Health Care In Montenegro

Health care in Montenegro is a mixed bag… Some expats don’t feel comfortable using it for complicated procedures, while others do. It’s free if you’re living in Montenegro on a temporary residence permit, which is a boon.

Montenegro has a mild climate, a Mediterranean coastline, a low cost of living, access to nature, diverse recreation opportunities, stunning scenery, and places to sit back and enjoy yourself (outdoor cafés overlooking the sea, rooftop bars, and so on).

A Balkan country in Eastern Europe, it’s sandwiched between Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia.

Most people haven’t heard of Montenegro, and that’s OK. It’s a tiny country of about 5,300 square miles (13,800 square kms), making it about the size of Connecticut. It’s also tiny in terms of population, with about 620,000 people.

Since Montenegro is a new country, certain public services are still developing. This is unfortunately the case with health care, as it falls behind European standards.

The public health care system is inadequately funded, resulting in poor quality of care, long wait times, and a lack of trained professionals.

Expats should invest in quality international health care insurance. This will guarantee access to the high-quality private medical clinics in Montenegro, where doctors speak English and the facilities are modern.

Health Care In Montenegro: Kotor Bay

One area of Montenegro that Live And Invest Overseas are interested in is Kotor Bay—a deep inlet of the Adriatic Sea found in southwestern Montenegro. It boasts 57 miles (107 kms) of sparkling coastline that features towering mountains and stunning fjords.

On top of all of this, the cost of living in Kotor Bay is low and it offers a wide range of lifestyle opportunities. It was also ranked the 7th best place in the world to retire in LIOS’s 2024 Retirement Index.

The health care in Kotor Bay is decent. Expats tell us it’s fine for basic care, but for serious procedures, they prefer to go abroad.

Health care is free to Montenegro residents, but many expats prefer to keep a private insurance plan in place for access to private clinics and quicker treatment.

One expat we spoke to (who had a medical background) told us of the caring and attentive treatment her husband received during the pandemic when he was diagnosed with cancer and they were unable to return to their home country to start treatment.

There are two main medical centers in this area…

1. Kotor General Hospital, which is a public facility offering emergency treatment for adults and children. It specializes in internal medicine, anesthesia, resuscitation, gynecology and obstetrics, and has a surgical department.
2. Tivat Health Centre, also a public facility with emergency medical service, as well as dental services, pediatrics, gynecology, internal medicine, diagnostics, neuropsychiatry, and ambulance service.

This country is widely expected to join the European Union in the next few years. If it does, we will probably see a big improvement in Montenegro´s health care standards.

Read more: Guide To Health Care In Portugal

The Kotor Bay also offers diverse lifestyle opportunities. One option is the Old World historical appeal found in Kotor Old Town. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is widely regarded as the best-preserved medieval town in the Mediterranean.