EES Montenegro / Croatia ground crossings.

Posted by Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺 (Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest) on 09/10/26 06:17 AM

Apparently it can be a nightmare. 20 hours at least once. So bad the government was passing out food and water.

Its still worth the effort with the right help. The good guides and drivers know the best times of day and how to access the cameras at the two crossings and chose the better of the two.

As the problem rests with the EU state i dont know if Croatia / Bosnia is any better.

I wouldnt let this deter visiting Bosnia or Montenegro, but I would get assistance in planning crossings. PM and I can give you a name, or search the forum as there are other possibilities as well.

Posted by Emily 🐈 🐈

Vienna, Austria

09/10/26 11:31 AM

6241 posts

We crossed by car from Montenegro into Croatia in April and at that time it took over two hours. I can’t imagine now.

Posted by Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺 OP

Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest

09/10/26 12:12 PM

27477 posts

It might be better now.

The 20 hour day was early in the new process. Things I hope are getting worked out. Thats why talking to someone who does it daily and planning with the best times on the best days at the best crossing point becomes more important. And its going to be this at any non EU crossing.

Posted by Emily 🐈 🐈

Vienna, Austria

09/10/26 12:35 PM

6241 posts

One thing I saw that was smart during our two hour wait - one taxi would drop the person at the immigration booth and another would be waiting on the other side.

Posted by Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺 OP

Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest

09/10/26 01:20 PM

27477 posts

Its not a deal breaker, just means you have to smart and work with a local. I think at some point it will get better.

I just went through the EES nonsense at BUD a few hours ago (returning from Montenegro). They finally opened a line for residents, but they hid it. I had to ask around to find it and it had a lot of folks in it trying to cheat the other lines. A mess, but better than June when I returned from Montenegro.

I had to do the ground border crossing about a month ago from Ukraine. The Hungarians did a pretty sweet job of that. We got out of the van, showed out passports, they saw my residency card and I went back in the van. The rest lined up against a wall and the officer walked in front snapping photos followed another with a portable fingerprint reader.

Posted by Helen

Bristol, UK

09/10/26 02:45 PM

2233 posts

Montenegro hopes to join the EU within the next couple of years so that will resolve the situation. Croatia is currently causing a hold up over some historical issues but the process is quite well advanced.

Posted by Mr É 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇭🇺 OP

Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest

09/10/26 03:29 PM

27477 posts

Its amazing that Croatia has done such a good job of whitewashing its war crimes in the recent Balkan War that they are safe in complaining about what someone else did in WWII.

The past week I asked quite a few Montenegreins what they thought of the EU and the responce wasnt enthuastic about EU membership. But I presume it will happen by 2030.

So then the Croatian border will be open but the Albanian and BiH and Serbian borders become more complicated. Right now they are an ID card and a wave for locals.

It will be interesting to see which comes first in the region; Montenegro in the EU or armed conflict in the region. I would bet the later.

Posted by Cat VH

London

09/10/26 04:00 PM

1727 posts

That is sad to hear... I crossed the Croatia/Montenegro border by land in 2018 and Croatia/Bosnia last year and both times the car barely slowed down long enough for us to hand over our passports and continue onwards- absolutely zero wait. The new EES seems to be causing problems just about everywhere. On a personal level I still hold out hope for a reversal of brexit in my lifetime so we no longer have to deal with this.