Naturism in Montenegro: laws and customs
Updated October 25, 2026
In Montenegro the tourist board promotes the nude beaches, from Ada Bojana to Jaz. But in some coastal towns you can be fined just for walking around in swimwear away from the beach.
At a glance
- Official naturist beaches and areasPromoted by the national tourist board, such as Ada Bojana
- Naturist staysAllowed
- Unofficial naturist beachesNot verified
- Naked in nature, away from peopleNot verified
- Regular beach, townIn town, fines even for walking around in swimwear
- Local bansSix coastal municipalities: €150 to €500 in Ulcinj, up to €1,000 elsewhere
- ToplessNot verified
- Sauna without swimwearNot verified
- LGBTQ+ travellersNo legal risk
Nudity is normal in the designated places, which the state promotes, and out of place elsewhere: the coastal towns defend their "decorum" with fines.
What the law says
The public order law does not mention nudity. In general terms it punishes anyone who behaves indecently or recklessly in a public place and thereby causes unease or outrage among citizens: a fine of €50 to €300 or up to 15 days' detention. Anyone who behaves in a "naročito drsko, bestidno ili uvrjedljivo" way, meaning particularly brazen, shameless or offensive, risks €250 to €1,000 or up to 60 days (Zakon o javnom redu i miru, consolidated text, from a private publisher). The Criminal Code has not been checked.
Where you can be naked
- Nude beaches: the national tourist board promotes several (Montenegro.travel):
- Njivice (Herceg Novi);
- St Mark's Island, or Stradioti (Tivat), reachable only by sea;
- Jaz (Budva), where the "Atlas of beaches and bathing areas" marks a zone for nudists;
- Crvena glavica, south of Sveti Stefan;
- Ada Bojana (Ulcinj), the best known.
- The legal standing of these zones and of the Atlas has not been verified.
- Naturist stays: you'll find them in the list of naturist stays in Montenegro.
Tolerated beaches and bans
Since 2026 all six coastal municipalities (Herceg Novi, Kotor, Tivat, Budva, Bar and Ulcinj) ban being in swimwear or "bez dijela odjeće", without part of your clothing, outside bathing areas. In some municipalities the fine is up to €1,000. In Ulcinj the May 2026 regulation sets €150 to €500; in Herceg Novi the ban applies in the old town, the streets and the parks, with €150 after a warning (RTNK / Dan, 2026).
The fines are real. In summer 2026 Budva issued more than 30, of €200 each, to people walking around town in swimwear or without clothes; Tivat issued 16, of €20 each. Ulcinj, Herceg Novi and Bar have so far given only warnings. The municipalities say they want to protect the dignity of their towns and their tourist image (CdM / Pobjeda, 2026).
The local mood
In Montenegro nudity is normal in the designated places and out of place elsewhere. The country uses naturism as a tourist asset, in dedicated places such as Ada Bojana, while the coastal towns defend "decorum" with fines for walking around in swimwear: Budva was the first, in 2023, to introduce a dress code.
We found no first-hand accounts of topless sunbathing or of unsignposted beaches.
Naturist associations
Montenegro has no federation in the list of the INF-FNI, the international federation.
LGBTQ+ travellers
No legal risk: same-sex relations have been legal since 1977. Same-sex couples cannot adopt (ILGA).
This guide sums up laws and customs as we checked them on the date shown, citing the sources. It is not legal advice: rules can change.