Information for Ukrainian refugees in Montenegro

National temporary protection until 4 March 2027; stricter rules for men of military age since October 2026

Information checked in October–November 2026.

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Important to know

Montenegro is not in the EU: its temporary protection is national, gives no right to live or work in the EU and currently ends on 4 March 2027 — watch for a new government decision in early 2027 and renew your card at the Ministry of the Interior. Since mid-October 2026 men of military age applying for the first time must prove that they lived in Ukraine and fulfilled or were exempted from military service. Since 30 Dec 2025 you must register with the Health Insurance Fund (FZO) at your actual address, or you may be refused treatment. If you lost protection after returning to Ukraine, you can come back visa-free for 90 days and apply again while the regime lasts.

Useful links

Official information

Getting there

Work

Employment Agency of Montenegro (ZZZCG)zzzcg.me (opens in a new tab)

International job platforms for Ukrainians

Ukrainian communities

Dobro Djelo – Ukrainian Association (Ukrainian centres in Podgorica, Budva, Bar, Herceg Novi)dobrodjelo.me (opens in a new tab)

Telegram channels

Status and documents

How long protection lasts: Temporary protection under Montenegrin law (not EU protection), granted by government decision for one year: 4 March 2026 – 4 March 2027. The TP card (isprava stranca pod privremenom zaštitom) is your residence permit and is valid until 4 March 2027. The EU has extended its own protection to 4 March 2028, but Montenegro decides separately: no extension beyond March 2027 had been adopted as of Nov 2026.
Documents: A Ukrainian identity document (passport or ID card); birth certificates for children. Every family member applies in person. If your documents are missing or expired, contact the Ukrainian Embassy in Podgorica first. Since mid-October 2026 men of military age applying for the first time must also show that they lived in Ukraine before arriving and have fulfilled or been exempted from military service; which documents are accepted has not been published.
Where and how to apply: In person at the Ministry of the Interior office for civil status and ID documents in the municipality where you live, usually 8:00–15:00. Podgorica: Directorate for Integration, Serdara Jola Piletića bb (Limenka); branch offices in Bar, Budva, Tivat, Kotor, Herceg Novi, Ulcinj and other towns. Bring all your identity documents.
Processing time: After approval the Ministry issues the TP card. When protection was extended in March 2026, holders handed in the old card and got a new one on the spot within a short time. Processing time for first-time applications is not published: —.
When protection ends: Protection ends when the government decision expires (4 March 2027 unless extended); it is refused or withdrawn on exclusion grounds (serious crimes, threat to security or public order). A return to Ukraine does not cancel it automatically, but the card must be handed back to the Ministry of the Interior when it expires; while the regime lasts you can apply again. Leaving state accommodation without a valid reason ends the right to it.
Men aged 18–60: In mid-October 2026 the government decided that Ukrainian men of military age get temporary protection only if, before arriving, they lived in Ukraine and had fulfilled their military obligations or been exempted. The rule applies only to first-time applicants; people who already have protection in Montenegro are not affected. Which documents are accepted (exit stamp, Reserve+) has not been published.
Trips to Ukraine: Trips to Ukraine do not end protection: you can return while it is in force and keep your rights for as long as your card is valid; even a permanent return does not cancel the status automatically (the card must be handed back to the Ministry of the Interior when it expires). People in state accommodation must ask the Ministry of the Interior for permission to leave for a short time; leaving without a valid reason ends the right to accommodation.
Children without parents: A child under 18 who entered Montenegro without a parent or another adult responsible for them is treated as unaccompanied until placed under guardianship: the centre for social work (centar za socijalni rad) appoints a guardian, and applications are made in the guardian's presence. Report such a child to the police or the centre for social work. Adults travelling with a child should carry its passport or birth certificate and the parents' notarised consent.

Travel, pets and language

How to get there: No border with Ukraine and no flights from Ukraine. By road through Hungary or Romania and then Serbia, usually by bus with a change in Belgrade. By air: Wizz Air has had a base in Podgorica since March 2026 (routes include Rzeszów and Budapest), Ryanair flies from Kraków in season; there is also Tivat airport. Ukrainians enter visa-free for up to 90 days with a biometric passport.
Pets: Microchip, rabies vaccination (at least 21–30 days before entry) and a pet passport or vet certificate. Whether animals from Ukraine also need a rabies antibody test or an import permit is unclear (sources disagree) — check with the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs before travelling. Since June 2026 the EU no longer requires a titre test for pets coming from Montenegro.
Driving licence: Under the Road Traffic Safety Law, a foreigner with temporary protection may drive on a foreign licence for 6 months from entering Montenegro. After that you need a Montenegrin licence: the Ministry of the Interior issues it without a driving test on the basis of a valid foreign licence if you live in Montenegro at least 185 days a year and have a medical certificate no older than one year; the Ukrainian licence is handed in.
Languages: Montenegrin (close to Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian; Latin and Cyrillic scripts). In tourist areas English is widely spoken. No state programme of free language courses for TP holders was found: —; ask at the Ukrainian centres.

Work, healthcare and education

Right to work: Yes. By law a TP holder may work without a residence-and-work permit or a work registration certificate and has access to adult education and vocational training on the same terms as citizens. Vacancies are published by the Employment Agency of Montenegro (ZZZCG).
Jobs in demand: Hospitality and tourism (assistant cooks, cooks, waiters, chambermaids, receptionists), sales staff and cashiers, construction workers, truck drivers, nurses; among graduates — maths, physics and chemistry teachers, doctors, pharmacists, IT specialists (Employment Agency ZZZCG: 13,541 vacancies in Jan–June 2024). Much of the work is seasonal, on the coast.
Healthcare: Yes, within the limits set by law: emergency care and necessary treatment of illnesses and serious mental disorders at all levels of care, plus medicines from the Health Insurance Fund list. New rules since 30 Dec 2025: TP holders must register with the local office of the Health Insurance Fund (FZO) where they actually live, otherwise they may be refused care.
Kindergarten: The law guarantees only primary and secondary education. Children can be enrolled in public kindergartens (vrtić) if there are places; in 2022 a parent's statement was enough when documents were missing. Fees for TP holders: —.
School: Yes, free primary and secondary school on the same terms as for Montenegrin children. Children without school records can be enrolled conditionally on a parent's written statement. Teaching is in Montenegrin; the Ukrainian centres in Podgorica, Budva, Bar and Herceg Novi run activities for children.

Benefits

Housing support: No rent subsidy. By law people without means get suitable accommodation and basic necessities — in practice a place in state collective accommodation. Short absences require permission from the Ministry of the Interior, and leaving without a valid reason ends the right to it. Most Ukrainians rent privately at their own expense.
One-time payment: No state one-off payment. The Red Cross of Montenegro paid cash grants funded by the International Federation of Red Cross to refugees from Ukraine in 2023 – early 2024 (applications through the ACCESS RC app); no new round had been announced as of Nov 2026.
Monthly allowance for adults: No monthly state allowance for TP holders. The law provides basic means of subsistence (food, clothing, hygiene items) only to those without money, mainly through state accommodation.
Monthly allowance for children: No child allowance for TP holders could be confirmed: —.

Cost of living

Average rent: Podgorica, mid-2026: 1-bedroom flat ~$550/month in the centre, ~$420 outside; 3-bedroom in the centre ~$990 (livingcost.org, June 2026). On the coast (Budva, Kotor, Tivat) rents are usually higher, especially in summer. Utilities ~$70/month for one person.
Groceries per person per month: ~$370/month per person on food in Podgorica; a single person's costs without rent ~$510/month (livingcost.org, June 2026).
Kindergarten fees: Private kindergarten in Podgorica ~$360/month (livingcost.org, June 2026).
Private school fees: Public school is free. International primary school in Podgorica ~$7,700 a year (livingcost.org, June 2026).
Health insurance cost: TP holders are covered by the state within the limits above once registered with the FZO; employees are insured through work. Cost of private insurance: —.

Documents, consulates, legal helpThe same in every country: e-Consul, Diia, free legal aid, a psychologist.

All information is for reference only. Rules and benefits change often, so some of it may be out of date. Always check with official sources before making a decision.

If you spot an inaccuracy, please write to us at howtohelpuacom@gmail.com.