How to get a UK visa in Podgorica, Montenegro

21 Feb 2021
Written By Jonathan Howe

The growing number of low-budget flights simply fuels the already existing desire to travel. If you are in Montenegro, this statement makes a lot of sense. Low-cost flights to London or Manchester from Podgorica and Tivat inspire travelers to visit the kingdom detached from the land. However, the thought of a visa procedure demotivates many at the outset. All it takes is a pinch of patience and a bit more money than you would otherwise spend on this trip. Although the procedure for obtaining a UK visa is similar everywhere, the details and minor deviations of different countries can be confusing. If you need a British Visa and are in Montenegro, take a look at this short guide.

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For the beginning, make sure you need a Visa at all. Check it out on the following site: gov.uk/check-uk-visa
The whole process depends on what you want to do in the UK and your nationality.

You need to have evidence of eligibility requirements, such as return from the UK after the end of your visit. 

Before you travel to the UK and need a visa, you need to apply for it online. Firstly, make sure your passport is valid for the whole of your stay in the UK and contains a blank page for the Visa. 

The other required documentation:

• date of travel to the UK
• information on the place of residence during the visit
• estimation of travel costs
• current residential address and length of stay at that address
• parents' names and dates of birth
• annual earnings
• details of any criminal, civil, or immigration offenses you may have committed

Documentation that may be required of you:

• your employer's address and telephone number
• travel history for the last ten years
• If you have any family members in the UK, you may have to provide their address and passport number.

Going for medical treatment or academic or professional reasons must be supported by special documentation.
The next step is to apply online.

In addition to the online application, you must schedule an appointment at a visa application center (to bring the required documents for an inspection). You can start the application process three months before your planned trip to the UK. The application center may keep your passport and the other documents while handling the whole proceeding.

Usually, you can stay in the UK for six months.
It is possible to apply for the long-term Standard Visitor Visa that lasts 2.5 or 10 years if you need to visit the UK regularly for a more extended period. On each visit, you can stay for a maximum of six months.

If you want to stay in the UK for more than six months in one visit, you must get your biometric residence permit when you arrive. Also, there is a possibility that you will have to take a tuberculosis test, depending on where you come from.

A long-term standard visa for minors, when their owner reaches the age of eighteen, is valid for only six months more. They can not get a refund on the fee.

The price of a Standard Visitor Visa, which lasts for six months, is £95.

If it needs to last longer for specific reasons, here's how you can do it:

• for private medical treatment - up to eleven months (£190 fee)
• for academic reasons - if you meet the eligibility requirements, you, your partner, and children can stay in the UK for up to twelve months (£190 fee)

In Montenegro, the British Embassy's trust agency collects the necessary documentation from the Visa's candidates and charges an additional £50 for a visa's standard price. The agency's website is not the most informative one.

Their office is located in the building of the hotel "Ramada" in Podgorica.

The agency's location on Google Maps is not entirely accurate.

After proving the identity, providing the required documentation and online application, you'll usually get a decision on your Visa within three weeks. It all depends on the purpose and length of the trip and the country you are applying from.

It is possible to apply for the long-term Standard Visitor Visa that lasts 2.5 or 10 years if you need to visit the UK regularly for a more extended period. On each visit, you can stay for a maximum of six months. 
If you want to stay in the UK for more than six months in one visit, you must get your biometric residence permit when you arrive. Also, there is a possibility that you will have to take a tuberculosis test, depending on where you come from.  

Although the possibility of rejecting an application for a UK visa from Montenegro exists, if you meet the existing conditions, there is no reason to hesitate. It is important that you start the application on time and enter the procedure prepared. Please note that money previously paid will not be refunded in the event of a refusal. 

We hope our guide about getting a UK Visa in Montenegro has motivated you to pack your suitcase.