Safety in Montenegro: Is it Safe To Travel in Montenegro?
If you’re wondering about safety in Montenegro, here’s the article for you! Here are the things you should know before traveling here.
Upon traveling, we always come up with this common question – Is it safe there? Of course, we don’t want to experience trouble while we’re on a vacation. This also applies when we want to migrate to another country. People usually choose to live in a different place to start anew. New lifestyle, a new beginning, and new surroundings are just some of the few reasons why people choose to leave their home country behind.
As the feeling of excitement intensifies when moving from your country to another one, anxiety also comes in. A lot of questions will probably linger in your mind, and safeness is one of them. In this article, we’ll talk about safety in Montenegro; whether you’re a tourist or an expat. Here are some of the information regarding safety in Montenegro.
Table of Contents
Crimes in Montenegro
To get this straight to the point, petty crimes like pickpocketing, burglary, and even sexual harassment are not very common here. However, being vigilant from time to time is still important. Especially if you’re in the main towns where there are a lot of tourists like Kotor, Budva, and Sveti Stefan. Tourists are usually the main target of these culprits, so it’s better to stay alert than sorry.
The crime rate in Montenegro is twice higher than in England and Wales but twice lower than in the US. In 2012, Montenegro ranked 138th place amongst 230 nations in terms of the crime rate. On the other hand, UK stood at the 175th rank and the US at the 94th rank.
Scams
Scams are another thing to watch out for in Montenegro. It does happen, and frequent travelers may probably know that it often starts with unsettled agreements. Whether you want to hire a taxi, rent accommodation, or buy something on an open market, be clear about the total money you are willing to exchange. Always discuss the price of goods or services beforehand. Another thing, keep away from illegal taxis or unofficial accommodation to avoid conflicts.
Firearms
Montenegro is sometimes called the European country with the most illegal firearms. However, this was debunked and mostly based on speculations. If ever you’d get to see these weapons, it usually is in the family tradition, during events such as weddings or other celebrations, when it is common to shoot guns into the air as a way of “celebrating”, fortunately, accidents have not been heard of in the last decades.
Advice and Tips for Tourists and Expats
Although Montenegro is a relatively safe country, there are still things one must remember before going here. Here are some of the advice we think could help you before going here.
1. If, one day, you experienced an unfortunate scenario and you’re not sure what to do, dial 112 – it is the police contact in Montenegro.
2. In case you’re suddenly having health-related problems and you don’t know anyone around, dial 123 – it is the emergency department’s number.
3. A reminder for younger people or those who like to party; there’s also a drug scene in Montenegro and it also has the same consequences as other places. Drugs are seen negatively by most locals and the law is quite merciless when it comes to this. Remember that you might be offered a drug in places such as night clubs especially during the peak season. What to do? Avoid them as much as you can to not get in trouble.
4. Avoid displaying wealth. Although this is socially accepted in the country’s culture, this scenario might still become a source of envy and you don’t want to have any conflict with people around you.
5. Lastly, to all the football fans, this may sound weird but try to avoid displaying teams’ colors outside the stadium. Football hooligans in Montenegro are relatively high so it is better to be safe than sorry.
These are the best general advice and tips we could think of that can really help you once you visit Montenegro. Of course, this doesn’t end here as it will also depend on the situation you’re in once you arrive. However, the most important thing to remember is to respect their law, culture, and enjoy your trip.
Overall Thoughts
Montenegro is relatively a safe country. Whether you’re here as a visitor or an expat. The crimes mentioned above are usually common not just in Montenegro but in almost all countries. Also, there isn’t any specific warning for people traveling here about some serious crimes happening in the area. In conclusion, it is best to always keep your guard up but you can make sure that safety in Montenegro is ensured.
We hope that this article was able to help you have an idea of what to do before going and after arriving in Montenegro. So, does this country a part of your travel bucket list already? I hope yes because it really deserves to be seen by people around the world!
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About the Writer
Hi there! I’m Fatima. My first major travel was in 2016 in the beautiful city of Cebu. After that, I got interested in traveling. Now I enjoy learning languages and other country’s cultures. My goal is to visit at least one country each year and to share my experiences with other people through writing or blogging. Witness my journey by following me on Instagram.