It is still necessary to get police permission in advance if you wish to cross the borders on the PoB or other trails at ‘unofficial places’ in the B3P mountains. A meeting in Podgorica in 2011 between border police from the three countries and interested organizations agreed a system for obtaining the necessary permits. The principle is that you get permission from each country that you leave. It does work, sort of! People applying independently should download the application form for each country from the PoB website www.peaksofthebalkans.com or the separate section on this B3P website and e-mail it to the police addresses given. Do not expect a reply but make sure you have a copy of your application with you when you travel. They don’t like you applying more than a month in advance! The Kosovo police sometimes like the pleasant drive up the Rugova valley to check out a group over a breakfast coffee in the café at Kuçiste, but you are unlikely to meet any other border police on the trek. For a small fee the organizations listed above can obtain the necessary permission for you. If you are booking a trek through them the permission is part of the package.
If you apply independently the Montenegro police may reply with admirable promptness but also with a request for money, e.g. 9.50 euros, to be paid at a bank or post office. If this happens we advise you to ask Zbulo or one of the other organizations to get the permission for you. You don’t want to waste time and energy trying to find a post office or bank open as you pass through Plav.
2014 Updated Border Crossing Permission – April 2014 APPLYING FOR PERMISSION TO CROSS INTERNATIONAL BORDERS AT UNOFFICIAL CROSSING POINTS IN THE B3P AREA
Balkans Peace Park Project 