Health, vaccinations and medical care in Montenegro

Cover

• The EHIC and GHIC do not apply - Montenegro is outside the EU and EEA.
• Travel insurance is essential, including repatriation.
• The main hospitals are in Podgorica. Coastal towns have clinics that handle routine problems and refer anything serious inland.

Everyday health

• Tap water is safe in the towns.
• Pharmacies (apoteka) are well stocked.
• Ticks are present in the forests; the usual precautions apply.
• Summer heat on the coast is severe - the practical health risk for most visitors is sunburn and dehydration, not anything exotic.

Getting treated

• Podgorica has the Clinical Centre of Montenegro, the country's main hospital and the referral point for anything serious.
• Kotor, Budva and Herceg Novi have clinics that handle routine problems and refer inland.
• Pharmacies (apoteka) are open long hours in the coastal towns in season and there is a duty rota out of it.
• Doctors in the tourist areas commonly speak English; inland, less so.

The summer risks

• Heat and sun are what actually affect visitors. The coast is exposed and August routinely passes 35 C.
• Sea urchins are common on the rocky coves - swim shoes prevent the commonest injury on this coast.
• Jellyfish appear in some seasons; local advice at the beach is reliable.
• Mosquitoes are persistent on the coast in the evening.