Foreigners can own residential and commercial property freehold on the same terms as citizens; the principal exception is agricultural and forest land, which must be held through a locally registered company.
Before you buy in Montenegro, always:
General guidance only — rules change; confirm the current position with a qualified local lawyer.
Our free ownership checker and the Overseas Property Playbook walk through how foreign ownership works step by step — the questions to ask and the traps to sidestep.
Buyers pay a 3% property transfer tax on resale homes (new-builds include 21% VAT instead), plus legal and agency fees of a few percent, and the process is fairly quick. Note that residence can be based on owning a home assessed at EUR 150,000 or more.
Kotor and its dramatic bay for scenery and history; Tivat for the smart Porto Montenegro marina; Budva for beaches and buzz; and Herceg Novi for a sunny, greener setting near the Croatian border.
Public healthcare is modest, so most expats use private clinics locally or travel to nearby Croatia or Serbia for bigger procedures; private insurance and treatment are relatively inexpensive. Facilities are best around Podgorica and the coast. Montenegro is safe and laid-back; they drive on the right, English is widely spoken among younger people and in the tourist towns, and its small size makes it easy to get around.
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