What currency in Montenegro and what money to take with you?

If you are a lover of a secluded quiet vacation, without noisy parties and a large number of tourists, then you should definitely visit Montenegro. This is a country with very beautiful landscapes and a warm climate, besides this, it has one more feature - it does not have its own currency, the national currency there is the euro.

For a long time, this state did not have its own monetary unit. At different times, different banknotes and coins were in use. Until 1909, the country used money from different European states as money: the Turkish lira, the Austro-Hungarian crown, the French franc and some other monetary units.

Since 1909, the ruler of Montenegro Nicholas I, by his decree, introduced the national currency: perper and par. Until 1912, gold and silver perpers were used in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 perper. After that, banknotes appeared - perper, respectively, 1 perper is equal to 100 pairs. The pairs have remained small coins in denominations of 1, 2, 10 and 20 pairs.

In 1918, Montenegro lost its independence and was annexed to the United Kingdom of Croats, Slovenes and Serbs, and local banknotes lost their meaning, the Royal crown came into use. But it was not for long, in 1920 new money appeared - Yugoslav dinars. This currency existed in the country for a rather long time, until the end of the 80s of the last century, until hyperinflation began in the country. During this time, notes were issued in denominations of 50 thousand, 1 and 2 million dinars.

In the early 90s, the government tried to take action and change the situation, but after 2 years the economic situation in the country became even worse.In 1993, banknotes of 10 and 500 billion dinars were issued. By the end of the 90s, the economy began to stabilize, and new money was issued at much lower par values. Since 1999, the German mark entered the country as a means of payment, which later remained the single currency of Montenegro.

At the beginning of 2002, when a single currency, the euro, was introduced throughout Europe, Montenegro unilaterally adopted it as banknotes on its territory. Since this process was not coordinated with the European Central Bank, this state to this day does not have the right to issue it.

As in any civilized country, in Montenegro, currency can be changed at any bank and at individual specialized currency exchange offices. And also upon arrival in the country, you can change money without leaving the airport, there are also exchange offices there, as in any large shopping center. Since the country is focused on tourists, this can be done at your hotel or tourist center, where there are special devices.

If you decide to change money in any place other than the bank, you will need to take into account the commission that may be charged from you... In some exchange offices, the commission for currency exchange can be up to 10 percent of the exchange amount. But there is a possibility that you will also be caught by scammers, be careful.

When exchanging money at banks in Montenegro, you need to take into account several points.

• Basically, banks work full time Monday-Thursday, Friday - a shorter working day, Saturday and Sunday - days off.
• Since the country is located in a warm climatic zone, and the air temperature is quite high during the day, the official lunch break in the country lasts more than two hours, from 13 to 16 hours. Many firms and organizations, including banks, adhere to this mode of operation.
• Until 13.00, money can also be changed at the People's Bank - this is a kind of analogue of the Russian Central Bank.

As for the euro / ruble exchange rate, it may differ slightly in exchange offices than in a bank. And as mentioned above, when exchanging currency in the country, you may be charged an additional commission.

The best option would be if you arrive in the country with the money exchanged. Part of the money can be put on the card, and part can be brought in cash.

When traveling to any country, including Montenegro, the best way to transport and store money is plastic cards. If the card is lost or stolen, you can block the card, while the money will remain in your account. In addition, they can be paid almost everywhere in the center of the country, and at all tourist resorts. Before the trip, it is better to call the bank to clarify the conditions for using the card abroad. Basically, if you are traveling to another country with your card, you will be charged a commission for cashless payments.

There are two main types of fees when using cards.

• Conversion commission. This is the commission of the bank that issued your card. If your card has a currency other than euro, when you pay with such a card, you will be charged a commission for recalculating the amount in euros. Any terminal will recalculate on its own and take a commission from you for this recalculation - this is the essence of the conversion. Each bank sets this commission independently, in some cases it can reach up to 10 percent of the calculation amount.
• Commission for withdrawing money from an ATM. It should be remembered that Russian banks do not work in Montenegro, but ATMs accept Visa and MasterCard cards. For example, if you have a Sberbank card, when you withdraw cash from it, you will be charged a commission from 5 to 10 percent of the withdrawn amount - the ATM will automatically write off this amount from your account.

In popular tourist destinations and in the center of the country, you can use the card to pay almost everywhere.

In Montenegro, banks operate according to a different regime than our banks, and there is a possibility of not getting into the bank. But since this country is tourist-oriented, there are ATMs in all places popular with tourists and in all crowded places. In the central part of the cities of Budva, Tivat and Bar and the old towns of Herceg Novi and Kotor, popular for visiting tourists, ATMs are located almost at every step. At airports, ATMs are in an accessible and convenient location.

As noted above, in this country you can only pay in euros, which means that only euro bills are loaded in all ATMs. Some ATMs have an interface in Russian, which makes Montenegro even more attractive for Russian-speaking tourists.

In addition, in Montenegro there is one more feature when withdrawing money through ATMs. The amount to withdraw is usually unlimited, but you can still only withdraw a certain amount. This is due to the fact that ATMs have technical restrictions on issuing banknotes. As a rule, on average, there is a limit on withdrawal of more than forty notes, no matter what denomination. If the ATM is loaded with small bills, then you will be able to withdraw only a small amount.

If you have an amount on your card in a currency other than euros, then when you withdraw money from an ATM, you risk paying a double commission. The first is for currency conversion, the second is for withdrawing cash, so it is best to top up the card before arriving in Montenegro, or do it on the spot, but through online services.

Despite the fact that the country is not a member of the European Union, it is subject to the rule of import and export of money. When you enter the country while on the plane, you will be asked to fill out a declaration, the amount in cash over 10 thousand euros must be declared. As it has already become clear, it is better to take euros for a trip, since with any other currency you may have difficulties when paying with it.

It is also better to take bills in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 euros. You do not need to take large bills, you may simply not need them, and you will not be able to change them everywhere. On average, tourists spend 60-70 euros per day, this amount will include a visit to a cafe, buying souvenirs or one excursion. Excursions can cost up to 300 euros, but these are usually long excursions or visits to popular places.

Unlike other European countries, Montenegro has relatively low prices for goods and services. Here you can spend time interestingly, get pleasant impressions, returning with a lot of souvenirs, while spending a small amount.

You will learn about 10 interesting facts about Montenegro from the following video.