Visas lifted for Turkey, introduced for Azerbaijan as of January 15th

The Government of Montenegro has lifted the visa regime for citizens of the Republic of Turkey, while visas will be introduced for citizens of Azerbaijan as of January 15th.

As announced by the Government, the permitted stay for Turkish citizens has been reduced from 90 to 30 days as a measure to prevent illegal migration. In the event of an assessment of security risks, the Government stated that the visa regime may be reintroduced.

The goal, according to the Government, is harmonization with the visa policy of the European Union.

- On December 23rd of 2025, in accordance with Article 10 of the Regulation on the Government, without holding a session and based on the obtained consent of the majority of Government members, the Government of Montenegro adopted a Regulation amending the Regulation on the Visa Regime, which lifts the temporary suspension of the visa-free regime for citizens of the Republic of Turkey, while reducing the permitted stay from 90 days to 30 as a measure to prevent illegal migration, and with the aim of harmonizing with the visa policy of the European Union - the Government’s statement says.

The material considered by the Government today states that cooperation with the Turkish authorities has been improved, along with the implementation of enhanced security and migration checks.

As emphasized in the material, a more restrictive visa and migration policy is being applied with the aim of preventing illegal migration and strengthening control over the entry and stay of foreign nationals.

Members of the Government noted that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police Directorate have carried out all activities envisaged by the conclusions of the National Security Council related to illegal migration.

- Additionally, the decision represents part of a broader package of measures to align the visa policy with the European Union, which also includes adjusting the visa policy in relation to third countries, in this case Azerbaijan, which will be aligned by January 15th - the Government announced.

With the aim of fulfilling obligations related to EU membership, the Government announced that in the coming period it will continue activities toward full alignment with the visa policy of the European Union.

The Government of Montenegro temporarily suspended the visa-free regime for Turkish citizens on October 27th, following an incident in the Podgorica neighborhood of Zabjelo, when a Montenegrin citizen was attacked and sustained minor bodily injuries by a group of foreigners.

In a police operation, one Turkish and one Azerbaijani citizen were initially arrested as suspects, however, several days later they were released from detention after it was determined that they had not participated in the attack.

Their defense was confirmed by video surveillance footage, which established that they were in their homes during the incident, and they were therefore released at the proposal of the Higher State Prosecutor’s Office.

Subsequently, two Azerbaijani citizens were arrested in connection with the events in Zabjelo.

On November 1st, Montenegrin police arrested Azerbaijani citizens J. M. (45) and E. M. (33), who were being sought in connection with a criminal offense committed on October 26th, half an hour after midnight, in the Podgorica neighborhood of Zabjelo.

At the time, the Police Directorate stated that the Turkish citizens who had previously been arrested were processed and detained exclusively on the basis of statements from the injured parties, as well as direct identification of the suspects, whom the injured parties recognized.