Since the end of October, when the Montenegrin government temporarily introduced visas for Turkish citizens, almost nine thousand of them have left Montenegro, while 31 Turkish companies operating in Montenegro were shut down during November, Podgorica media reported on Friday.
The reason for the Montenegrin government’s decision to abolish the visa-free regime with Turkey was an incident that occurred on October 25th in the Podgorica neighborhood of Zabjelo, when a Podgorica resident, M. J. (25), was stabbed.
Although the police initially claimed that Turkish and Azerbaijani citizens had taken part in the stabbing, it later turned out that two Azerbaijani citizens had allegedly stabbed the Podgorica resident.
Right-wing protests followed, during which several shops owned by Turks were set on fire.
Montenegro’s Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that since October 27th, when the Montenegrin government introduced visas for Turkish citizens, 8.935 Turkish nationals have left Montenegro.
The number of visits to Montenegro from Turkey has significantly decreased, while the Montenegrin media reported that more than 30 Turkish companies have been shut down in the past month, meaning on average one company has closed every day.
According to data from the Montenegrin Tax Administration, Turkish citizens have registered 2.140 legal entities in Montenegro, and the most common sectors in which Turkish companies operate are wholesale trade, construction, hospitality, consulting services, and car rental or leasing.
“The number of Turkish companies deleted from the Central Register in the past month is 31, and since the beginning of 2025, 234,” the Tax Administration stated.
This clearly indicates that the incidents in Podgorica and the introduction of visas for Turkish citizens could have a measurable effect on the market, and it is evident that some investors are reconsidering their continued presence in Montenegro.
Montenegrin Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimovic recently said he believes Turkish citizens will soon be exempt from visas, stressing that after the recent incident, the security services of the two states have intensified their cooperation.
“I believe we will soon lift visas for Turkish citizens,” Ibrahimovic said.
