1 in 3 yachts in the ports of Montenegro are owned by wealthy Russians | Ukraine and Russia war

This can be deduced from a document from the Maritime Safety and Port Administration of Montenegro, which was published yesterday. It contains data up to the beginning of this month and lists the owner’s name and nationality as well as the name of each yacht.

Montenegro is located on the Adriatic Sea, opposite Italy. Bordering Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania, it is marketed as a popular holiday destination. The country has been a member of NATO since 2017 and a candidate member of the European Union since 2010.

With Western sanctions in mind, after invading Ukraine, Russia bought a record number of “golden passports” in Montenegro, no less than 42 percent of all “golden passports” in the country.

The ‘Golden Passport’ was introduced in Montenegro in 2018 and is in fact an investment passport: for an investment of €472,000 you get citizenship. These include a €200,000 non-refundable deposit in a special government fund and a €250,000 stake in a government approved real estate project (hotels and resorts).

In exchange, the investor and his family receive a Montenegrin passport. You do not have to take a test to prove your knowledge of the language or history of Montenegro, nor do you have to live in the country. You are always welcome there

Citizenship allows, among other things, to travel to Schengen countries – such as Belgium – without a visa.