Montenegro runs three organised early cancer detection programmes: bowel screening for men and women aged 50 to 74, cervical screening for women aged 30 to 54 and breast screening for women aged 50 to 69. The programmes are coordinated by the Institute of Public Health and carried out by health centres and the Clinical Centre. Screening tests, further examinations and treatment within the programmes are free for participants. The invitation comes by phone from the team of your chosen doctor or chosen gynaecologist. Not everyone gets a call, though: in 2025 only 9,111 of 94,691 eligible women were invited to cervical screening, so a woman aged 30 to 54 can sign up herself with a nurse at her health centre.
This guide explains which three programmes exist, how each one works, what a positive result means and what to do if no invitation comes.
Which screening programmes are there?
| Programme | Who | Test | How often | Where |
| bowel | men and women aged 50 to 74 | test for hidden blood in the stool (iFOBT) | every two years | chosen doctor at the health centre; colonoscopy at the Clinical Centre and Bijelo Polje General Hospital |
| cervical | women aged 30 to 54 | HPV test from a cervical swab | every five years after a negative result | chosen gynaecologist at the health centre; analysis at the Institute of Public Health |
| breast | women aged 50 to 69 | digital mammography | every two years | Screening Mammography Centre of the Clinical Centre; for now Podgorica, Danilovgrad, Cetinje and Kolašin |
- Screening is for people without symptoms. If you have complaints, do not wait for an invitation and see your chosen doctor instead.
How does bowel cancer screening work?
- The team of your chosen doctor for adults calls you, and at the surgery you fill in a questionnaire on your health and risk factors.
- You get a free stool sampling kit with instructions. You do the test at home, with no special diet, and only one sample is needed.
- You hand the sample to your chosen doctor ideally the same day and at the latest within 24 hours, and keep it somewhere cool until then.
- You get the result within two weeks at most. After a negative result the next invitation comes in two years.
- A positive test does not mean you have cancer: polyps, inflammation or haemorrhoids can also cause blood in the stool. Your chosen doctor gives you an appointment and a referral for a colonoscopy and preparation instructions.
- A colonoscopy takes about 30 minutes on average, is done under sedation, and polyps can be removed during the same examination.
- You are not included in screening if you had a colonoscopy in the last five years, are being treated for bowel cancer, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease or are in a special follow-up programme.
How does cervical cancer screening work?
- The programme has run nationally since February 2018 and is free for all women insured with the Health Insurance Fund.
- The team of your chosen gynaecologist calls you and books a separate appointment, kept apart from regular gynaecology visits.
- You book the examination any time between two periods, at least three days after bleeding ends, and for two days before it you avoid sex and vaginal treatments.
- The gynaecologist takes a swab, which is quick and painless, and the sample is analysed at the Institute of Public Health.
- After a negative HPV test your next test is in five years. After a positive result a liquid-based Pap test (LBC) is done from the same sample at the Clinical Centre, and if that is positive too, the gynaecologist invites you for a colposcopy and, if needed, a biopsy.
- Pregnant women do not take part in the programme but can join after giving birth. Women vaccinated against HPV should also be screened.
How does breast cancer screening work?
- The programme has existed since December 2015 and for now covers Podgorica, Danilovgrad, Cetinje and Kolašin, with the aim of extending it nationwide.
- Women aged 50 to 69 are called by the team of their chosen doctor for adults.
- The mammogram is taken on a digital mammography unit at the Screening Mammography Centre of the Clinical Centre and takes 10 to 15 minutes.
- Two radiologists read every image independently, and the result goes electronically to your chosen doctor.
- BIRADS 4a, 4b or 5 results mean a referral for further tests such as ultrasound, tomosynthesis or a biopsy. After a negative result the next invitation comes in two years.
What if no invitation comes?
- According to Institute of Public Health data, in 2025, 9,111 of 94,691 eligible women were invited to cervical screening, 7,034 were tested and HPV was found in 872 samples.
- If you are 30 to 54 and have not been invited to cervical screening, contact a nurse at your health centre or your chosen gynaecologist's team.
- For bowel and breast screening, ask your chosen doctor's team whether you are on the invitation list.
- Check that your health centre has your correct phone number, because the invitation comes by phone.
How to choose the doctor who invites you to screening is explained in our guide to your chosen doctor and eZdravlje, and the HPV vaccine for children in our guide to child vaccination. Who is insured with the Fund is explained in our guide to health insurance for foreigners, and referral for treatment outside the country in our guide to treatment abroad.
Frequently asked questions
Is cancer screening free in Montenegro? Yes, the Institute of Public Health states that screening tests, further examinations and treatment within the programmes are free for participants.
Who is invited to bowel cancer screening? Men and women aged 50 to 74 without symptoms, every two years.
How often is the HPV test done? After a negative result the HPV test is repeated in five years.
Can I have cervical screening without an invitation? Yes, a woman aged 30 to 54 can contact a nurse at her health centre herself.
Where is screening mammography done? At the Screening Mammography Centre of the Clinical Centre, and for now the programme covers Podgorica, Danilovgrad, Cetinje and Kolašin.
Does a positive test mean cancer? No, a positive test means further examinations are needed, such as a colonoscopy, an LBC test or a colposcopy.
Sources
The programmes, target groups, tests, cycles and institutions are described on the Institute of Public Health's screening department page, preparation, repeat HPV testing and signing up without an invitation in the Institute's questions and answers on cervical screening of January 2026, and the stool test, the sample deadline and exclusions in the bowel cancer screening brochure. The Institute's 2025 figures were reported by the daily newspaper Dan on 3 July 2026. The information was checked on 28 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not medical advice.