- How to Apply
- After the Interview
Step 1. Check the Validity of Your Passport
Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States and contains one blank page to place a visa. Likewise, the U.S. Customers and Border Protection (CBP) agency recommends having one additional blank page in your passport for the entry stamp.
Step 2. Complete the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160
Complete Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160
Please note that you must answer EVERY question on the application to the best of your knowledge. If the answer to a question is “none,” please write “none”(Do not leave it blank). Incomplete/incorrect forms will be returned and will require you to schedule a new interview appointment.
Step 3. Collect any Supporting Documentation

Only a passport, DS-160 confirmation page, and a photo are required for the visa interview.
A 5×5 cm color photo must not be older than 6 months with a light or white background, without glasses, hairline and ears MUST be clearly visible.
No glasses of any type are allowed.
Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified. For example, additional requested documents may include evidence of:
- The purpose of your trip;
- Your intent to depart the United States after your trip; and/or
- Your ability to pay all costs of the trip.
Note: Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant’s residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends. A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a nonimmigrant tourist visa. If you do choose to bring a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to your interview, please remember that it is not one of the factors that we use in determining whether to issue or deny a nonimmigrant tourist visa.
Travelers With Criminal Records
- Convictions for certain crimes may make you ineligible to travel to the U.S. The only way to know for sure if your criminal record makes you ineligible is to apply for a visa. Only a consular officer can determine your visa eligibility.
- You need to bring a copy of your Criminal History Report with you to the visa interview.
- Even if your conviction makes you ineligible to travel to the U.S., you may be able to obtain a temporary waiver of this ineligibility. You should discuss this with the consular officer at the time of the interview. Waiver processing can take 6 – 8 months, so if you think you may require a waiver, please apply early. We always recommend you do not make any financial commitments for travel until you have received a visa.
Step 4. Schedule an Interview Appointment
Our Consular officers can only conduct interviews in Montenegrin and English.
To schedule an appointment for a non-immigrant visa (NIV) interview, please consult the Embassy’s online NIV Appointment System. Please have your DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form Confirmation Number handy. It is located on your DS-160 confirmation page, in bold print.
IMPORTANT: Some visa applicants can schedule appointment via e-mail. For more information, please visit our APPOINTMENT page.
Fill out a REQUEST to accompany an applicant two business days prior to the scheduled appointment, if you are:
- Parents of child under age of 18, or
- Caretaker for people with special needs.
Please note that although applicants under 14 and over 79 years of age are not required to appear in person for the visa interview, an appointment in the applicant’s name must be made. The individual submitting the applicant’s required documents should fill out the form for accompanying an applicant via the link above in order to access the Embassy at the time of the appointment.
Step 5. Interview for your visa with the Consular Officer
On the day of your interview, please pay the following nonrefundable visa application fee. The MRV fee can be paid in Euros only. Credit cards cannot be accepted. The Embassy strongly encourages applicants to bring the exact amount of the MRV fee.
During your visa interview, a consular officer will determine whether you are qualified to receive a visa, and if so, which visa category is appropriate based on your purpose of travel. You will need to establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.
If your visa has been denied, you may find useful information on Ineligibilities and Waivers on usvisas.state.gov.
Step 6. Return to Collect Your Passport and Visa
If you are issued the visa, your passport will be ready in approximately seven days. Passports are available for pick up every Tuesday and Friday from 12:00PM until 12:10PM. Closed on U.S. & Montenegrin Holidays
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Airplane tickets should not be purchased prior to you receiving your passport with a visa.
Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a consular officer. Applicants are advised of this requirement when they apply. Most administrative processing is resolved within 90 days of the visa interview. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.