Money & paymentsBy Clever Tourists · Published
Montenegro charges a small tourist tax, reported at EUR 1 per adult per night in coastal towns such as Kotor, Budva, Tivat, Herceg Novi, Ulcinj and Bar and EUR 0.70 in Podgorica, and foreign visitors staying more than 24 hours must be registered. Hotels and licensed hosts handle both for you; if you stay in an unlicensed place, you may have to do it yourself at the local tourist organisation. Teenagers 12 to 18 pay half and under-12s are exempt. Keep the registration confirmation until you leave. The rates come from two Montenegro property-and-travel guides that agree with each other; the deadlines and fines are reported inconsistently, so we give ranges and tell you what to ask. We could not load the government of Montenegro's own page. We spent about three weeks in Montenegro in August and September 2023, from Kotor (3 days) through Žabljak, Nikšić, Cetinje, Petrovac, Bar and Ulcinj to Podgorica.
Free toolConvert to your own currency at live rates →Live mid-market rates for all 17 currencies we used, so you can see what a price actually costs.• Coast (Budva, Tivat, Kotor, Herceg Novi, Ulcinj, Bar): EUR 1.00 per adult per night, EUR 0.50 for ages 12 to 18.
• Podgorica: EUR 0.70 per adult, EUR 0.35 for ages 12 to 18.
• Under 12: exempt.
• Other exempt groups: property owners and their close family (who must still register), holders of temporary or permanent residence permits and people with severe disabilities, according to one guide.
• Long stays: one guide says the daily tax stops after 30 consecutive days at one address, while registration continues.
Municipalities can vary, so ask the tourist organisation for your town. A week for two on the coast is about EUR 14, so this is a small cost compared with accommodation. See our Montenegro trip cost guide for the bigger numbers.
Montenegro requires foreign visitors to register where they stay. The US State Department page says visitors must register their stay with the local municipality and that failing to do so can cause problems when leaving. Our visa guide for Montenegro says the same: it is automatic at a licensed hotel.
• Hotels, hostels, aparthotels and licensed campsites register you themselves. One guide says within 12 hours of check-in, and a Government of Montenegro notice, which we saw only as a search excerpt, also puts the duty on accommodation providers.
• Private rentals, friends and unlicensed places: you may have to register yourself at the local tourist organisation info point, with your passport, within 24 hours of crossing the border, extended to 72 hours when you arrive on a weekend or holiday, per one guide.
• Moving on: if you stay more than 24 hours in another municipality, the same guides say to register there too. This matters for a route like Kotor, Žabljak and Podgorica.
Check with your host that they have registered you, and ask for the paper or electronic confirmation.
1. Go to the local Tourist Organisation (Turisticka organizacija) info point, or the post office, with your passport.
2. Say you need to register as a tourist and pay the tax for the number of nights. You can pay for up to 30 days at a time.
3. Take the printout (potvrda). It acts as both registration and receipt.
4. Check passport number, dates and number of days on it.
5. Keep it until you leave the country, and keep a copy in the car if you are driving. See our driving rules and fines guide.
Some offices take only cash and some only cards, so carry both. The old paper "white card" has mostly been replaced by electronic registration, though some Bay of Kotor offices may still give one.
Sources disagree on the numbers. Reported fines for an unregistered foreign visitor range from tens of euros up to about EUR 600, with higher amounts for hosts who fail to register guests. One guide says unregistered visitors can be fined when checked on departure, and another says paying early reduces the fine.
Given that spread, do not rely on any figure. The practical rule is to have the registration confirmation when you leave. If a private host has not registered you, ask them to do it or do it at the tourist office; offices will not always accept late registrations after 72 hours, according to one guide.
Your host is legally the party who must register guests in licensed accommodation, but guests can still be the ones who face the consequences, which is why the receipt matters.
• Ask at booking whether the price includes the tax and registration.
• Pay in cash only against a receipt.
• Keep your passport copy handy and your registration paper with it.
• Montenegro is outside the EU and Schengen, so border checks apply on the way in and out; read things to know before visiting Montenegro.
• Restaurants may add a cover charge: see the kuver explained.
For route ideas see our Kotor guide and is Montenegro safe to visit.
Reported at EUR 1.00 per adult per night in coastal towns and EUR 0.70 in Podgorica. Ages 12 to 18 pay half and under-12s are exempt.
Yes, foreign visitors staying more than 24 hours must be registered. Hotels and licensed hosts do it for you; in private places you may need to do it at the local tourist organisation.
One guide gives 24 hours from crossing the border, extended to 72 hours for weekend or holiday arrivals. Hotels register guests themselves, reportedly within 12 hours.
Fines are reported from tens of euros up to about EUR 600 and sources disagree. Keep your registration confirmation until you leave.
Yes, in licensed accommodation the provider collects it and should show it on your bill.
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