You can bring cash into Montenegro or take it out without declaring it as long as it is less than 10,000 euros. If you carry 10,000 euros or more, in euros, another currency or cheques, you must declare it to customs at the border crossing on the prescribed form, with details and evidence of where the money comes from. Undeclared cash is temporarily seized, and an individual pays a fine of 550 to 2,000 euros. Since 12 May 2026 Montenegro has also banned cash payments of 10,000 euros or more, so a flat or house at that price can only be paid for through an account, with at least one side paying from or into an account at a bank in Montenegro.
The declaration at the border is required by the Law on Current and Capital Transactions with Foreign Countries, and the limit on cash payments and the rules for buying property by the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, amended in May 2026. This guide explains how much cash you can carry, how to declare it, what happens if you do not, and how larger amounts and property are paid for in Montenegro.
How much cash can you bring in without declaring it?
| Amount you carry | What you must do |
| Less than 10,000 euros, in total across all currencies | Nothing, no declaration is needed |
| 10,000 euros or more, in euros, another currency or cheques | Declare it to customs at the border crossing, on entry and on exit |
| Any amount, if customs suspects money laundering | Customs may temporarily retain the money and ask for details of its origin |
- The 10,000-euro limit is counted in total, across all currencies and other means of payment you carry.
- The obligation applies to residents and non-residents alike, both when entering and when leaving Montenegro.
- Customs gives the financial intelligence unit access to data on every transfer of 10,000 euros or more, declared or undeclared, within three days at the latest.
- If you are travelling from or to the European Union, you also declare 10,000 euros or more to EU customs.
How do you declare cash?
- At the border crossing, ask customs for the cash declaration form.
- Enter the amount and type of means of payment and fill in the section on the origin of the means of payment.
- Attach evidence of where the money comes from, for example a bank statement, a sale contract or a withdrawal receipt.
- Hand the form to the customs officer before you cross the border.
What if you do not declare the cash?
- Failing to declare cash of 10,000 euros or more is a misdemeanour, and the money is temporarily seized.
- For an individual the fine is 550 to 2,000 euros, for a sole trader 300 to 6,000 euros and for a company 2,500 to 16,500 euros.
- Since May 2026 customs may, whatever the amount, temporarily retain cash where there are grounds to suspect money laundering or terrorist financing; it then asks for details of the money's origin, issues a receipt and informs the financial intelligence unit.
- Customs supervision and temporary retention also cover cash sent by post or as cargo.
Can you pay in cash in Montenegro?
- Since 12 May 2026 companies, sole traders and individuals may not accept or make cash payments of 10,000 euros or more.
- The ban also applies when the amount is split into two or more linked payments, and to loans.
- Such a payment must be made by payment or transfer to a transaction account held at a bank in Montenegro, while depositing cash into your own bank account is not prohibited.
- An individual who accepts or makes a cash payment of 10,000 euros or more pays a fine of 1,000 to 8,000 euros.
- Banks routinely report every cash transaction of 10,000 euros or more and every non-cash transaction of 100,000 euros or more to the financial intelligence unit; this is a legal duty of the bank and does not in itself mean suspicion.
How is property paid for?
- Where the property's price is 10,000 euros or more, a payment under the sale contract or preliminary contract can be made only if at least one participant pays from or into an account at a bank in Montenegro; a transfer from your account abroad to the seller's account at a Montenegrin bank meets that rule.
- The notary must refuse to draw up or certify a contract that would bypass the Montenegrin payment system.
- If the purchase price was paid before the contract was certified, the notary must obtain proof that the payment was made, and the parties' own statement does not count as proof.
How a purchase runs from reservation to registration is explained in our property buying guide, how a foreigner opens an account in our article on bank accounts for foreigners, and the deposit and preliminary contract in our article on the property deposit. How the money for a purchase moves in practice, including source-of-funds checks, is covered in more detail by RoNa Legal.
Frequently asked questions
How much cash can I bring into Montenegro without declaring it? Less than 10,000 euros, in total across all currencies. For 10,000 euros or more a declaration to customs is compulsory.
Is there a maximum amount you may bring in? The law sets no maximum, but you must declare any amount of 10,000 euros or more and prove where it comes from.
What is the fine for undeclared cash? For an individual 550 to 2,000 euros, and the undeclared money is temporarily seized.
Can I pay for a flat in cash? Not if the price is 10,000 euros or more. Since 12 May 2026 such an amount is paid through an account, and at least one side must pay from or into an account at a bank in Montenegro.
Do I need a Montenegrin bank account to buy property? Your own account does not have to be Montenegrin: it is enough that at least one participant pays from or into an account at a bank in Montenegro, for example by paying into the seller's account at a Montenegrin bank.
Does the declaration also apply when leaving Montenegro? Yes. You also declare cash of 10,000 euros or more when you take it out of Montenegro.
Sources
The declaration at the border and the fines are set by the Law on Current and Capital Transactions with Foreign Countries (consolidated text, Articles 10 and 15), and the declaration rules and form are explained by the Customs Administration. The limit on cash payments, the property rules and the retention of cash are set by the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (110/2023), as amended by 59/2026 (Articles 65, 65a, 66, 111 and 111a). The EU rules on cash are explained by the Your Europe portal. The information was checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this article is not legal advice.