A fixed-term employment contract is an exception in Montenegro: an employer can conclude such contracts with the same employee for 24 months at most in total, continuously or with breaks, and a break shorter than 70 days does not stop the count. If a contract breaks these rules or you keep working after it expires, you are treated as permanently employed, and the employer must sign a permanent contract within five days. Since April 2026 an employee who has worked at least six months for the same employer can offer to switch to a permanent contract, and the employer must consider the offer and give written reasons for a refusal within 30 days.
This guide explains the 24-month limit, the exceptions, the switch to a permanent contract and protection during pregnancy and parental leave.
How long can fixed-term work last?
| Situation | Maximum length |
| One or more contracts with the same employer | 24 months in total, continuously or with breaks |
| Replacing a temporarily absent employee | longer than 24 months, as long as the replacement is needed |
| Seasonal work in tourism, agriculture or forestry | longer than 24 months, but seasonal work lasts at most eight months a year |
| Work on a specific project | until the project ends |
| Director, athlete or temporary staffing agency contract | the 24-month limit does not apply |
- The 24-month limit has applied since August 2024; before that it was 36 months.
- The 24 months include time you were placed with the employer through a temporary staffing agency.
- They do not include a traineeship or extensions of the contract for pregnancy maintenance or maternity, paternity, parental, adoption or foster care leave.
- For fixed-term contracts longer than 12 months concluded before the August 2024 amendments, the rules in force when the first such contract was concluded apply.
- A fixed-term employee has the same rights, duties and responsibilities as a permanent employee.
When are you treated as permanently employed?
- The employment contract must state the duration and the ground for a fixed term, and if it does not state how long it lasts, it is deemed permanent.
- If a contract is concluded against the law or you keep working after it expires, you are deemed to be in permanent employment.
- In that case the employer must sign a permanent contract with you within five days of the irregularity being found or the contract expiring.
- An employer who hired you for a fixed term and has a permanent vacancy should inform employees on the notice board and consider your request.
How do you offer a switch to a permanent contract from 2026?
- The condition is that you have worked for the same employer for at least six months and any agreed probation period has ended.
- Send the employer an offer to change your contract from fixed-term to permanent.
- The employer must consider concluding a permanent contract.
- If it cannot accept the offer, it must send you a written reasoned reply within 30 days of receiving it.
- You can send a new offer after six months, and the employer must again reply in writing within 30 days.
- An employer that does not consider the offer or reply on time pays a fine of 1,000 to 10,000 euros, the responsible person 100 to 1,000 euros, and a sole trader 500 to 5,000 euros.
What applies during pregnancy and leave?
- If your fixed-term contract expires during pregnancy, sick leave for pregnancy maintenance or maternity, paternity or parental leave, it is extended until that leave ends.
- You send the employer proof of these circumstances within three days of learning of them.
- During childcare, pregnancy maintenance and maternity, paternity or parental leave the employer cannot declare you redundant.
How notice periods work and how much severance is are covered in our guide to employment termination, and benefits after a fixed-term contract ends in our guide to unemployment benefit. Annual leave and overtime are covered in our guide to annual leave, and the ten working days for fathers in our guide to paternity leave.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a fixed-term contract last in Montenegro? With the same employer 24 months in total, continuously or with breaks, except for replacing an absent employee, seasonal work and project work.
What if I keep working after my fixed-term contract expires? You are deemed to be in permanent employment, and the employer must sign a permanent contract within five days.
Does a break between two contracts reset the 24-month count? A break shorter than 70 days does not count as a break, so the time before and after it is added up.
Can I ask for a permanent contract? Yes, if you have worked for the same employer for at least six months and your probation period has ended; the employer must consider the offer and give written reasons for a refusal within 30 days.
Does a fixed-term employee have fewer rights? No. A fixed-term employee has the same rights, duties and responsibilities as a permanent employee.
What happens to a fixed-term contract during maternity leave? A contract that expires during pregnancy or maternity, paternity or parental leave is extended until that leave ends.
Sources
Fixed-term contracts, contract content, the switch to permanent employment and internal notices are set by the Labour Law, Official Gazette 74/2019 (Articles 23, 31, 36, 38, 123 and 209), the 24-month limit and the transitional rule by the August 2024 amendments, Official Gazette 77/2024 (Articles 37 and 213a), and the offer to switch to a permanent contract, paternity leave and the fine by the April 2026 amendments, Official Gazette 51/2026 (Articles 48 and 209). The information was checked on 27 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.