A great overview of mobile communications, where to buy SIM cards and Internet in Montenegro for a tourist. There will be a lot of useful information about mobile operators, about tariffs and packages, there will be tips and tricks.

Table of contents:

It will be difficult for you to plan your dream trip to Montenegro without these websites
air tickets to montenegro cheap
Air tickets
car rent in montenegro cheap
Rent a car
excursions montenegro cheap
Excursions and tours
Package tours montenegro cheap
eSIM internet
Insurance montenegro cheap
Insurance
hotels and apartments montenegro cheap
Apartments and Hotels
internet in montenegro tariffs prices operators
SIM card with 500 GB of Internet – mobile operator One

Mobile communication and Internet in Montenegro: general points

It is clear that today the Internet is a way of communication, and if 10 years ago we turned off the phone and rested while traveling, now we can’t do without it. Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube and much more are needed even on vacation.

Below are a few points where you will most likely need Internet in Montenegro, and having it will make things easier:

  • If you rent a car – payment for parking in many cities via SMS from a local SIM card. Everything about car rental, traffic rules, parking, pitfalls.
  • You travel around the country on your own and move from city to city: write to the owners of the apartments, clarify the address, or solve any household issue – you need the Internet.
  • Order a taxi through a messenger or a website. All about taxi and transfer in Montenegro.
  • View the opening hours of a supermarket or cafe, or maybe prices and menus – today all this can be done on Google, and this requires the Internet.
  • Chat with a doctor. Now there are insurance policies with the service of an online doctor by video call 24/7. The Internet will help to contact the doctor in a non-emergency before visiting the clinic.

And today I do not know tourists who come to Montenegro and refuse to use the Internet and mobile communications.

Good to know:

There are three mobile operators in Montenegro today: One (former Telenor), T-mobile and M:tel
sim card store montenegro
In such a store you will definitely buy a SIM card with the Internet in Montenegro

All three operators cover more than 98% of the territory of Montenegro. Each one has 4G (LTE) in cities. The speed of the Internet and the quality of communication for each operator are almost the same.

A tourist who has come for two weeks can choose any operator. Next, I will tell you about tariffs and prices.

Free Internet

As it should be for a European country, in Montenegro today there are no special problems with the introduction of the Internet to the masses. If you don’t need to be online all the time, but just read the news once a day, then you probably don’t need a SIM card. You will definitely find free internet:

  • in a hotel or apartment. Today, wi-fi is one of the must-haves amenities for any type of accommodation, like a bed or a kettle.
  • in almost any restaurant or cafe.

Tip:

If you live in one city for the whole vacation, I advise you to visit as many cafes or restaurants in the area as possible in the first couple of days. Drink coffee in one, have lunch in another, go to dinner in the third and connect to Wi-Fi in each. Then in a couple of days you will have Internet almost all over the beach or around your apartment / hotel. Montenegrins do not change their Wi-Fi passwords for years in their cafes.
  • in large cities, such as Bar, there are zones with free city wi-fi in the city center. The speed there is low, the quality is not very good, but it can help out if you need it.
internet in montenegro operators
M:tel communication store, rates for tourists are exactly the same as One

International SIM card in Montenegro

This is an international universal SIM card that works in 190 countries around the world. It does not belong to any operator, but at the same time it has preferential tariffs in all countries.

Of course, a SIM card from a local operator will be cheaper, but such an international SIM card is much cheaper than the roaming tariffs of any of our home operators.

This SIM card is called DRIMSIM. The main advantages that helped me out many times (I only use it for travel):

  • There is no subscription fee. Top up your account with $10 and it will be there until the end of time or until you spend it. Pay only for the traffic used.
  • There is no expiration date on the SIM card. It will be active in 5 years and 20 years.
  • DrimSim connects to the network automatically as soon as you insert it into your phone.
  • A very useful feature: you will have Internet in a new country, as soon as the plane touches the runway. You can immediately order a taxi or chat with family and friends that you have arrived. You do not need to look for a telecom operator’s store in a new country and deal with buying a SIM card.

And most important: the price for 1 MB in Montenegro is only 0.015 euros for Drimsim. 100MB = 1.5 euros. If you don’t need YouTube, but just want to be in touch and sometimes check your email inbox, this is a great option.

drimsim in montenegro
Great offer for those who do not need a lot of Internet

Internet in Montenegro from local operators: where to buy and how to connect

There are some features here. Let’s break them down:

  • All three operators in the country operate under the same state laws
  • You cannot buy a SIM card without a passport. All SIM cards in the country must be identified.
  • For tourists, only prepaid packages are sold. This means that there will be no negative account balance, and they work only on full prepayment. There is no money on the balance or the package has ended – there are no services. You do not need to disable such sims if you return home – you can simply throw the sim card into the trash.

Important:

You can connect a SIM card of any operator in Montenegro either in the operator’s official store or in any newsstand, they are also called “Tobacco Press”.
internet in montenegro
Here in such kiosks you can buy a SIM card of any Montenegrin operator. Highlighted in yellow are advertisements for all three

And here is one thing:

  • There are not many telecom operators stores in the country. They are in large cities and one for each operator. And of course there is always a long queue. But in such a store they will sell you a SIM card in accordance with all the rules.
  • Because it is required that all passport data be immediately entered into the operator’s system.
  • It is much easier to buy a SIM card in a newsstand, there are a lot of them in every city. They sell SIM cards of all three operators of your choice.
  • But they sell unidentified sims. The seller is obliged to take your passport, rewrite the data, make a copy of it and transfer it to the operator within 7 days to add it to the system. If the seller does not do this, then 7 days after you insert the SIM card into the phone and activate it, it will turn off. And the Internet in Montenegro will end.
    • To turn it on, you will need to find the operator’s communications store and go there with your passport. Or buy a new SIM card.
Tip: be sure to tell the seller at the newsstand that this SIM card is very important to you, and that he must send your data to the operator. Because sometimes sellers in kiosks cheat, forget or do not want to send data to the operator.

Internet in Montenegro: packages and prices

And now I’ll tell you about the tariffs and prices. Everything is simple here and there is not much difference between them. But I always use the One operator. With every trip to Montenegro, I buy a SIM card from this operator.

Here are a few things to know:

  • All operators have tariffs for: 10, 15, 30 calendar days.
  • Hotspot: all Internet traffic can be shared to other devices.
  • Minimum package: 100GB with no speed limit
  • Maximum: 500GB
  • Each year in summer all three operators launch promotions and tariffs for tourists. The prices and the amount of traffic for all are generally the same for each operator.
  • In 2022: One and M:tel:
    • 500GB for 15 days costs 10 Euro.
    • 500GB for 30 days – 15 Euro.
where to buy a sim card in montenegro
Even in such a tiny kiosk you will be connected to the Internet in Montenegro. These stalls are all over the country.

Travel Tips

  • Take a SIM card from any operator. If there is a choice, then my opinion is the One operator is better.
  • If you find an operator’s store – buy a SIM card here. But don’t waste time looking for a store, if you don’t find it, then buy a SIM card at a newsstand. The prices are the same.
  • Be sure to tell the seller in the newsstand so that he sends the passport data to the operator and does not forget about them. Otherwise, the SIM card will be disabled after 7 days.
  • One SIM card is enough for the whole family and there will still be traffic, since there is a lot of it in the packages.
  • I recommend an article for those who are going here on vacation: general facts about Montenegro

In conclusion: mobile communications and the Internet in Montenegro are now more accessible than ever. It is inexpensive, the quality of communication with all operators is excellent, even in the mountains, they give a lot of Internet in the tariff. It makes no sense to deny yourself the purchase of a local SIM card.

Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Montenegro

  • Flights at the best prices with discounts
  • Car rental in Montenegro (cheaper – only by bus):
    • Discovery Cars – a large international resource
    • LocalRent – work with local rental companies. Leader in car rental in Montenegro.
  • Hotels and apartments all over the country: Booking
  • Tours, excursions and activities (including extreme ones):
    • GYG – more than 150 tours
    • Viator – 700+ excursions and activities throughout the country
  • Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
  • eSIM virtual sim card with internet in Montenegro
  • Taxi and transfers from Montenegro airports: Intui.Travel