Integration and life in Montenegro

If you are granted international protection – refugee status or subsidiary protection, you will be entitled to the following:

• Stay in Montenegro;
• Accommodation and financial support;
• Work;
• Healthcare;
• Education;
• Free legal aid;
• Social protection;
• Family reunification;
• Assistance with integration into society in the period of up to three years after the decision on approval of international protection;
• Sign up for courses in the Montenegrin language, history and culture;
• Own a property;
• Documents in accordance with the law;
• Acquisition of Montenegrin nationality.

Once you have been awarded subsidiary protection or refugee status, you will be entitled to assistance in accessing all the rights stipulated in the Law and facilitating your integration into the country.

UNHCR and its partners can provide you with supplementary assistance and advice free of charge.

You may be supported to:
• learn the Montenegrin language and get the respective certificates;
• access education and validate your diploma;
• access vocational training as per your preference;
• access decent employment opportunities;
• access tools and equipment for income generation.

All the abovementioned support may be vital for your successful integration and self-reliance, beginning with the knowledge of the local language, to starting education and accessing the job market.

To help you integrate into society, the Ministry of Interior will develop your individual integration plan that covers an initial period of two years. The individual integration plan will contain all information about your individual needs, knowledge, abilities and skills, as well as the sequence of subsequent steps for you to be able to achieve local socio-economic integration. The Ministry of Interior will coordinate with other public administration bodies and nongovernmental organizations to support refugees and subsidiary protection holders in their integration pursuance.

Access to National Documents
As a refugee, you will be issued a personal ID for the period of five years and a travel document issued for the same period of five years.
As a subsidiary protection holder, you will be issued a personal ID for the period of three years and a travel document issued for the same period of three years.

Right to accommodation
In the first two years since granting international protection, you will have the right to be supported with accommodation.

Access to Monetary Support and Social Assistance
As a refugee or subsidiary protection holder, you will be entitled to monetary assistance for the period of two years from the day of delivering the decision on granting international protection. You may submit the application for monetary assistance to the Centre for Social Work in the town where you have residence. Alternatively, if you are in need, you may also be entitled to social protection services.

Access to Employment
An asylee and a foreigner granted subsidiary protection are permitted to work in Montenegro without a residence and work permit or work registration certificate within the meaning of the law governing the residence of foreign nationals. An asylee and a foreigner granted subsidiary protection shall be entitled to adult education in relation to employment, professional development and gaining practical work experience under the same conditions as Montenegrin nationals.

You can register in the records of unemployed persons of the Employment Agency of Montenegro – if you are between 15 and 67 years of age, are capable or partially able to work, and are actively seeking employment.
You should register in person according to the place of residence through a registration form, which you will receive from the branch office of the Employment agency.
The services of the employment agency are:
• informing about the possibilities and conditions for employment;
• counselling in order to increase employability and employment;
• professional orientation;
• mediation in employment;
• professional orientation;
• mediation in employment;
• exercising the right to monetary compensation during unemployment;
• exercising the right to monetary assistance and reimbursement of transportation costs during education and training;
other measures aimed at increasing employment.

Access to education
Refugees and holders of subsidiary protection exercise the right to primary, secondary and high education under the same conditions as a Montenegrin citizen.

Primary education is obligatory for all children from the age of six to fifteen, and it lasts nine years.
In order for your child to be enrolled in a primary school, you need to initiate the enrollment procedure with the school near your place of residence. On this occasion, it is important that you bring all the documents with you so that the school can correctly determine which grade the child should be enrolled in.

If allowed by the school’s capacity, your children will be supported with the Montenegrin language learning and mastering the curriculum. This should be free of charge.

The school year in Montenegro begins on September 1st and ends in mid-June. The winter holidays are in January, during which children do not attend school.

For acquiring general secondary education (high school) and vocational secondary education in an institution financed by the Budget of Montenegro, you do not pay tuition if you are a full-time student.

If you wish to obtain a professional qualification, you must submit your application to an education organiser of adults licensed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation.

Access to Healthcare
As a refugee and a foreigner granted subsidiary protection, you will be entitled to all levels of health protection in Montenegro – primary, secondary and tertiary.

You will exercise your right based on the status of an insured person, which you have the right of in accordance with the regulations governing healthcare and health insurance. Your health insurance cement will be the same as that of the Montenegrin nationals.

You will be supported by relevant state authorities, UNHCR and UNHCR partners in navigation through the health care system, in case you need it.

For more details, take a look at the brochure on integration.

As refugee/subsidiary protection holder, you will be required to:
• Observe the Constitution, laws and other regulations of Montenegro;
• Report the address where you are staying within 15 days of receipt of the decision granting international protection;
• Have your personal ID with you and present it for inspection to the authorised persons.