Border Crossing Permission

Border crossing – oh I don’t know.  I don’t really think anyone needs it, especially if you’re going to end up back in Albania.  It’s only potentially a problem if – for example – you cross from Albania into Montenegro (not getting an entry stamp) and then try to leave MNE at a normal border and they say “Wait!  how did you get here?  You have no entry stamp!” – but I’ve never heard of that happening, but I suppose if you encounter a border-asshole they could use it to fine you or demand a bribe or something.  But if you’re ending up back in Albania, even this won’t be an issue.

However! With all that said, it’s pretty easy and yeah, we can get it for you.  There’s a(n unoffical) form – you put the dates and times and places you expect to cross the borders (and as they’ll never know when you actually did cross, you don’t really need to stick to it), and attach scans of your passports.  Send it to us on catherine@journeytovalbona.com.  Then I give it to the border, and they enter it into the computer system (it’s for Albania, Montenegro & Kosova – gift of the US gov – ha), so when you do cross a regular border and they scan your passport it’s all in there.  You don’t even get a piece of paper or anything.

The only advice to AVOID is that someone once wrote “as soon as you can after getting into Montenegro (ie), check in with the local police” which is TERRIBLE advice because local police don’t know anything about border crossings – that’s the border police, totally different group of people – and I did hear once of local police holding a couple of tourists for a day or two, while they tried to figure out what the heck they were talking about.

I know that other agencies charge for this, but in fact there isn’t any official charge (from the border control) and we have to do is put it into Albanian and email it to the border police, so I feel stupid charging for it – although it does take a little of our time.  So if you want, you can just use our paypal to make a donation if you’re feeling grateful: https://www.paypal.me/journeytovalbona

BTW:  The picture above is of Qafa e Vranices – where google maps says there is a road crossing the border between Cerem and Montenegro.  You see any road?  Exactly.

Hope this helps?

Print the form below, fill and send it to us together with your scanned passports.

Application form for crossing borders