Every vehicle used on the road in Montenegro must have compulsory third party motor insurance, and without a policy it cannot be registered. The policy covers the damage you cause to others with your vehicle, with a minimum sum insured of 550,000 euros for death and bodily injury and 300,000 euros for damage to property, and at no extra premium it also applies in European Union countries and in the green card system. When nobody is injured in an accident, the drivers fill in a European accident report, and the insurer must send an offer or a reasoned answer within 60 days of a claim.
The rules come from the Law on Compulsory Traffic Insurance, amended in 2021, 2025 and 2026, and the Law on Road Traffic Safety. This guide explains what the policy covers, how the premium is set, how the green card works, what to do after an accident and how to claim compensation.
What does compulsory insurance cover?
A vehicle owner must take out and regularly renew third party motor insurance while the vehicle is in use, and must do so before putting it into use. The registration authority issues or renews the registration certificate only once it sees proof of the policy. The insurer's cover starts at the end of the 24th hour of the day stated in the policy as the start of insurance.
| Question | Rule |
| What is covered | Damage your vehicle causes to third parties: death, bodily injury, damage to health, destroyed or damaged property |
| Minimum sum for death and injury | 550,000 euros for passenger and other vehicles, 750,000 euros for buses and goods vehicles |
| Minimum sum for damage to property | 300,000 euros for passenger and other vehicles, 500,000 euros for buses and goods vehicles |
| Trailer | The policy also covers damage caused by a trailer; if the vehicles were coupled, the injured party can claim from the insurer of either |
| What is not covered | Damage to your own vehicle and property, and injuries to the driver who caused the accident |
| Change of owner | The policy passes to the new owner until the end of the current insurance period |
Higher sums, at European Union level, will apply once Montenegro joins the Union. Damage to your own vehicle is covered only by voluntary comprehensive (kasko) insurance, whose terms each insurer sets.
Who sets the price of the policy?
Each insurer sets its own insurance terms and premium tariffs, and the regulator checks that they comply with the law and actuarial rules. The premium system includes bonus-malus, so the price also depends on your previous claims. An insurer may not refuse to issue compulsory insurance if you accept the terms on which it offers it.
On request the insurer must, within 15 days, issue a certificate of the number of claims made against the vehicle in the last five years, or a certificate that there were none. That certificate helps when you move to another insurer.
How does the green card work?
The National Bureau of Insurers of Montenegro has been a member of the green card system since 1 February 2012. The green card is issued by the company that holds your compulsory insurance and is valid for as long as the policy. Since the 2021 amendments the policy covers, at no extra premium, damage in European Union countries, green card system countries and countries whose bureau has signed the Multilateral Agreement, and the August 2026 amendments add that a single premium covers the whole contract period, including while the vehicle is in another country.
- Since 29 June 2023 Montenegrin green cards are not valid in Russia and Belarus, and Russian and Belarusian green cards are not valid in Montenegro.
- A foreign-registered vehicle without a valid green card must take out border insurance at the border, for at least 15 days.
- According to a December 2024 notice from the Bureau, a green card is required on entry to Montenegro for vehicles from Albania, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Moldova, North Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine, and since 1 January 2025 it is also accepted as a PDF on a phone.
What should you do after a road accident?
| Situation | What you must do |
| Someone is injured or killed | Stop, put out the warning triangle, call the police and an ambulance, help the injured and stay at the scene until the investigation is finished |
| Damage to property only | Warn other road users, move the vehicles if they block traffic, fill in the European report if the police do not investigate, and leave your details and your vehicle's details |
| A parked car is damaged and the owner is absent | Inform the police and leave your details and the details of the damaged vehicle |
| You ask the police to investigate property damage | The police attend on request, and you pay 50 euros in costs, which you can later claim from the party at fault |
The vehicle owner must notify their own insurer within seven days of the accident. If a foreign-registered vehicle was involved, ask for a copy of its green card or write down its number, validity and the name of the insurer.
When is the European accident report used?
With the policy the insurer must also hand over a European accident report form, which you must keep in the vehicle. It is filled in by the drivers in an accident where nobody is injured, only property is damaged, the vehicles can drive on and the drivers agree on the circumstances. The injured party can use the European report as a claim for compensation. If you do not agree on how the accident happened, call the police.
How do you claim compensation?
- Submit the claim to the insurer of the vehicle that caused the accident.
- The insurer must, within 60 days of receiving the claim, send a reasoned offer if liability and the amount are not in dispute, or a reasoned answer if they are.
- If the final amount has not been set within that period, the insurer must offer and pay the undisputed part as an advance.
- It must pay the compensation within eight days of the decision or settlement, and pays default interest for any delay.
- If the insurer does not answer within 60 days, you can claim through the courts. A lawsuit filed before that period runs out is treated as premature.
For damage caused by an uninsured or unknown vehicle the claim goes to the National Bureau of Insurers, which settles it from the Guarantee Fund. For an unknown vehicle the Fund pays for damage to property only if the vehicle caused death or serious bodily injury and that damage exceeds 500 euros. For damage caused by a foreign-registered vehicle with a valid green card, you can claim through the Bureau or any company that writes motor liability insurance in Montenegro.
Repairs to your car after an accident can also be booked through the Glatko platform.
What are the fines?
| Offence | Fine for a private individual |
| The owner has not taken out compulsory insurance | 50 to 2,000 euros |
| The driver does not carry the policy or does not show it to an authorised officer | 50 to 200 euros |
| The driver has no European report in the vehicle or does not show it | 50 to 200 euros |
| A driver in a property-damage-only accident does not meet the legal duties, for example does not fill in the European report when the police do not investigate | 200 to 400 euros |
When the Guarantee Fund pays for damage caused by an uninsured vehicle, it can recover the amount paid, with interest and costs, from the person responsible for the damage. The policy is one of the conditions for registration, which our guide to vehicle registration and the technical inspection describes. How a flat is insured and when underinsurance applies is explained in our article on home insurance, and when a foreigner has to exchange a driving licence in our article on the driving licence for foreigners.
Frequently asked questions
Is car insurance compulsory in Montenegro? Yes. The owner must take out third party motor insurance before using the vehicle and renew it regularly, and without it the vehicle cannot be registered.
How much does the compulsory policy cover? At least 550,000 euros for death and injury and 300,000 euros for damage to property for passenger cars. Damage to your own car is covered only by kasko.
Do I need a green card to travel abroad? The green card is issued by your insurer and is valid for as long as the policy, and the policy covers European Union and green card countries at no extra premium. A Montenegrin green card is not valid in Russia and Belarus.
When is the European accident report used? When nobody is injured, only property is damaged, the vehicles can drive on and the drivers agree on the circumstances of the accident.
How many days does the insurer have to answer a claim? It must send an offer or a reasoned answer within 60 days, and pay the compensation within eight days of the decision or settlement.
What is the fine for driving without insurance? A private owner is fined 50 to 2,000 euros, and a driver who does not carry the policy 50 to 200 euros.
Sources
Insurance is governed by the Law on Compulsory Traffic Insurance (Official Gazette of Montenegro 44/2012, amended by 146/2021, 69/2025 and 114/2026, Articles 6, 7, 10 to 15, 25, 27 to 33, 36, 67, 68 and 70a). Duties after an accident are set by the Law on Road Traffic Safety (Official Gazette of Montenegro 33/2012 as amended, Articles 166, 169, 170 and 320). The green card information comes from the National Bureau of Insurers of Montenegro. The legislation was checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform and does not give legal advice; for a specific claim, contact your insurer, the Bureau or a lawyer.