The long-awaited legal framework defining entrance and residence permits for digital nomads – Law on amendments to the Law on Foreigners (“Law”) has been adopted in the Parliament of Montenegro and it shall enter into force on 11 August 2022.
The adopted Law provides, in comparison to the initially proposed bill, a simplified definition of a digital nomad, defining that a digital nomad is a foreigner who is employed or performs tasks electronically for foreign or their own companies which not registered in Montenegro. Additionally, the adopted Law clarified that in the event that a foreigner who has a status of a digital nomad establishes a company in Montenegro or register as an entrepreneur in Montenegro – he/she shall lose the status as a digital nomad.
The Law also prescribes that close family members of digital nomads can receive a special family reunification permit.
As close family members, the Law recognizes:
- marital partners;
- children under the age of 18 years old;
- children of one of the marital partners, and adopted children, under the age of 18 years old.
The Ministry of Interior Affairs shall enact a bylaw within 90 days which will define in more detail the conditions and manner of issuance of the permits for digital nomads and their close family members.
By Lana Vukmirovic Misic, Partner, Vukmirovic Misic Law Firm in cooperation with JPM Jankovic Popovic Mitic
