Montenegro

Driving in Montenegro

You must have a valid international driver’s licence to drive in Montenegro. If you are taking your car, you must have vehicle registration/ ownership documents and a locally valid insurance policy. European Green Card vehicle insurance is valid in Montenegro.

On 15 June 2008 the Montenegrin Government introduced an eco tax for using road vehicles in Montenegro. The funds raised will be used for the implementation of environmental preservation and protection projects in Montenegro. Foreign nationals must pay the tax when entering Montenegro by car. The fee amounts range from €10 to €150 and are determined according to the make and size of the vehicle. For most cars with a capacity of up to eight passengers the fee will be €10. The eco-sticker obtained upon payment of the tax will be valid for a period of one year and must be displayed on the inside of the front windscreen in the upper right hand corner.

You are advised to drive defensively and to avoid confrontation with other drivers. You are required by law to wear a seatbelt. You must drive with dipped headlights on during the day and must not use a mobile phone while driving. Excessive speeding (30km over the limit) could lead to your driver’s licence being confiscated temporarily. These offences could result in fines of between €20-300.

The general standard of roads is fair to poor with conditions worsening in rural areas, especially in the winter and after bad weather. Many roads are under construction, so there are often delays and detours. A particularly notorious road is the two-lane Moraca Canyon in Montenegro (this is the road linking Montenegro with Bosnia), which is often made dangerous by bad conditions and overcrowding. There are no toll roads in Montenegro. The only pay-to-drive-through point in Montenegro is the Sozina tunnel between Lake Skadar and the sea – the current fee is €2.50 per car. Other dangerous roads are the one that link Serbia with Montenegro and the coast one during the summer season due to the high traffic of vehicles.

You should check local developments before starting your journey.