In 2025, Montenegro issued 40,567 work and residence permits to foreign nationals from 107 different countries, according to data compiled from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and published by the Employment Agency of Montenegro. These figures highlight the scale of foreign labor participation in the Montenegrin economy and the significant role of foreign-born executives within the business community.
The largest group among these foreign workers came from Turkey, with 10,346 permits, followed by citizens of Serbia (8,148) and Russia (7,429). Other notable nationalities included workers from Azerbaijan (2,513), Albania (2,098), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1,902) and Kosovo (1,543).
Out of all the permits issued, 27,689 were regular work permits granted under the country’s established quota system for employment or seasonal work, reflecting Montenegro’s structured approach to filling labor market needs. In addition, 12,878 work permits were issued outside of these standard quotas, of which a substantial 11,826 were for foreigners appointed as company directors in Montenegro-registered firms – a group that observers and authorities have flagged as vulnerable to misuse under previous rules.
Montenegro’s immigration and labor system has recently undergone changes to address concerns about the exploitation of residence and work permit pathways, including specific provisions linking continued residence and work authorization for directors and business owners to actual business activity and tax contributions such as paying at least €5,000 annually in corporate taxes and contributions. These reforms form part of broader amendments to the Law on Foreigners that took effect in early 2026, tightening requirements for residence and work permits and aligning them closer with EU standards.
Of the permits issued under the approved annual quota, 25,536 were for long-term employment and 2,153 were for seasonal work. Among these quota permits, the highest numbers of foreign workers were engaged in construction (6,920), accommodation and food services (6,805), and other personal services (6,071). Smaller shares worked in trade (1,676), information and communications (1,350), professional and technical services (1,257) and numerous other sectors including transport, agriculture, education and health.
Directors receiving permits were spread across a wide range of industries, with 4,262 in other personal services, 1,943 in trade, 1,043 in professional and technical services, and nearly 978 in construction companies. Other sectors represented included IT and communications (776), hotel and hospitality (730), administrative services (572) and real estate (532). Smaller numbers of foreign directors received permits in sectors such as education (101), healthcare (17), mining (5) and even government-related activities (4).
Demographically, of all foreign permit holders, 71.28 percent were men and 28.72 percent were women. The largest age groups were workers aged 31-40 (29.07 percent) and 41-50 (23.7 percent), with almost 2,000 permits issued to workers over 61 years old, including some over age 67. Geographically, Podgorica hosted the highest number of foreign workers (13,568 or 33.45 percent), followed by Budva (10,318 or 25.43 percent). Smaller municipalities reported much lower numbers.
These figures underscore both Montenegro’s dependence on foreign labor to address domestic workforce shortages and the importance of ongoing regulatory reforms to ensure that work and residence permits reflect genuine economic activity rather than misuse of administrative pathways.
