Traffic regulations in Europe - Montenegro

What should be considered on a motorcycle tour to or through Montenegro? What documents do you need to bring with you? MotoGS WorldTours and MotoGS Rental provide you with answers to your most important questions.
Errors and omissions excepted - all information without guarantee.

Basics:
Although Montenegro is a candidate for accession to the EU, it is not yet a member state of the EU. Therefore, certain requirements must be met when entering Montenegro.
For a tourist stay of up to 90 days, a passport or a provisional passport is sufficient. An identity card is also sufficient for a tourist stay for EU citizens of up to 30 days or for transit.
Of course, non-EU citizens must carry a passport.
All personal documents must be valid for at least 3 months upon entry.
Entering the country with identity documents that have been reported stolen or lost but later reported found can cause problems. It is therefore urgently advised not to enter Montenegro with such documents in such a case.
All foreigners must register with the police at their place of residence within 24 hours. Accommodation providers do this for their guests.

General information:
Montenegro is a mountainous country in south-eastern Europe. Due to the geographical location, a motorbike is ideal for exploring the country.

Vehicle papers and other necessary documents:
The vehicle registration document (registration certificate part I) is mandatory.
The IVK - International Insurance Card (formerly Green Card, including MNE) is valid as proof of liability insurance. Without an IVK, short-term liability insurance must be taken out at the border.
The minimum amounts of coverage and standards are well below those in Germany or other European countries.
The EU driver's license is accepted in Montenegro, so no international driver's license is required. An international driver's license is required for non-EU citizens.

With the rented motorbike to Montenegro:
Riders traveling abroad on a motorcycle not registered in their name must carry a permit to be on the safe side.
This permit can be downloaded from the following link.

Requirements to be able to rent a motorcycle in Montenegro, you must be at least 21 years old (may vary depending on the motorcycle category and local rental company) and have held a driver's license for at least one year.

Health insurance:
If you want to enter Montenegro, you should definitely take out private international health insurance, since e.g., German health insurance companies do not reimburse the costs for transport to suitable centers or back to Germany. In principle, all travelers to Montenegro, regardless of their country of origin, should take out international health insurance. This can be done easily here via Global Rescue. Surely this type of insurance protection is a bit more expensive than other providers. However, as the name suggests, this type of coverage is built on Rescue. Therefore not comparable. However, this should not be understood as advertising, it is a simple recommendation.

Previous damage to the vehicle:
Pay Attention: In the event of previous damage to the vehicle (regardless of whether it is your own vehicle or a rented vehicle), this damage must be reported to the police upon arrival and confirmed. In the event of an accident in the country, the police must be called and a damage report drawn up, and the official accident report must then be presented at the border crossing when you leave the country. If you do not have a damage confirmation from the police when you leave the country, this can lead to problems. To make it clear, vehicles with conspicuous damage may only leave the country with a police confirmation of damage. Without this confirmation or accident report, you will probably cross the border on foot. A late visit to the police is certainly possible, but it may be complicated to explain why you are only now reporting the damage.
The easiest way to contact the police is to dial the uniform emergency number 112.

If foreigners are involved in motor vehicle accidents, foreign drivers/riders may be imprisoned, particularly in cases involving personal injury. It is therefore strongly recommended that all traffic rules are strictly observed.

In the event of property damage and personal injury, the use of the "European Accident Report" is recommended. You can find a download link here: European Accident Report.

Daytime running lights:
Regardless of the time of day, the headlights are compulsory in Montenegro, so that you have to ride with dipped headlights all year round.
Carrying a spare bulb set is recommended. Excluded are motorbikes  equipped with LED headlights.

Safety vest obligation:
Safety vests must be carried and worn in the event of a breakdown. It is always advisable to also have a motorcycle warning triangle, a small first aid kit and a warning light with you, just in case.

Helmet obligation:
Helmets are compulsory for the riders and passenger.

The alcohol limit:
The general traffic rules in Montenegro also determine with how much promille a motorcyclist is still allowed to ride. The alcohol limit is 0.3, lower than in Germany and many other European countries, so as a motorcycle enthusiast you should pay more attention to what you want to drink for dinner or at the beach party or whereever you are.

Speed limit:
The speed limit in Montenegro is as follows: 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h on rural roads and 100 km/h on expressways. Motorways still not available in Montenegro. Which is good, because we are motorcycle enthusiats.

Overtaking other road users:
When overtaking, the signal must be used throughout the process. Overtaking columns is prohibited.

What happens if you disobey the traffic rules in Montenegro?
If you ride your motorcycle too fast in Montenegro, you have to expect a fine. It is normal like in the rest of the world.
Therefore, foreign road users, as well as locals, must expect fines for traffic violations. In the course of a traffic control, the police officers can impose fines directly on the spot. In addition, there is also the possibility that you or your motorcycle rental company will receive a fine notice from abroad.

However, since Montenegro is not yet a member of the European Union, cross-border enforcement is not possible. This also applies to all other non-EU countries. However, it can still make sense to settle the corresponding claims, preferably immediately. Because if you want to enter or transit through Montenegro again at a later date, open fines can and will be demanded. Not infrequently, these have increased significantly due to reminder fees. Montenegro does not forget either.

If the catalog of offenses for violating the traffic rules of Montenegro provides for further measures in addition to the fine, these are also usually limited to the Balkan republic. A riding ban usually has no effect on your driving license in Germany or other countries. In addition, the authorities of Montenegro are not allowed to withhold your driver's license permanently.

Fines Special features: In the course of a traffic check, the police officers can levy fines directly on the spot. It can also be arranged that in the event of violations of the road traffic regulations, the rider  must report to a fast-track judge, and the fine must be paid immediately. This is costly and time consuming.

Toll
In Montenegro, a toll is levied by vehicle class at the Tunel Sozina, which cuts through the Rumija Mountains between Virpazar on Lake Skadar and Sutomore on the Adriatic Sea. This shortens the travel time from Podgorica to the coast to thirty minutes. There is no way over the mountains. The toll can be paid in cash directly on site. No further tolls will be charged, as Montenegro does not yet have a motorway, as this is currently under construction and completion is still a long way off.

Refueling
Gas stations are available in sufficient density. This is especially true in the tourist regions, e.g. near the coast. Only in more remote mountain regions is the density significantly lower. But even there, 50 kilometers should be a problem for very few motorcyclists with a forward-looking driving style. At Montenegrin gas stations, refueling is still carried out by an employee. The fuel is classified by its octane number, unleaded (bezolovni) can be recognized by the crossed out Pb. Pay attention, in Montenegro there is still leaded petrol!
At the petrol stations, you can pay in cash to the employee who filled up the vehicle, as well as with a credit or debit card.

Road condition:
Montenegro has no motorways and almost no expressways. The transport network is still quite good by Eastern European standards. If you consider that there were practically no paved roads in 1950, then you can be quite satisfied with the current road network. Of course, one should not expect a pristine paved road and accept a certain amount of potholes, cracks and bumps. The quality of the road surface depends to a large extent on the density of settlements and whether the road is used by only a few locals or by numerous tourists. Also, in remote areas, there are not always street cleaning crews on the road, for example to sweep rockfalls off the asphalt. In the remote mountain regions you have to be prepared for many gravel roads. For example, to reach the Katuns (summer pastures), which are far away from other residential areas.

As of 06/27/2023