A child under 18 can travel abroad from Montenegro with the approval of one parent, which is valid for one year from issue. If the child has a passport and travels with one parent, the other parent's consent is not needed, because both parents already agreed when the passport was issued; with an ID card the border police ask for the other parent's written consent. Since the December 2021 amendments, a child over 16 can cross the border alone without parental approval.
This guide explains when consent is needed, how long it is valid, what applies after a divorce and what the border police check.
When is parental consent needed?
| How the child travels | With a passport | With an ID card |
| With both parents | nothing extra | nothing extra |
| With one parent | the other parent's consent is not needed | written consent of the other parent |
| Alone | approval of one parent | approval signed by both parents |
| With a third person, a school or a club | approval of one parent | no specific rule published, so approval from both parents is safer |
| Alone and over 16 | no approval needed to leave Montenegro | no approval needed to leave Montenegro |
- The difference exists because a child's passport application is filed by one parent with the other parent's written consent, while a child's ID card can be requested by one parent without such consent.
- With an ID card a child can cross only into countries that allow it, for example Serbia.
- The 16-year rule applies to leaving Montenegro; the country the child enters may have its own rules.
What does the law say?
- A child can travel to another country with the approval of one parent or another legal representative.
- The approval is valid for one year from the day of issue, and the approval form is set by the Ministry of Interior.
- If the child lives in an institution and the legal representative is unavailable, the guardianship authority can give the approval.
- When one parent exercises parental rights, for example after a divorce, the parent the child lives with files the request for a passport or approval, with the other parent's written consent.
- If the other parent objects or is unavailable, a passport can be issued with the written consent of the guardianship authority in urgent cases or when it is in the child's special interest.
What do the border police check?
- Whether the child travels alone or accompanied, and whether the companion is a parent or legal representative.
- Whether there are circumstances suggesting the child was unlawfully taken from one parent.
- When the child travels with another person, the detailed check must include the travel approval or the decision on parental rights.
- When the child travels alone, the police check whether they are leaving Montenegro without parental approval, unless the child is over 16.
How do you prepare the consent?
- Write the child's full name, personal identification number and travel document number, the parents' details, the country and period of travel and the companion's name.
- So that the signature cannot be questioned, have it certified by a notary.
- If the child and the parent have different surnames, it helps to carry a birth register extract.
- Divorced parents also carry the decision on parental rights.
- Before the trip, check the rules of the country you are travelling to, because some countries ask for their own form.
How much a child's passport costs and how long it is valid is covered in our guide to the passport and ID card, and border crossings and the new entry rules in our guide to border crossings. School holiday dates are covered in our guide to the school calendar, and flights from Podgorica and Tivat in our guide to airports. What a notary charges to certify a signature is explained by Glatko.
Frequently asked questions
Is the other parent's consent needed if a child travels with one parent? With a passport it is not, because both parents gave consent when the passport was issued; with an ID card the border police ask for the other parent's written consent.
Can a child travel abroad alone? Yes, with the approval of one parent if the child has a passport, or of both parents with an ID card, and a child over 16 can cross the border alone without approval.
How long is parental travel approval valid? The approval is valid for one year from the day of issue.
Does the consent have to be certified by a notary? The law does not say so explicitly, but a certified signature proves that the consent really came from the parent, so we recommend it.
What if the other parent does not agree to the trip? The Ministry of Interior can then issue a passport with the written consent of the guardianship authority, if the trip is urgent or in the child's special interest.
Is consent needed for a trip with a school or a club? Yes. With a passport the approval of one parent is enough, and with an ID card approval from both parents is safer.
Sources
Parental approval, the one-year validity and the other parent's consent are set by the Law on Travel Documents, Official Gazette 21/2008 (Articles 26 to 28), with the 2021 amendments, Official Gazette 146/2021. Checks on children at the border are set by the Law on Border Control, Official Gazette 72/2009 (Article 50), and the 16-year rule by its 2021 addition, Official Gazette 146/2021. The difference between the passport and the ID card was explained by the Police Directorate in its December 2019 notice. The information was checked on 27 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.