Queues: Serbia–Montenegro border today

About the border: Serbia–Montenegro border

The Serbian-Montenegrin border runs through the mountainous Sandžak region and northern Montenegro. Both countries remain outside the EU and the Schengen area, so the crossings have full passport and customs checks on both sides, and each country sets its own entry and insurance rules. For drivers from Poland this is the main overland route from Serbia to the Montenegrin coast – Budva, Bar or the Bay of Kotor – and to Podgorica.

The page lists three crossings. Gostun–Dobrakovo lies on the route from Serbia towards Bijelo Polje and Podgorica and takes a large share of long-distance traffic; according to our data it is also where waits are usually longest. Jabuka–Ranče links the Prijepolje area with Pljevlja and generally comes out best in our figures. Špiljani–Dračenovac, on the road from Novi Pazar to Rožaje, serves mainly regional traffic and sits in the middle.

The heaviest load comes in the summer season, when tourists head for the Adriatic, and on Sundays and at the end of the holidays, when they return. All the crossings are reached by mountain roads, so weather also affects journey times – snow in winter, heavy traffic on winding stretches in summer. In the holidays more tourist coaches also use the crossings, and clearing them takes longer than clearing cars, which can lengthen the queue.

Before travelling, have a passport ready – or an ID card, if both countries accept it for your nationality – plus proof of insurance valid in both countries, such as a green card. Montenegro uses the euro, Serbia the dinar. If Gostun has a long queue and you are heading for northern Montenegro, compare times with Jabuka – the difference can be significant.

When to go

Border queues are usually shortest at night, roughly between 01:00 and 05:00, and longest in the evening and at weekends. In the holiday season the Balkan-route peak falls on Saturdays. Check the live figures above before setting off.