In Montenegro the child benefit is 30 euros a month for every child until the age of 18, with no limit on the number of children in a family, and for children of families receiving social assistance it is between 64.26 and 87.63 euros. The one-off newborn payment is 1,127.68 euros for a first child, 1,691.52 euros for a second, 2,255.37 euros for a third and 2,819.21 euros for a fourth and each further child. An employed mother takes compulsory maternity leave of 98 days, after which the parents share parental leave until the child's first birthday; since April 2026 fathers also have paternity leave of 10 working days. Applications go to the social work centres, and foreigners with approved temporary residence or permanent residence are also eligible.
Child protection rights are set by the Law on Social and Child Protection, the amounts are indexed by a decision of the competent ministry, and leave is governed by the Labour Law, which added paternity leave in April 2026. This guide explains the amounts for 2026, who is eligible, how to apply, how long the different types of leave last and how much the state refunds for maternity leave.
What are the amounts in 2026?
| Right | Amount |
| Child benefit, every child until age 18 | 30.00 € a month |
| Child benefit for a child in a family receiving social assistance | 64.26 € a month |
| Child benefit for a child receiving a care allowance | 75.92 € a month |
| Child benefit for a child receiving a disability allowance or without parental care | 87.63 € a month |
| Newborn payment: first, second, third, fourth and each further child | 1,127.68 €, 1,691.52 €, 2,255.37 €, 2,819.21 € |
| Newborn payment for families receiving social assistance | 1,240.45 €, 1,804.28 €, 2,368.12 €, 2,931.97 € |
| Birth allowance for an unemployed parent or a student | 121.59 € a month, until the child's first birthday |
- The amounts were indexed by a decision of August 2026, and existing recipients receive the higher monthly amounts from 1 July 2026.
- Since April 2025 the child benefit has no limit on the number of children in a family; before that it applied to at most five children.
- The 30-euro benefit has been the same since October 2022, when it was introduced for every child until age 18.
Who is eligible?
- Montenegrin citizens with residence in Montenegro.
- Foreigners with approved temporary residence or permanent residence, in line with a separate law.
- The newborn payment can be claimed by one parent, an adoptive parent, a guardian or a foster parent, until the child's first birthday.
- The birth allowance can be claimed by one parent who is registered with the Employment Agency or is a full-time student, until the child's first birthday.
How do you apply?
- Submit the application to the social work centre responsible for your place of residence; the forms are on the social work centres' website.
- Claim the newborn payment before the child turns one, because it cannot be claimed after that.
- Claim the birth allowance within 30 days of the birth, because it is then paid from the day of birth; after that it is paid from the date of the application.
- The refund of wage compensation for maternity or parental leave is claimed by the employer: if the application is made within 30 days of the start of the leave, payment runs from that day, and once the leave has ended the application can no longer be made.
- For information about your rights there is a free phone line of the social work centres, 19977.
How long do maternity, paternity and parental leave last?
- Maternity leave is compulsory and lasts 98 days: 28 days before the expected birth and 70 days after it. If the child is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, the leave is extended by the number of days the child was born early.
- Parental leave follows maternity leave and runs until 365 days from the child's birth, and both parents are entitled to it in equal parts. A parent who has started it can transfer it to the other parent after 30 days.
- Paternity leave of 10 working days from the child's birth was introduced by amendments to the Labour Law in force from 23 April 2026.
- From the same date, the right to maternity, paternity and parental leave cannot be made conditional on the length of employment.
- A fixed-term employment contract that expires during pregnancy or leave is extended until the leave ends.
- A new model of parental leave of 14 months, with 60 non-transferable days for each parent, will only apply from Montenegro's accession to the European Union.
How much does the state refund for maternity leave?
Wage compensation during maternity and parental leave is paid by the employer, and the state refunds it through the social work centre, depending on the employee's uninterrupted work before the leave.
| Uninterrupted work before the leave | Refund to the employer | Maximum |
| At least 12 months | The employee's average salary in the 12 months before the leave | Two national average salaries of the previous year |
| 6 to 12 months | 70% of the average salary | One national average salary |
| 3 to 6 months | 50% of the average salary | One national average salary |
| Up to 3 months | 30% of the average salary | One national average salary |
A sole trader claims wage compensation for maternity or parental leave directly from the social work centre; since July 2026 this right no longer depends on being the only employee, but it applies only if the sole trader is not employed by another employer.
If you have just moved here, residence registration and the other steps are explained in our article on the first 90 days in Montenegro, health care for children in our article on health insurance for foreigners, and school enrolment in our guide to schools for foreign children. If parents separate and cannot agree on child maintenance, family law is among the practice areas of RoNa Legal.
Frequently asked questions
How much is child benefit in Montenegro in 2026? The child benefit is 30 euros a month for every child until age 18, and for children of families receiving social assistance it is between 64.26 and 87.63 euros.
How much is the newborn payment? It is 1,127.68 euros for the first, 1,691.52 euros for the second, 2,255.37 euros for the third and 2,819.21 euros for the fourth and each further child.
How long is maternity leave in Montenegro? Compulsory maternity leave lasts 98 days, and parental leave runs until 365 days from the child's birth.
Do fathers get leave? Yes. Since 23 April 2026 fathers have paternity leave of 10 working days from the child's birth, and they also use parental leave in an equal share with the mother.
Can foreigners get child benefit? Yes, if they have approved temporary residence or permanent residence in Montenegro, in line with a separate law.
What does an unemployed mother receive? One parent who is registered with the Employment Agency or is a student receives 121.59 euros a month until the child's first birthday, in addition to the newborn payment.
Sources
The rights are set by the Law on Social and Child Protection (consolidated text, Articles 41 to 54), as amended by 145/2021, 48/2024, 33/2025 and 104/2026, and the amounts by the Decision on indexing social and child protection benefits (Official Gazette of Montenegro 119/2026). Leave is governed by the Labour Law (Articles 123, 126 and 127), as amended by 51/2026. Who can claim the rights is explained by the Government of Montenegro, and the application forms are published by the social work centres. The information was checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; check the conditions for your case with the competent social work centre.