Dubrovnik to Montenegro is a short drive from the airport: the routed path to Kotor old town is 58 km and about 1 h 25 from the airport's rent-a-car point at Dubrovnik Airport, using the Kamenari-Lepetane car ferry across the Bay of Kotor. Without the ferry, round the bay, it is 71 km and about 1 h 50. Both times are rounded up and leave out the border check.
Montenegro is outside the European Union and the Schengen area, so the crossing is an external border with checks both ways. A hire car picked up at Dubrovnik Airport needs its rental company's permission before it leaves Croatia.
Can I take a Croatian hire car to Montenegro?
Yes, with permission arranged in advance. The hire terms for Croatia say permission to travel outside the country is requested by email from the booking help desk, and that the price and conditions depend on how long the car is abroad, the type of car and the rental company's policy. Ask before you book if Kotor is part of the plan, because the answer depends on the specific car.
Two other conditions still apply outside Croatia. Hire cars may be driven on paved public roads only, and fines and tolls are the renter's cost, charged to the deposit if they reach the company after the hire. Clause 5 of the Croatia terms sets what the standard cover excludes; the terms say nothing on how cover works outside Croatia, so ask the rental company when you request permission.
Do I need a green card to drive into Montenegro?
Not for a Croatian-registered car. Montenegro's National Bureau of Insurers recognises the registration plates of cars from the countries in its Table 2, Croatia among them, as valid proof of third-party insurance, so no paper green card is needed at the border.
Cars from countries on the bureau's Table 1, such as Albania, North Macedonia, Turkey and Ukraine, need a paper green card, and cars without valid international insurance must buy border insurance. Neither applies to a car on Croatian plates. The rental company's permission is a separate matter and is still required.
Which border crossing do I use from Dubrovnik Airport?
The main crossing is Karasovići-Sutorina, on the main coast road, listed by the Croatian police for international passengers and goods. On the Montenegrin side the post is widely called Debeli Brijeg. The routed path from the airport to Kotor uses this crossing.
The second crossing in the area is Vitaljina-Njivice, listed for international passengers only. Crossings the police list for local border traffic are not open to visitors.
| Destination | Km | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Kotor (via the Kamenari ferry) | 58 | 1 h 25 |
| Kotor (round the bay) | 71 | 1 h 50 |
What happens at the Montenegrin border?
Croatia has applied the full Schengen rules since 1 January 2023, and its border with Montenegro is an external one. Police check every traveller on exit and on entry, together with their belongings and the vehicle. Non-EU nationals have their days counted against the limit of 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area.
Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System registers non-EU nationals on a short stay each time they cross an external border, with fingerprints and a facial image, and it replaces passport stamps. EU citizens and citizens of Schengen-associated countries are not registered.
At pick-up the hire terms ask for a valid national licence with the details in Latin script, and strongly recommend an International Driving Permit if the licence is valid only in the country that issued it.
Will there be a queue at Karasovići?
It is possible in summer. The Croatian Automobile Club lists Karasovići among the busier crossings in the season and warns that waits of several hours can happen at the busiest crossings, especially towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. It advises checking current conditions before travelling. The routed drive times on this page include no border wait.
Should I take the Kamenari-Lepetane ferry?
The car ferry crosses the Bay of Kotor between Kamenari and Lepetane and shortens the drive to Tivat and Kotor compared with driving round the bay: 58 km against 71 km to Kotor from the airport, and about 25 minutes less by routed time. The ferry runs day and night. The latest official timetable published by the coastal authority covers 2023, so check current sailings and fares before you travel.
The routed time for the ferry route includes a modelled crossing but no wait at the quay. Driving round the bay needs no ferry and adds 13 km.
What should I check on the hire car for a Montenegro trip?
The mileage line and the deposit. Some Dubrovnik cars carry a daily kilometre cap, and a Kotor day out and back is about 120 to 140 km before any detour. Some companies hold the deposit for 30 to 45 days after the return, and a fine or toll that reaches the company in that time is charged to it.
From 1 November to 31 March, Croatian rules require daytime running lights or dipped headlights in the day.
Can I combine Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Both are outside Croatia, so both need the rental company's permission, requested before the trip. Trebinje in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 41 km and about 50 minutes from the airport through the Gornji Brgat-Ivanica crossing. The road inland to Mostar runs 162 km through the Metković-Doljani crossing. Croatian plates are accepted as insurance by Bosnia and Herzegovina's green card bureau as well.