious beaches, wilderness and historic towns in small area.
Montenegro’s main draw is its beautiful coastline, dotted with delightful Venetian-era fortified towns, home to excellent seafood restaurants and set against the dramatic mountains of the interior.
The 650,000 people who live here call it Crna Gora, which, like «Montenegro» means «black mountain» – a reminder of the pine-forested alpine terrain of most of the country.
General information
Montenegro is located between 41º 52´- 43º 42´ north latitude and 18º 26´- 20º 22´ east longitudes and belongs to the central Mediterranean that is Southern Europe.
To the north it borders Serbia, to the southeast Kosovo and Albania, to the south it is separated from Italy by the Adriatic Sea and to the west it borders Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Area: 13.812 km²
Population: 620 000
Length of borders: 614 km
Capital: Podgorica (186 000 inhabitants) – administrative and economic centre
Royal capital: Cetinje – historical and cultural centre
Currency: Euro €
Length of the sea coast: 293 km
Number of beaches: 117
Length of beaches: 52 km
Longest beach: Velika plaza (Great Beach or Long Beach) Ulcinj – 13 km
Highest mountain peaks: Maja Rosit 2.524 m.n.v, Zla Kolata 2.534 m n.v. and Dobra Kolata (Prokletije) – 2.528 m v.n., Bobotov Kuk (Durmitor) – 2.523 m v.n.
Largest lake: Skadar Lake (391 m²)
Deepest canyon: Tara river Canyon (1.300 m)
National parks: Durmitor, Biogradska gora, Skadar Lake, Lovcen, Prokletije
Largest bay: The Bay of Kotor
Climate: Continental-Mediterranean
Average air temperature: 27.4 º C (summer)
Maximum sea temperature: 27.1 º C
Average number of sunny days during the year: 240 days
Swimming season: 180 days
Sea: Dark blue
Transparency of the sea: 38 – 56m
Time zone: GTM +1
Electrical power system: 220V/50Hz
Language: The official language is Serbian – which can be written both Roman and Cyrillic scripts.
Registration of your stay in Montenegro: All foreign citizens without registered permanent residence are obliged to register with police and report change of address 24 hours after they enter the county. If you are staying in a hotel or private accommodation owners of these facilities will do it for you.
Currency and manner of payment
Official means of payment in Montenegro is EURO (€).
Seven banknotes in the following denominations are in circulation: 5 €, 10 €, 20 €,50 €, 100 €, 200 € and 500 € and eight coins of 1€ and 2€ as well as 1, 2, 5, 10, 20,50 cents.
Foreign currency exchange is conducted in commercial banks and exchange offices.
Payment cards
In Montenegro you can use the following credit cards:
Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express, Diners.
You can pay by credit cards in the largest number of catering facilities, restaurants, hotels, bars, gas stations, food stores and consumer goods shops.
In all towns there are ATMs where you can raise money.
Working hours and holidays
Common working hours of the shops is 09.00 – 21.00 h.
Food shops are open from 06.00 – 21.00 h. In tourist places in tourist season almost all shops are open until 24.00 h.
Working hours of post offices and banks
The largest number of post offices works from 08.00 – 20.00 h. In summer time they work longer hours. Banks are open from 08.00 – 20.00 h.
Holidays
1st January – New Year
7th January – Christmas
1st May – International Labour Day
21st May – Independence Day of Montenegro
13th July – Statehood Day of Montenegro
Religious holidays
Christmas, Easter and Bayram.
All holidays in Montenegro are celebrated two days. Major religious holidays are also celebrated.
If holiday falls on a Sunday, the following two days are deemed to be a holiday. If the second day of holiday falls on a Sunday, the following workday is deemed to be a public holiday.
Telephone
The country code is +382. The international access prefix is 00 or + from a mobile phone.
To make a domestic call, simply dial all the numbers (including the area code) given. If you’re calling Montenegro from abroad, drop the first 0 of the number (area code or mobile telephone).
Mobile telephony providers
In Montenegro, there are three mobile phone operators:
Telenor (069) – Information 1188
T-Mobile (067) – Information 1500
M:Tel (068) – Information 1600
Local SIM cards are a good idea if you’re planning a longer stay and can be used in most unlocked handsets. The main providers have storefronts in most towns. Many shopping centres have terminals where you can top-up your prepay account.
Internet access
Most accommodation providers (including a majority of private accommodations, unless you’re really in the back of beyond) offer free wireless connections, although they may not always penetrate to every part of the building and can be limited to the reception area. Many bars and cafes also offer wireless. You’ll find free wireless access in Tivat and Budva’s Stari Grad, and at other tourist hot spots in bigger cities.
Visa regimes for foreign citizens
Many nationalities are entitled to a stay of up to 90 days without a visa.
Visas are not required for citizens of most European countries, Russia, Israel, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Singapore, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Mexico, Brasil…
In most cases this allows a stay of up to 90 days. If your country is not covered by a visa waiver, you will need a valid passport, verified letter of invitation, return ticket, proof of sufficient funds and proof of medical cover in order to obtain a visa.
Go to www.mvpei.gov.me and follow the links to «Consular affairs» and «Overview of visa regimes for foreign citizens» find your country on the drop-down map for visa regulations or simply click on the following link icon
Important telephone numbers:
Police – 122
Fire department – 123
Ambulance service – 124
Help on the road – 19807
European Emergency number – 112 (available everywhere in the European Union, free of charge, 24/7 for the police, the emergency medical services or the fire brigade)
