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The era of sham residency in Montenegro has ended?

The era of sham residency in Montenegro has ended?

The screenshot shows a new Decree (dated March 3, 2026) on amendments to the "Law on Foreigners." This is a "supplementary" document to the large package of changes that took effect at the beginning of this year.

What exactly has changed in this specific Decree? In short: a crackdown on sham applications and stricter verification.

Renaming of Article 175a: It is now officially titled "Abuse of Right or Fraud" (Zloupotreba prava ili prevara).

The Essence: Previously, this article was worded more leniently. Now, the title itself provides Ministry of Interior (MUP) inspectors with a direct legal tool to revoke residency permits if they suspect:
  • Sham marriages (especially concerning those applying through family reunification with EU citizens).
  • Fictitious employment (when a company is registered solely for documents but has no actual business activity).
  • Document fraud during the application process.

Proof
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