It is an exceptionally long minute since you read this a headline, but the moment came. After 12 years, the European Union is preparing to increase once moreAnd this time it is the Paradisaical Montenegro are invited to become a member of the club:
A small nation on the banks of the Adriatic Full of old wonders and postcard ready -to -live beachesMontenegro has raced for other EU candidates such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia and now seems to be increasing to the Union in a few years.
Until now, the country has managed its own boundaries, avoided placing unnecessary bureaucracy on international journeys: they have so far refused to jump on the bandwagon and to hit an Evisa requirement for Americans, nor have they given their fingerprints.
Moreover, the visa policy of Montenegro is notorious Laker than the EUs. Soon this could all change, influence all travelers:
Montenegro could be an EU member by 2027
This is not an unfounded claim or unfounded rumor. It’s coming right from the horse’s mouth.
According to the European Commissioner for Expansion Marta Kos, Montenegro is a ‘Leading candidate’ for joining the European Union. In her own words, the access process must be completed somewhere between the end of 2026 and the end of 2027.
That is only two years old at the last minute.
Montenegro is indeed the EU’s low -key favorite when it comes to expansion, because of its extraordinary involvement in driving up the process compared to most of his neighbors:
To enter the EU, a country must ” open ‘and’ close ‘a total of 33’ ‘chapters’. See this as a Checklist of rules and standards With regard to matters such as the rule of law, the strengthening of democratic institutions, reforms of corruption, fishing and much more.
A chapter is only ‘closed’ as soon as the candidate country has met all the requirements. The EU will only ratify an access treaty afterwards All 33 chapters are closed.
We will not be in detail here, because this part will probably not be interesting for you as a traveler, but what you should have to Know that it is Montenegro has already opened all 33 ChaptersAnd closed a total of 7 from August 2025.
This may not seem much, but let’s look at the graph below and how Montenegro compared it with his counterparts:
A look at the impressive progress of Montenegro
*Serbia is subjected to meet the 34th series requirements during his accession treaty, with regard to the standardization of relationships with Kosovo
Kos, who had been worked out on her earlier explanation, indicated that she could see it ‘Two to three’ entry negotiations completed at the end of her mandate in 2029Where Montenegro is the obvious leader.
However, she insisted on caution, as a condition for ratifying an accession is that all EU member states agree, even after all chapters have been closed.
In that respect, Montenegro seems to have widespread support in the European Union, which could help the matter. Nevertheless, it is a long -term process and can go through for years, if not decades.
It’s coming … Slowly but surely
The Painfully slow pace of negotiations Has been criticized by the North Macedonic Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski himself, who adds that he hopes that other countries that want to join the Union ‘will not have the same experience as his country.
North Macedonia has been an official candidate for EU membership since 2005, while negotiation interviews only started in 2022 and at the moment no chapters have been opened or closed.
When it comes to Turkey, They already applied in 1987.
In the case of Montenegro, the candidate status was only granted in 2010, much later, so that their faster progress made the whole more encouraging progress.
That said, It all depends on how Montenegro performs In negotiations in the coming year. More optimistic projections indicate full EU membership by the end of 2027, while less optimistic prefers the deadline of 2030-2032 as more realistic.
How exactly does EU membership of Montenegro have an influence on travelers?
A joining for the European Union will make significant changes for Montenegro and Montenegrins.
As the 28th EU Member State, Montenegro will enjoy unobstructed access to the European internal market, and its citizens will be able to travel, study and live freely, without requesting a visa, on a large part of the European continent.
That’s great news for them. But what about travelers?
This is where it becomes difficult:
Montenegro starts fingerprints of Americans
On October 12, 2025, the EU was set to introduce its entry-level exit system (EES), a new computer system that will help border days to keep travelers who enter and leave Member States. It will replace manual passport stamps, and Tighten the border controls General.
Sounds honest enough, until you read between the lines, and discover that it will actually be Give your fingerprints And other biometric data. Be prepared for longer waiting lines at passport control that starts this fall.
The thing is, since Montenegro is not part of the EU, it is not necessary to work under the EEs: flying to Montenegro, Americans get a simple stamp and can often simply break through the border with minimal questions.
Montenegro must join the EU, It would be legally necessary to take over the EEsWhich means that it would also start with the fingerprints of foreign arrivals.
Americans need a digital access permit to enter Montenegro
Just like De Ees, ETIAS is an EU-wide initiative. Officially called an electronic travel authorization, it is essentially a travel permit of $ 23 that you must apply prior To fly to Europe.
Although not yet in place, the ETIAS system is planned to go live in 2026, and it will completely change how Americans (and other current visa-free travelers such as Canadians and British) travel to the old continent.
Unless you have an etias in your name, You may not go on board a flight You will be refused access to every EU member states, and if you try to cross a country border from a non-EU country to the European Union.
Unnecessary to say that Etias does not apply in Montenegro, but once it is a full EU member, it will be a different story.
Oh yes. That Schengen -Ding
If you are not familiar with the complex travel rules of Europe, you may not have been introduced in the Schengen area.
It is a border -free zone that covers a large part of the continent, where usual passport controls usually do not apply, and crossing one nation to another feels so smooth as from California to Arizona.
Again, sounds great on paper, but did you know that as an American tourist, You can only stay in the Schengen region for 90 days From a period of 180 days?
‘Of course, whatever, 3 months is enough time‘… Hum, we would beg to differ?
Most countries worldwide let tourists stay between 90 and 180 days as visitors before they have to leave. In the Schengen area, the 90-day rule applies to 29 All land at the same time:
The issue with the restrictive 90-day rule of Schengen
If you have spent 30 days through Italy, you ‘only have 60 days to use in 28 other European countries (it can be France, Italy, Spain, Croatia) Within the next 6 months.
When put that way, It sounds one lot more limitedright?
Fortunately for Americans, Montenegro is currently not in Schengen and they get a 90 -day stay independent of every time spent in other European countries.
A few years ahead, and Montenegro is a fully EU and Schengen member, and you will also have to view your clock here, friend.
It is important to note that Schengen’s membership is not automatic at the accession of the EU, so it can be quite a few years along the line until Montenegro enforces the 90/180 rule, so you are ready to go for now.
It will have a strict visa policy
The latter bit will not have a special influence on Americans, but it can have a negative influence on Hundreds of millions From other travelers worldwide.
At the moment Montenegro has the freedom to define its own visa policy, and it is more notorious than that of the European Union:
The most striking thing is that Russian and Turkish citizens can enter Montenegro without getting visas, in contrast to the EU, where they are subject to a debilitating visa application process.
As an EU Member State, Montenegro will be required by law tunes its visa policy entirely to the rest of the trade union. This means that it is very likely that a number of foreign citizens who can currently only travel with their passports are made to get a visa.
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