8 Reasons Why Montenegro is a Great Hub for Digital Nomads
If you’re finding more reasons why Montenegro is a great hub for digital nomads, then you’re on the right page. There are actually a lot of good reasons why this country is the ideal place for remote workers but we’ll tell you the most important ones. These are the reasons that will make you consider staying here to start a digital nomad life.
1. There are Coworking Spaces
It is important to know if the country you’re living in has enough coworking spaces in order for you to do your job efficiently. And in Montenegro, coworking is a new concept, but you can still find few spaces for it. On the Montenegro Coast, you’ll find 6 coworking spaces:
- Playworking in Tivat
- Kolektiv Novi in Herceg Novi
- Hubrela in Budva
- Kowork and Balkanoffice in Kotor
- Innovation Center in Porto Montenegro
- OK Koral Outdoor Club in Bar Municipality
If you’re in the city of Podgorica, the country’s capital, then you can find 4 coworking spaces:
- MTEL Digital Factory
- Work Hub
- Nest
- Donkey Farm
If you don’t feel like staying in a coworking space, it’s still possible to work in cafes. However, working in cafes is not a really common culture in the country. In Montenegro, cafes are seen only as a place for drinking coffee and talking with your friends. But since there are plenty of cafes in the country, you can visit them and do your work there with your mobile hotspot. Since mobile internet in Montenegro is fast, this option is completely feasible.
In the world of freelancing, it is important to be productive and have the ability to separate your work from your free time. This is where this type of “office” becomes relevant.
To get detailed information about this topic, check out our List of Coworking Spaces in Montenegro for Digital Nomads & Remote Workers.
2. Fast and Cheap Internet
The internet connection in Montenegro is fast and reliable. Regular speeds can reach up to 50 Mbps. Besides, there are also affordable Telco Plans or internet plans you can enjoy; some even have cable included.
In addition, the mobile internet network in Montenegro is also amazing! A tourist sim card is very cheap with 100GB of data. Some plans also offer 500GB for only around 10-15 EUR in one month! Now you won’t have a hard time calling or texting your friends or family while you’re away from home. Just a note, your passport is required when buying a local sim card.
Generally speaking, bigger towns usually have a decent internet connection. However, if you’re in the mountains or smaller towns, you will likely experience either a good or non-existent internet which is given since you’re surrounded by nature.
3. The Visa Situation
Schengen visa holders can usually stay in the area for 90 days within each 180 day period. What do you do when your stay is up and you want to wait for the 180-day count to reset? Go to Montenegro; you can stay there until you can re-enter the Schengen region again.
Most Europeans and North Americans can easily enter Montenegro visa-free for up to 90 days but if you're Asian like me (I'm Filipino) then you'd need to get a tourist visa, you can read my guide here. But there are also exemptions,
Foreign passport holders (Filipinos included) who hold a valid Schengen visa, or a valid visa of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia or a residence permit for those countries, may enter Montenegro, stay in Montenegro, or cross its territory for up to 30 days, and no longer than the expiry of the visa if the visa expires in less than 30 days. Holders of APEC Business cards, too.
Furthermore, those people who are required for a visa may need a tourist visa to visit Montenegro. If you want assistance with your application esp. you'd need an Invitation letter/ guarantor letter, we can help you with our Visa Bundle Service! We can also help people get a longer term visa and maybe eventually get a permanent residency if you decide you're done with the Digital Nomad Life and just live happily in Europe.
To know more about the types of Montenegro Visa, check out our article about it!
4. Nature and Outdoor Activities
Montenegro is a paradise for people looking for adventure and people wanting to spend some time with nature. Blessed with mountains, beaches, lakes, canyons, and wonderful landscapes, this becomes the ideal place for traveling and even settling down.
Outdoor activities you can try are hiking, paragliding, camping, canyoning, kayaking, swimming, trekking, going on a road trip, and a lot more! Each city and town offer different kinds of activities yet the same excitement.
5. Cheap Cost of Living
The cost of living in Montenegro is surprisingly cheap! Here, you can rent a small apartment for about 170 to 250 EUR per month! On the other hand, monthly utilities can cost you less than 100 EUR depending on your usage. Of course, these all depend on the town you chose to stay in as well. Places like Kotor or Budva offer a more expensive cost of living since they’re the most visited places during the peak season. As we all know, touristy means high prices.
To have more detailed information about the cost of living in Montenegro, you can read our article here.
If you prefer to buy a house rather than renting (in case you decided to settle down here), then there are actually a lot of properties you can check out! This article can help you: How to Buy a Property in Montenegro.
6. Strategic Location
Montenegro is one of the ideal gateways to any other countries in the Balkans or nearby places. There are two major airports in the country. One is in Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital and the other one is in Tivat.
The airport in Podgorica has year-round flight connections to Istanbul and other European cities all thanks to Turkish Airlines. Due to this reason, traveling to Montenegro is not difficult at all. On the other hand, the airport in Tivat, which is smaller, offers mostly seasonal flights. During summer, it is connected to the rest of Europe and especially Russia.
In conclusion, it will be easier for you to travel in and out of the country whenever your schedule (and visa) permits you to do so.
7. Active But Not Saturated Digital Nomad Community
Since Montenegro has just started getting more and more popular with Digital Nomads, you won’t find a lot of them here. However, you don’t need to worry as there’s an active community where you can meet people who do the same thing as you. You can join the Montenegro Digital Nomads & Remote Workers, an active Facebook group.
In this group, you’ll find a lot of information needed while staying in the country. You can read and share experiences with others in order to have a smoother stay in Montenegro. Another best thing about this group is that you’ll get the latest update and news relating to job offers, procedures, and legal processing of documents upon living in Montenegro as a Digital Nomad!
8. Locals are friendly, nice and mostly speak English
Montenegrins are known to be warm, welcoming, and friendly people. Although not all of them speak English, you can expect that you are very welcome to their country just by their gestures. Because of this, it is easy to make friends with the locals, especially those who can communicate in English. They can help you adjust to the lifestyle and culture in Montenegro.
Speaking of language, the main language in Montenegro is Montenegrin. However, there are people, especially the younger ones, who can speak decent English since they learn it in school. Moreover, bar and restaurant waiters, and many other service staff in popular towns like Kotor and Budva can also communicate in English.
Usually, older people are the ones who don’t speak English, since they were taught German or Russian at School. The further you travel to the north or countryside area, the fewer English speakers you will meet.
If you have any questions about moving to Montenegro or getting a Temporary Residence Permit as a Digital Nomad then contact me at [email protected] or my husband, [email protected]