Is an energy passport required to sell a flat in Montenegro? Yes. The owner of a building or part of a building must obtain an energy performance certificate when selling or letting and hand it to the buyer or make it available for inspection by the tenant.
Local searches show what people want to know about the energy efficiency of a flat: "energetski pasoš" (energy passport) is followed by "cena" (price), "zakon" (law), "pravilnik" (rulebook) and "za zgradu" (for a building), and people also look for "sertifikat energetske efikasnosti" (energy efficiency certificate) and "energetska efikasnost zgrade" (energy efficiency of a building). The term "energy passport" comes from the region; Montenegro's Law on the Efficient Use of Energy calls the same document a certificate of a building's energy performance.
This article explains what the certificate contains, when an owner must obtain it to sell or let, what applies to new builds, who issues it, what classes A to G mean and what the law says about fines.
What the certificate is and what it contains
The certificate is issued by an authorised person on the basis of a report on an energy audit of the building. A building or part of a building may have only one certificate, and it is issued for ten years. The register of issued certificates is kept by the Ministry.
| Content | Note |
| Reference values of specific energy consumption | By use and type of building |
| The building's specific energy consumption | Calculated for the specific building or part of it |
| Recommended measures to improve energy efficiency | What would reduce consumption |
| Energy class and indicators | A class on a scale from A to G |
| General data | Climate zone, technical systems and details of the authorised person |
The certificate is kept by the owner or investor at least until the end of the period for which it was issued.
When the certificate is required
The following must obtain a certificate:
| Who | When |
| Investors | For buildings being built or reconstructed |
| Owners of buildings or parts of buildings | When selling or letting |
| State bodies, local government and public services | For state-owned buildings they manage |
| Owners of buildings where many people gather | For example hotels, theatres, cinemas, sports and exhibition halls and shopping centres |
The owner's obligation on sale and letting has applied since 1 January 2016. When selling or letting a building or part of it, the owner must hand the certificate over to the buyer or make it available for inspection by the tenant. The whole sale is explained in our guide to selling an apartment, and the obligations when letting in our guide on how to rent out an apartment.
New builds
- A building under construction or reconstruction. The investor submits the certificate to the construction supervisor before the final supervision report is drawn up.
- Business premises with no defined use in a residential and commercial building: the certificate is submitted when the premises are fitted out for their use.
- A family house. Under the 2025 amendments, the certificate is submitted by the contractor, together with a statement that the building was built in line with the building permit and the main design and is fit for use.
If you are buying a flat off-plan, you can ask for the certificate together with the other documents; what else to check is explained in our article on buying off-plan.
Who issues the certificate and what it costs
The energy audit and certificate are carried out by an authorised person: a company, sole trader or legal entity authorised by the Ministry. To be authorised, it must employ a person of the relevant technical profession with at least five years of experience, a passed professional exam for energy audits of buildings and a certificate of completed training. For an existing building a detailed energy audit is carried out, and the certificate is then drawn up and submitted.
The law does not set the price of the service. It sets only the fee that the authorised person pays the Ministry for issuing the certificate: for buildings with a net floor area of up to 500 m² it is €10.
What classes A to G mean
Buildings are placed in seven energy classes, from A, the most favourable, to G, the least favourable. The class is determined by comparing the building's energy efficiency indicator (IP, in kWh/m² per year) with the indicator of a reference building of the same use and shape that meets the minimum requirements (IPref). IP is the calculated annual primary energy consumption for heating, cooling, ventilation, domestic hot water and lighting, divided by the conditioned floor area.
| Class | Building's indicator relative to the reference |
| A | Up to 0.35 × IPref |
| B | From 0.35 to 0.50 × IPref |
| C | From 0.50 to 0.71 × IPref |
| D | From 0.71 to 1.00 × IPref |
| E | From 1.00 to 1.41 × IPref |
| F | From 1.41 to 2.00 × IPref |
| G | More than 2.00 × IPref |
The boundary between classes D and E is consumption equal to that of the reference building. Works that improve energy efficiency, such as replacing worn-out equipment, count as maintenance; what needs a notification or a permit is explained in our article on apartment renovation.
Fines
For failing to obtain a certificate the law sets a fine of €3,000 to €20,000 for a legal entity, €150 to €1,300 for the responsible person in a legal entity and €300 to €3,000 for a sole trader. The law names no fine for this offence for a private individual, but the obligation to obtain and hand over the certificate on sale and letting applies to them too.
Short checklist
| Question | Why |
| Are you selling or letting a flat | Obtain the certificate and hand it to the buyer or show it to the tenant |
| Do you have an older certificate | It is valid for ten years from issue |
| Choosing an authorised person | They must be authorised by the Ministry |
| Buying a new build | The certificate is part of the documents the investor obtains |
| Reading the class | D or better means consumption up to the level of the reference building |
You can list or find flats with energy class details in our real estate category.
Frequently asked questions
How long is an energy performance certificate valid? Ten years from issue.
Who issues the energy certificate? An authorised person, that is a company, sole trader or legal entity authorised by the Ministry to carry out energy audits, on the basis of the energy audit report.
How much does an energy certificate cost? The price of the service is set by the authorised person and is not prescribed by law. The authorised person pays the Ministry an issuing fee of €10 for buildings with a net floor area of up to 500 m².
What does the energy class mean? The class from A to G shows how much primary energy the building consumes compared with a reference building that meets the minimum requirements. A is the most favourable and G the least favourable.
What is the fine for having no certificate? €3,000 to €20,000 for a legal entity and €300 to €3,000 for a sole trader. The law names no fine for this offence for a private individual.
Sources
The certificate, the obligations of investors and owners, authorised persons and fines are governed by the Law on the Efficient Use of Energy (Official Gazette of Montenegro 57/2014, 3/2015, 25/2019, 140/2022, 84/2024 and 165/2025, articles 30, 39 to 42, 53 and 58), whose consolidated text is published by the competent ministry. Content, retention and classes are governed by the Rulebook on certification of the energy performance of buildings (Official Gazette of Montenegro 47/2024, articles 2 to 8), and the fee by the Rulebook on the fee for issuing the certificate (Official Gazette of Montenegro 67/2024). Fijaka is a listings platform and does not give legal advice; for a specific building, contact an authorised person.