Kotor Old City – Kotor Montenegro
Ah! Montenegro. The beautiful European country in the balkans, that is shockingly cheap with a population of only 633,000 people.Â
Before I detail what you need to visit Montenegro in 2021, here’s a little back story.
I flew to Montenegro aka Crne Gore (what the locals call it in Montenegrin), in June 2021 after spending 8 crazy months in Israel. From lockdowns to getting vaccinated and the damn war arrgghh – I was ready to leave Israel and Montenegro was my next stop.
I’ve been in Montenegro for over a month now, touring the country and I absolutely love it (so much that i’m working on my temporary residency). The landscape is one of the most amazing i’ve seen so far, with lush green mountains, countless tunnels, huge lakes, rivers, the Adriatic sea.Â
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Map of the world showing Montenegro
Montenegro broke away from Serbia in 2006 and the major languages are Serbian and Montenegrin. Currency is Euro (€) and the major religions are Christianity and Islam (about 20% of the population, but it’s hard to notice this).Â
Montenegro has some of the tallest people in the world. Most of whom are super nice, very welcoming and like to smoke ciggys, drink home made liquor and drink coffee lol (like a lot). It’s also been interesting to see that being black here is extra special, as there are very few black people in the country. YAY!
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Flag of Montenegro
Food here is amazing, prices are super affordable especially in comparison to Israel and most countries in Europe.Â
In this article, you’ll get the load down of how to visit Montenegro for tourism as a Nigerian. Read on until the end and leave a comment if you have questions. Let’s go!
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Me taking a picture of Sveti Stefan island in Montenegro
How to visit Montenegro
There are 2 ways Nigerians can visit Montenegro. The first way; if you have a valid multiple entry Schengen visa, you can visit Montenegro without applying for a Montenegrin visa.
Nigerians need a visa to visit Montenegro (obviously), so the second way; is by applying for a Montenegrin “Visa C” visa. This is a short stay visa for up to 90 days, however, there is no Montenegrin embassy in Nigeria.Â
Therefore, Nigerians who want to visit Montenegro have to apply via the Embassy of Serbia in Abuja. (I applied at the Serbian embassy in Israel and the process is roughly the same).
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Documents you will need:
- Valid passport (must be valid for at least 90 days from issue date of visa)
- Passport photograph (Size 3.5 x 4.5cm)
- Duly completed visa application form here
- Proof of reserved accommodation. *
- Proof of payment for a trip issued by a travel agency (if any, not compulsory)
- Return ticket or Itinerary (flight reservation is sufficient)
- Proof of sufficient funds for your stay in Montenegro in the form of bank statements
- Health insurance with COVID 19 coverage. **
- Visa fee. Contact the embassy at serbconsabuja@gmail.com to find out the sum. (In Israel I paid €124 (N60,000), so it might be similar).
What to do upon arrival in Montenegro
Every tourist who arrives in Montenegro is expected to register at the tourist centre nearest to them. They’ll have to pay a tourist tax of 1 euro a day, for the duration of their trip within 24 hours of arrival.Â
For example, if you will be in Montenegro for 14 days, this means you’ll pay 14 euros at the tourist office.
Let’s dive into the costs for flights, food, accommodation, transportation and entertainment below:
Hanson Lu photo from Unsplash
Flights
Return tickets with Turkish Airlines, from Lagos to Podgorica (the capital city of Montenegro) costs roughly €1300 (N633,000) per person. Prices may vary due to season, flight dates and exchange rates.
For updates on tickets costs for your specific dates click here.
Airbnb in Bijela, Montenegro
Accommodation
There are tons of accommodation options available in Montenegro. The cost ranges from €15 (N7,500) – €100 (N49,000) a night, depending on where you are in Montenegro. Prices are usually higher in the coastal areas like Tivat or Kotor.
To explore accommodation options, checkout Airbnb.com or Hotels combined to compare hotel rates and get the best deals.
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Gambori Prawns at a restaurant in Herceg Novi, Montenegro
Food
Eating out in Montenegro is super affordable with meals ranging from €1.50 (N750) for a burger to €12 (N6,000) for a 400g fish dish.
The dishes on the menu are usually the same at most restaurants and includes, soups (veal, fish, minastrone), salads, sandwiches, risotto (basically jollof rice without the Nigerian-ness lol), fish, shrimps, meat dishes all per gram.
Taxi image from Unsplash
Transportation
Moving around Montenegro is a great way to see the country. Renting a small car like a Volkswagen Polo costs roughly €30 (N15,000) per day.Â
However, longer term rental for up to a month will be slightly cheaper and you could get a discounted rate of €25 (N13,000) a day.Â
Grabbing a taxi around Montenegro is affordable with base rates for regular taxi’s starting at €0.50 (N250). However, Tesla taxi’s have a base rate of €0.80 (N400) and can be hailed via the TeslagoApp.
There are buses that go around certain routes and train rides between cities also exist, however, trains are small with not so many lines.
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Me at Niagara Water Falls, Podgorica Montenegro
Entertainment
There are tons of things to do and places to see in Montenegro.
Some of my favorite places to visit are:
Tara canyon/springs
Niagara Water Falls
Dormitur
Kotor old city
The Fjord in Tivat etc
I’ll detail things to do in Montenegro in another article and will link it here when I do.
Got questions about visiting Montenegro? Ask me in the comments.
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