Private jet to Montenegro

Montenegro is small: its two international airports are only 44 km apart. Yet the country divides neatly for a private flyer. Tivat sits on the Bay of Kotor next to the superyacht marina of Porto Montenegro and serves the coast from Herceg Novi to Budva and Sveti Stefan. Podgorica, the capital's airport, covers the south coast around Bar and Ulcinj, the mountains of Kolašin and Durmitor, and every arrival after dark.

The country uses the euro but is outside the EU and Schengen, so every flight includes passport and customs control. Tivat works in daylight only and has a small apron that fills on summer weekends, which makes the clock as important as the address. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators across Europe and plan each trip around both airports.

Tell us the landing and return times, the address on the coast or the yacht's berth, and the number of passengers, and we will reply with the airport, aircraft and price.

Why fly privately to the Montenegrin coast and mountains

Flight times to Tivat and Podgorica

Times in a Phenom 300 from the price tables below, including taxi, climb and descent:

From Central Europe and Italy the coast is under two hours away, from London and Madrid about three. Tivat and Podgorica are so close that the flight time and price differ by only a few minutes and little money, and every route in the tables is flown non-stop.

What a private jet to Montenegro costs

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport. Handling, airport charges and passenger taxes are added in the quote. The flight time refers to the first aircraft in the row.

From the European hubs to both airports

A Phenom 300 costs EUR 16,500 from London to either Tivat or Podgorica and EUR 15,000 from Paris to Tivat. Vienna - Podgorica at EUR 11,500 and Milan - Tivat at EUR 12,000 are the shortest hub routes. A family with luggage for a week on a yacht often takes a Citation XLS+ at EUR 14,500 from Nice to Tivat, and a Challenger 350 from Frankfurt costs EUR 19,000.

From the Adriatic, Italy and the Balkans

Sarajevo - Podgorica costs EUR 6,500 in a PC-12, Split - Tivat EUR 7,000. Croatia, Italy and Slovenia are in Schengen, while Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey are not; either way, leaving Montenegro means a passport and customs check. Nobody flies between Tivat and Podgorica: the car is quicker, and a foreign operator usually may not carry passengers between two airports of a non-EU country.

From the Gulf

Prices depend on the flight time, where the nearest free aircraft is based, the season and whether the aircraft can wait. In July and August, when Tivat has no free stand, the quote adds a positioning flight to Podgorica, Dubrovnik or home. Departure taxes of the origin country, for example in France, Italy or Austria, and UK Air Passenger Duty come on top, as explained below.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

What a trip really costs

Price per person

The whole aircraft is booked, so splitting it between more guests lowers each share:

Calculator

Choose Tivat or Podgorica, the departure airport, the date and the number of passengers, and the calculator sends an estimate by e-mail within minutes.

Tivat, Podgorica and the alternates

Both airports belong to the state company Airports of Montenegro and have 2,500 m runways, long enough for every business jet. The difference is in the hours, the approach and the parking. Choose by where you stay and when you land:

Handling at Tivat is done by the airport company, and independent agents such as Euro Jet, Evropa Jet Services and FCG also work in Montenegro; Jugopetrol supplies fuel. A commercial charter by a foreign operator needs the approval of Montenegro's Civil Aviation Agency, which the operator files with the request to the airport. Tirana in Albania is the southern alternate when the weather closes both Montenegrin airports.

Which aircraft to choose

Tivat has no instrument landing system, so in low cloud a flight can divert to Podgorica, which has one. For a large group in August, ask early about parking: a heavy jet uses more of the small apron than a light jet, and the quote may already include a positioning leg. More on cabin sizes in midsize jets.

Not sure whether Tivat will be open at your landing time? Leave your number and a consultant will call you.

When to go: the Montenegrin calendar

The coast and the mountains have separate seasons, and the coast's is very sharp: more than 80 % of Tivat's passengers travel between May and September. The best months for a stay by the sea are June and September, with summer weather, warm water, free stands and fewer people than in July and August. Empty Legs are most frequent on summer weekends, when aircraft that cannot park at Tivat fly home after the drop-off, and at the end of the yacht season in September.

In July and August, book several weeks ahead and plan the landing at Tivat before midday. Outside the season a trip can usually be arranged within a few days, as long as the 36-hour notice is respected.

From the airport to the bay, the beaches and the north

Empty Legs to and from Montenegro

Many trips to Montenegro are one way because the aircraft cannot stay at Tivat, and the empty legs home are sold at a reduced price. Typical directions:

The original booking fixes the time, so Empty Legs suit flexible plans, and at Tivat the landing must still fall in daylight. Send the direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and suitable legs are sent to you as they appear.

Flying with a dog or cat

The pet travels in the cabin beside you, not in the hold, and the operator approves it in advance. Montenegro is outside the EU, and animals enter with the approval of a border vet, so we announce the pet before arrival and check that the vet is on duty at the chosen airport:

• Microchip to ISO standard, inserted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination given after 12 weeks of age and at least 21 days before travel.
• EU pet passport, plus a veterinary health certificate issued shortly before departure.
• Up to five animals per trip.

Rules outside the EU change more often than inside it, so ask your vet to check the papers shortly before the trip. In July and August the apron is hot; with an animal on board, a morning arrival is easier.

Documents, border and money

Before departure

• A passport for every passenger, children included, valid three months beyond the return.
• Names, dates of birth and passport numbers, sent at least two days ahead for the border police list.
• Landing and return times, so we can check Tivat's daylight hours or switch to Podgorica.
• The address or the yacht's berth and the captain's contact.
• How long you stay, so we can check parking or plan two one-way flights.
• For a dog or cat: pet passport, health certificate and, for a dog going on to the UK, the tapeworm treatment record.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

How to book

1. Send the dates, landing and return times, passengers and luggage, and the place: a villa in Budva, a hotel in Kotor or a berth at Porto Montenegro.
2. We check Tivat's hours and stands for your date, compare Podgorica, and confirm the 36-hour notice and the approval the operator needs.
3. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, with parking or a positioning flight as a separate line.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; we send the passenger list for the border police and book the handler, the VIP lounge and the car or tender.
5. After a few minutes of border control in the lounge, the driver takes you to the hotel, the villa or the quay.

Questions about flying privately to Montenegro

• • How much does a private jet to Montenegro cost?

  • From the European hubs a Phenom 300 starts at EUR 11,500 one way, Vienna - Podgorica, and costs EUR 16,500 from London to Tivat. A PC-12 from Sarajevo to Podgorica costs EUR 6,500. Handling and taxes are added in the quote.

• • Tivat or Podgorica?

  • Tivat for the Bay of Kotor, Porto Montenegro and Budva, if you land and leave in daylight. Podgorica for the capital, Bar, Ulcinj, the mountains and any flight after dark.

• • Why can't we land at Tivat in the evening?

  • Tivat operates in daylight only and has no instrument landing system; in winter it closes around 16:00, and the hours cannot be extended. Late flights use Podgorica, about 1:30 h by car from Kotor.

• • Can the aircraft wait at Tivat?

  • Outside the season, usually yes. In July and August the seven general aviation stands fill at weekends, so the aircraft often waits at Podgorica or Dubrovnik or flies home and returns.

• • How long is the flight?

  • From Milan 1:36 h, from Frankfurt 2:02 h and from London 2:52 h to Tivat in a Phenom 300, all non-stop. Montenegro is one hour ahead of London.

• • Do we need passports?

  • Yes. Montenegro is outside Schengen, so passports are checked on arrival and departure. EU and UK citizens need no visa for short stays.

• • Can we pay in euros?

  • Yes, the euro is the local currency, although Montenegro is not in the EU. Cash over EUR 10,000 must be declared at the border.

• • Can we fly on to Croatia or Albania?

  • Yes. Split is under an hour from Tivat by jet; Dubrovnik is so close that a car or helicopter is usually better, and Tirana in Albania is a short hop south. Every border includes a passport check.

• • Can my dog fly with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, rabies vaccination, EU pet passport and a health certificate issued shortly before travel. A border vet checks the animal on arrival.

• • When are Empty Legs most likely?

  • On July and August weekends from Tivat and at the end of the yacht season in September. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and dates.

• • How far ahead should we book for August?

  • Several weeks, so that the aircraft, a daylight slot and a stand at Tivat can be secured together. Outside the season a few days are usually enough.