France licence 
MontenegroCan you drive in Montenegro with a France license?
Short answer: to drive in Montenegro with a France license you need an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna format, carried together with your France license.
Yes — to drive in Montenegro on a France licence you should carry an International Driving Permit together with your France licence. Montenegro expects foreign drivers to hold an IDP.
French drivers should carry an International Driving Permit with their licence when driving outside the EU and EEA. Your International Driving Permit is a certified multilingual translation of your existing licence, prepared in the 1968 Vienna format and carried alongside your national licence.
What driving in Montenegro is like
The Kotor Serpentine (old Kotor-Cetinje road) climbs 25 hairpin bends above the fjord-like Bay of Kotor for spectacular views. For most visitors the real draw is the freedom to reach places trains and tours don't, on your own schedule, with the open road generally capped around 100 km/h expressways. Getting behind the wheel is the easy part: your International Driving Permit is a certified translation of your France licence, carried alongside it, so rental staff and officials in Montenegro can read your credentials at a glance.
What applies to France licence holders in Montenegro
| France licence in Montenegro | |
|---|---|
| Do you need an IDP? | Yes — carry one alongside your licence |
| IDP format required | 1968 Vienna |
| Your France licence script | Roman (Latin) alphabet |
| France is party to | 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna |
| Drives on the | Right-hand side |
| Minimum driving age | 18 |
| Emergency number | 112 or 122 |
| Top speed limit | 100 km/h expressways |
| Currency | EUR |
Driving rules in Montenegro you should know
- Headlights on at all times.
- Carry a reflective vest and triangle.
- 0.03% alcohol limit.
- Tunnel toll on the Sozina route.
Local driving facts in Montenegro
Emergency number: 112 or 122 (112 also connects from most mobiles). Typical maximum for cars on the fastest road class: 100 km/h expressways. Posted limits always take precedence.
Tolls & road charges in Montenegro
There is no vignette; tolls are paid per use, chiefly the Sozina tunnel on the Bar-Podgorica route (about EUR 2.50-3.50 for a car) and the new Bar-Boljare motorway, payable by cash or card at booths.
Parking in Montenegro
Paid zones operate in Podgorica, Kotor, Budva and other towns at roughly EUR 0.50-1 per hour, often via attendant, meter or SMS. Coastal old towns like Kotor are largely pedestrianised, so use peripheral car parks to avoid towing.
Penalties & enforcement in Montenegro
Police frequently enforce speeding and tunnel overtaking (notably inside Sozina) with on-the-spot fines typically starting around EUR 30-60; phone and seatbelt offences are also fined. Rental firms recharge camera/police fines to the renter.
If you have an accident in Montenegro
Call 112 for police and ambulance. By law you must not move the vehicles before police attend and document the scene; an official police report is mandatory for any insurance or rental-damage claim.
City driving in Montenegro
Beyond Podgorica's busy roundabouts, the serpentine Kotor-Lovcen 'Ladder of Kotor' switchbacks and narrow Bay of Kotor coastal road are extremely tight, with blind hairpins, tunnels and oncoming buses demanding caution.
Winter driving in Montenegro
From 15 November to 1 April winter equipment is mandatory on designated mountain roads: winter tyres (min ~4 mm tread) plus carriage of snow chains.
Fuel in Montenegro
Unleaded 95/98 and diesel are widely available across the country, including main coastal and mountain routes; stations are mostly attended or self-service with card acceptance, and prices are moderate and state-regulated.
Sources: rac.co.uk, tollguru.com, tyremap.com, autoeurope.com