Under the March 2026 amendments to the Postal Services Law, a complaint about a lost, undelivered or late registered item is filed with the post office within three months of posting for domestic mail, or within six months for international mail. A complaint about damage or missing contents is filed on delivery, and no later than the next working day; anyone who misses these deadlines loses the right to monetary compensation. For a lost or completely damaged registered item the post office pays five times the price charged for the service, for an item with a declared value that value, and for a missed delivery deadline three times the price. Compensation is paid within 30 days, and the user can challenge the post office's decision before the Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services within 15 days.
This guide collects the deadlines and compensation amounts in one place, which also helps when you post something you sold through a listing.
What are the complaint deadlines?
| Situation | Deadline |
| lost, undelivered or late registered item within Montenegro | three months from posting |
| the same, international mail | six months from posting |
| damage or missing contents | on delivery, no later than the next working day |
| post office reply to a complaint about an international item | the post office informs you if it cannot reply within 60 days |
| request to the Agency against the post office decision or when there is no reply | 15 days from the reply or from the end of the reply period |
- The sender may also start a tracing procedure for the item; the sender pays the costs, but the post office refunds them if the item is found to have been lost, undelivered or late.
How much compensation is paid?
| Damage | Registered item | Item with declared value |
| loss, complete damage or loss of contents | five times the price charged for the service | the declared value |
| partial damage or partial loss of contents | actual value of the damage, at most five times the service price | actual value of the damage, at most the declared value |
| missed transport and delivery deadline | three times the price charged for the service | three times the price charged for the service |
- Along with compensation, the post office refunds the service price and the tracing fee, except the part of the price charged for the declared value.
- If the service was not performed at all, the post office refunds the price charged.
- Compensation is paid within 30 days of the complaint being accepted or of the Agency's decision; if it is not paid, it is claimed in court.
- If the item is found after payment, the sender can get it back only by returning the compensation.
- International mail is governed by the acts of the Universal Postal Union.
What else do the 2026 amendments bring?
- Parcel lockers and other machines become part of the postal network for receiving and delivering items.
- ER-pismo is an electronic registered letter with a return receipt, and e-postSanduče is a system for sending documents electronically; state bodies, and for documents containing personal data also banks, operators and utility companies, use it when they send documents electronically.
- When delivering a registered item, the post office checks the recipient's identity by inspecting an identity document.
- An undeliverable item that cannot be returned to the sender is kept for one year.
For parcels from abroad see the guide on customs on parcels, and for buyer rights against a trader the guide on consumer rights. How used items are sold is explained in the guide on second-hand goods, and postcodes are listed in the guide on postcodes.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to complain about a lost parcel? For a registered item within Montenegro, three months from posting; for international mail, six months.
How much does the post office pay for a lost registered item? Five times the price charged for the service, and for an item with a declared value, the amount of that value.
My parcel arrived damaged. What should I do? File a complaint on delivery, and no later than the next working day. Anyone who does not do so loses the right to monetary compensation.
What if the post office does not reply to my complaint? A request for protection of rights is filed with the Agency within 15 days of the end of the reply period.
How much does the post office pay for a late item? Three times the price charged for the postal service.
Is it worth sending items with a declared value? If an item with a declared value is lost, compensation matches that value, while for a registered item it is capped at five times the service price.
Sources
The deadlines and compensation are set by the Law Amending the Postal Services Law (Official Gazette 31/2026), which amended Articles 44, 47, 48, 50, 55 and 56 and introduced parcel lockers, ER-pismo and e-postSanduče. Information checked on 30 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.