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Residence and Work Permit for Entrepreneur or Owner-Director

MontenegroStarting a business

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Is this for a founder, startup entrepreneur, self-employed person, freelancer, company owner or another business profile?

The route is for entrepreneurs (sole proprietors) and executive directors of companies in which they are the sole owners or own more than 51% of the capital; exceptionally, this permit may be issued even to a foreigner over 66 years of age. An executive director of a company or an entrepreneur registered in Montenegro under the law on forms of business activity can be issued a residence and work permit outside the annual quota.

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What must actually exist or be demonstrated: business plan, company, innovation, clients, contracts, economic activity, job creation or other substance?

Instead of the employer's written job offer for a specific post and the proof of education level and qualification required for ordinary employment, entrepreneurs and executive directors who are sole owners or owners of more than 51% of the company's capital must attach proof of ownership and registration of the sole proprietorship or company.

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What investment, capital, income, revenue, funding or viability evidence is central to this pathway?

The central money element is the obligation to submit proof of taxes and contributions paid of at least 5.000 euros per year; this obligation does not apply to EU member-state nationals or their family members (whatever their nationality), or to nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The official source does not state a minimum investment or capital amount.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The law states no minimum investment or capital amount for this route; this is silence, not an explicit exemption.
  • https://wapi.gov.me/download/b123dbc2-dfce-4751-9086-322072f9d7f3?version=1.0
    Obaveza u pogledu dostavljanja dokaza o o izvršenim obavezama po osnovu poreza i doprinosa u minimalnom iznosu od 5.000 eura na godišnjem nivou iz stava 4 ovog člana, ne odnosi se na državljane država članica Evropske unije ili članove njihovih porodica bez obzira da li su ti članovi državljani država članica Evropske unije, kao i državljane Republike Island, Kneževine Lihtenštajn, Kraljevine Norveške i Švajcarske Konfederacije.

What business/self-employed activity may the holder conduct? Are there important restrictions? What is the family position where clearly stated?

A foreigner may work in Montenegro only in the jobs for which the residence and work permit was issued and only for the employer that employs them; exceptionally, a residence and work permit may be issued for executive-director work with several employers, in line with employment regulations. The official source does not state the family position.

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Limits of the record
  • These are general rules for residence and work permits; no family-accompaniment rule for entrepreneurs is stated.

What approval/application sequence applies, how long is the status granted, how is it renewed, and what longer-term residence direction is officially stated?

The foreigner applies in person to the Ministry at the place of residence on the prescribed form. A residence and work permit for employment is issued for up to one year. For entrepreneurs and executive directors who are sole or more-than-51% owners, the permit may be extended as long as they meet the Article 43 conditions and provide proof of taxes and contributions paid of at least 5.000 euros per year. The extension request is filed by the foreigner or employer with the Ministry no earlier than 60 and no later than 30 days before expiry. The official source does not state a longer-term residence direction.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The one-year validity is the general rule for employment residence and work permits; the law does not restate it specifically for entrepreneurs, and no longer-term residence direction is stated for this route.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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