Retire in Montenegro
To retire in Montenegro you need property with a transfer tax base of €150,000 or more for a one-year permit, plus €20 a day to live on. Pensions are not taxed.
What it takes, what it costs, and where retirees settle, from Montenegro's law and official data. Checked on Oct 8, 2026.
- Retiree visa
- €150,000 property A home or other property in Montenegro with a transfer tax value of €150,000 or more, plus means of support of €20 for each day of the stay (€7,300 for a full year). Law on Foreigners; Law on Foreigners amendment 2026; Temporary residence rulebook; Rulebook amendment 2025. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
- Price level
- ~50% of the US Household consumption, 2025. World Bank. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
- Tax on a foreign pension
- 0% Pensions are not taxed. Personal Income Tax Law; PwC Tax Summaries; IRS. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
- Travel advisory
- Level 1 of 4 Exercise Normal Precautions. US State Department. Updated Aug 26, 2026.
- Health spending
- $1,148/person Per year; US $13,473. World Bank. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
- US tax treaty
- None No income tax treaty with the US. IRS. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
Do you qualify?
Montenegro has no retirement visa, and a pension is not itself a ground for residence. The main route for retirees is temporary residence for people who own property in Montenegro: a one-year permit, renewable each year, for an owner of at least half of a home or other property whose transfer tax base was at least €150,000, who can show €20 a day to live on.
Property owner visa: documents and feesRetiring in Montenegro, topic by topic
Visa
Property owner visa requirements
Documents, government fees and the other routes to residency.
Healthcare
Healthcare for retirees
The hospitals retirees use, what insurance covers, and Medicare abroad.
Money
Banking, pensions and tax
How US, UK and Canadian pensions reach a local bank, and what you report at home.
Budget
Cost of living
Official prices and a budget built from your own rent.
What it costs
Household prices in Montenegro run at about 50% of US levels. Rent is the line nobody publishes officially, so the cost of living page builds your budget from your own rent.
Build your budgetOfficial poverty line, person living alone, per month, 2025 survey
MONSTAT. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Where retirees settle
Podgorica
- Capital, 150,977 people (2011), 49 m above sea level
- Clinical Centre of Montenegro and Codra Hospital
Kotor
- Walled town on the Bay of Kotor; municipality of 21,916 people (2023)
- General Hospital Kotor
Budva
- Town on the Adriatic coast, 13,338 people (2011)
- 3 m above sea level
Bar
- Port town; municipality of 43,693 people (2017)
- General Hospital Blažo Orlandić in Stari Bar
Wikidata; Clinical Centre of Montenegro; Codra Hospital; General Hospital Kotor; General Hospital Bar. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Montenegro compared
More guides on Montenegro
Visiting Montenegro first
Most people spend a few weeks in Montenegro before they apply for anything. Two things to sort out for that trip:
Kiwi.com
Flights to Montenegro
Compare routes and dates before a scouting trip.
Airalo
eSIM for Montenegro
Mobile data from the day you land, without a local SIM.
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Retiring in Montenegro: questions
Is Montenegro safe for retirees?
The US State Department rates Montenegro Level 1, exercise normal precautions.
Do I pay tax in Montenegro on my pension?
No. Montenegro's income tax law does not count pensions as income, without limiting this to Montenegrin pensions; only pensions paid under the law on salaries of state and public officials are taxed. With no US income tax treaty, US citizens still file a US return.
Can Americans retire in Montenegro?
Yes. The main route is temporary residence for property owners: a one-year temporary residence permit for someone who owns at least half of a property with a transfer tax base of €150,000 or more and has €20 a day to live on. It is renewed every year, and permanent residence is open after 5 years.
Is Montenegro a good place for Americans to retire?
Pensions are not taxed, US Social Security can be paid into a Montenegrin bank and prices run at about half of US levels. The catch is residence: without property worth €150,000 there is no permit aimed at retirees, and absences over 30 days can end it.
Where do retirees live in Montenegro?
In Podgorica, the capital, or on the coast in Kotor, Budva or Bar; Podgorica has the Clinical Centre, and Kotor and Bar have public general hospitals.
