2023 citizens received Montenegrin citizenship from the beginning of 2024 to November 5.026, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) told "News".
The majority of applications for admission to Montenegrin citizenship, as explained by the Ministry of Interior, from January 1, 2023 to October 31, 2024, were submitted by persons who at the time of application had the citizenship of Serbia - 1.197, Russia - 928, Bosnia and Herzegovina - 542, Albania - 160, Kosovo - 124, United States of America - 94, Republic of South Africa - 76, Vietnam - 68 and North Macedonia - 65.
1.794 people are waiting for Montenegrin citizenship, and as explained by the MUP, the processing of requests can take up to a year, but is often completed before that deadline.
"Article 29 paragraph 3 of the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship stipulates that the competent authority (MUP) is obliged to make a decision on the acquisition and loss of Montenegrin citizenship within one year from the date of initiation of the procedure. However, we point out that the deadline for resolving the request for acquiring Montenegrin citizenship is in practice much shorter than the deadline prescribed by law", they told "Vijesta".
Since the establishment of the Central Population Register in 2010, a total of 31.322 requests for admission to Montenegrin citizenship have been approved, the Ministry specified.
The year with the highest number of approvals was 2011, when 5.776 citizenships were granted, and 2018 was the year with the fewest approvals - 553.
"From January 1, 2010, when the Central Population Register was established and when the Ministry of Internal Affairs took over the management of the citizen register in electronic form, until November 12, 11, a total of 2024 requests for admission to Montenegrin citizenship were accepted," said the of the MUP.
The acquisition of Montenegrin citizenship takes place on different grounds, said the department, and the most common cases are admission based on marriage, origin, special programs or honorary citizenship.
"From 2023 to November 2024, a total of 1.948 applications were submitted for the acquisition of Montenegrin citizenship on the basis of marriage with a citizen of Montenegro," stated the Ministry of Interior.
In the last two years, 14.327 minors acquired Montenegrin citizenship, of which 13.656 by origin and 671 by admission to citizenship.
Honorary citizenship for 44 people
In the period from January 2023 to November 2024, 44 people received honorary Montenegrin citizenship, the MUP said.
Decisions on granting this status are made by the Government based on the proposal of the President of Montenegro, the President of the Assembly or the Prime Minister, with the opinion of the competent Ministry.
"In the mentioned period, in accordance with Article 12 of the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship, based on the proposal of the President of Montenegro, the President of the Parliament of Montenegro or the Prime Minister of Montenegro, with the positive opinion of the competent Ministry, 44 requests for admission to Montenegrin citizenship were adopted. In the aforementioned proposals and opinions, the reasons for recommending a person, as a person whose admission to Montenegrin citizenship is of particular importance for Montenegro, are clearly given," said the MUP.
Out of those 44 requests, the competent department explained, 43 requests were adopted during the mandate of the 39rd Government, and in the period from April 28, 2022 to October 31, 2023.
During the mandate of the 44th Government, 14 applications for admission to honorary Montenegrin citizenship were approved, the MUP said.
"In the aforementioned proposals and opinions, the reasons for recommending a person, as a person whose admission to Montenegrin citizenship is of particular importance for Montenegro, are clearly given," they point out.
When it comes to the so-called economic citizenship, the Prime Minister submitted to the Ministry a total of 912 proposals for the acquisition of Montenegrin citizenship by admission, for 912 applicants and 2.051 family members, they told "Vijesti" from the MUP.
That number of economic citizenships was proposed from January 1, 2019, when the program began, until November 12, when "Vijesti" sent an inquiry.
They explained that those who "due to the implementation of a special investment program are of special importance for the economic and economic interest of Montenegro" can acquire economic citizenship by admission.
The MUP did not answer how many proposals for economic citizenship were approved.
110 requests rejected
In the period from 2023 to November 2024, the Ministry of Interior rejected a total of 110 applications for acquiring citizenship.
"The most common reasons for rejecting the request is the failure to meet the requirements of the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship with regard to the existence of obstacles due to the security of Montenegro, and with regard to legal and continuous residence in Montenegro," said the MUP.
They explained that this most often happens when the party does not have a temporary or permanent residence in Montenegro, or when he does not have the required number of years of temporary or permanent residence before applying for Montenegrin citizenship.
In addition to those who do not meet the conditions, some have lost their Montenegrin citizenship, so 163 of them are no longer citizens of Montenegro by their own request, and 101 remain stateless by force of law.
"Loss of Montenegrin citizenship at the request of the party, i.e. release is when the party wants to acquire or has already acquired the citizenship of another country, and the other country prescribes the release from Montenegrin citizenship as a condition for acquiring its citizenship. Montenegrin citizenship is also lost by force of law, in the case when a Montenegrin citizen voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country after June 3, 2006," said the MUP.
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