Montenegro
Montenegro allows street photography, but its freedom of panorama excludes any direct or indirect economic advantage, and drones face registration plus an import-permit quirk.
Guidance, not legal advice
Drone Authority
Check the flight side
Photography access and drone permission are separate questions. Drone Authority covers the flight-law side for this country.
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: Municipality or site manager for commercial productions; no permit for personal street photography
Cost: No permit for personal photography; commercial crews need location clearances
Personal photography needs no permit. Commercial shoots in Kotor's old town, at Ostrog Monastery, and at managed sites need the site's consent. The Film Centre of Montenegro administers the production incentive.
Drone / airspace
National rules via the Civil Aviation Agency (CAA): operator registration and an online theory exam for drones of 250 g and up, mandatory third-party liability insurance, daylight VLOS only, and an import permit from the Ministry of Economic Development for drones brought into the country
The CAA's online registration process for foreign operators has been in flux since early 2025; contact the agency before travel. For detail, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes to photograph; publishing a recognizable person generally needs consent under personality-rights principles
Data-protection law follows the European model. Public events and journalism are the usual exceptions.
Freedom of panorama
Non-commercial only
The Law on Copyright and Related Rights (as amended 2011 and 2016) permits use of works permanently exposed in parks, streets, squares, and other public places, but not 3D reproduction, not use for the same purpose as the original, and not use for direct or indirect economic advantage. Kotor's historic architecture is out of copyright; the limit matters for modern works and monuments.
Practical notes
- Sveti Stefan is a private resort island: the classic view from the coastal road is free to shoot, but the island itself is off limits without arrangement.
- The Bay of Kotor serpentines and Lovcen viewpoints are unrestricted; drone use over the bay is popular and frequently non-compliant, which is drawing enforcement.
- Ostrog Monastery permits photography in outer areas but restricts the shrine caves; ask on site.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: