Traveling with a dog around the Balkans is surprisingly easy – at least at first glance. Montenegro is among the countries that are very attractive for travelers with a dog: the sea, mountains, less mass tourism and relatively short travel distances. At the same time, however, it is not a member state of the European Union, which brings certain specifics.
In this article we will go through the official entry requirements for bringing a dog from the EU to Montenegro, point out the most common mistakes and also add our personal experience from a road trip around the Balkans, during which we visited Montenegro with our dog.
Montenegro is not an EU member
Although Montenegro is a candidate country for the European Union and travel to the country is very easy for people from the EU, in terms of animal travel it is considered a so-called third country. This means that the completely free movement of pets that applies within the EU does not apply to it.
The good news is that the rules are still relatively mild and, compared to other non-European countries, also manageable.
Our personal experience: entering Montenegro with a dog
We visited Montenegro during our last road trip around the Balkans, which we did by car together with our dog Ibo. We traveled from the Croatian island Dugi Otok, continued via Dubrovnik and our destination was the town of Herceg Novi in Montenegro.
We planned to enter Montenegro through the border crossing Karasovići, which is located south of Dubrovnik. Everything went according to plan until we approached the border itself. There we faced a queue of cars and approximately 30 to 45 minutes of waiting.
However, that did not dampen our optimism. We had never been to Montenegro before and, with a certain amount of curiosity, we treated the waiting in line itself as part of the adventure.
It was our turn and the border check followed. The customs officer asked us for only the passports, glanced through them and without further questions signaled for us to continue. We tried to indicate that we were traveling with a dog, but he just waved his hand and sent us on our way again.
Although Ibo met all the official entry requirements for the country, in practice he was not checked at all. Without further delays we thus found ourselves on Montenegrin territory.
This experience nicely illustrates the difference between official rules and the reality at the borders. However, that does not mean it’s worth underestimating the requirements – rather the opposite.
Entry requirements for bringing a dog into Montenegro (from the EU)
If you are traveling with a dog from a member state of the European Union to Montenegro, your dog must meet several basic veterinary requirements. The rules are relatively simple and can be met by most travelers without problems.
The dog must have a microchip (ISO 11784/11785), which must be implanted before the rabies vaccination. A valid rabies vaccination is also necessary, and at least 21 days must pass from the first vaccination. When undergoing regular revaccination, a new waiting period does not apply.
Furthermore, a European pet passport (EU Pet Passport) is required, which records information about the chip, vaccination and the owner. Officially, a certificate of the dog’s health issued by a veterinarian is also required and should not be older than 10 days. In practice this document is checked only rarely, but we recommend having it with you.
The maximum number of animals per person is five and the transfer must be non-commercial.
Returning to the EU: what to watch out for
When returning from Montenegro to the European Union the situation is somewhat more sensitive, but still relatively simple. Montenegro is among so-called “listed third countries”, which means that on return a blood test for rabies antibodies is not required, provided the basic conditions are met.
The key is that the dog must have a valid rabies vaccination carried out in the EU and that it does not expire during the stay in Montenegro. If the vaccination were to expire during the stay or if it were administered again outside the EU, the situation would become significantly more complicated and a rabies test would be mandatory.
For practical reasons we therefore recommend checking the vaccination expiry date before traveling and planning your return so that even a short lapse does not occur.
Practical tips in brief
- Check the validity of the rabies vaccination before departure and have it recorded in the EU Pet Passport.
- Take with you a veterinary certificate of the dog’s health, even though it may not be required at the border.
- Bear in mind that border checks can be very superficial or non-existent, but the rules still apply even when no one is checking them.
- If you are traveling by car, keep your dog’s documents always at hand – especially when returning to the EU.
- Watch the dates and validity – most problems arise from inattention, not from the complexity of the rules.