The certificate from the criminal record, usually called a certificate of no criminal record, is issued by the Ministry of Justice, Directorate for Criminal and Misdemeanour Records, and the administrative fee is €3. You can apply at the counter in Podgorica, by post or online through the eUprava portal with an activated electronic ID card. Since 22 September 2026 citizens can obtain data on their own convictions or lack of convictions even when they do not need them to exercise rights abroad, because that restriction was deleted by the Criminal Code amendment (Official Gazette 137/2026). From abroad you apply through an embassy or consulate, with a consular fee of €20.
This guide explains who issues the certificate, what it costs, how to apply, what changed in 2026 and how to request the certificate from abroad.
Who issues the certificate and what does it cost?
| Certificate | Issued by | Fee | How to apply |
| From the criminal record, for criminal offences | Ministry of Justice, Directorate for Criminal and Misdemeanour Records | €3 | counter, post or eUprava |
| From the misdemeanour record, for misdemeanours and fines | Ministry of Justice, Directorate for Criminal and Misdemeanour Records | €3, payment also possible through the portal | counter, post or eUprava |
| Through an embassy or consulate | the request is forwarded to the Ministry of Justice | consular fee €20 | embassy or consulate |
- The fee is paid to the Ministry of Justice, account 832-3161233-91, with reference number 26.
- With the request you enclose a copy of your ID card or passport and proof of payment of the fee.
How do you apply?
- At the counter: Directorate for Criminal and Misdemeanour Records, Bulevar Ivana Crnojevića 167, Podgorica. Requests are received from 9 to 11 h and certificates are issued from 12 to 14 h.
- By post: you send the completed request form to the same address with a copy of your ID and proof of payment.
- Through eUprava: you log in with an activated electronic ID card, after registering your account in the electronic identification system.
- For the executive director of a company, for example for a tender, the company stamp goes on the request together with an extract from the Central Register of Business Entities no older than 15 days.
What changed on 22 September 2026?
- Until then the Criminal Code provided that citizens could receive data on their convictions or lack of convictions on request only if they needed them to exercise rights abroad (Article 123 paragraph 6).
- The amendment published in the Official Gazette 137/2026 on 21 September 2026 deletes that restriction, and the law entered into force the next day, 22 September 2026.
- The same article also provides that no one has the right to demand that a citizen submit proof of their convictions or lack of convictions (Article 123 paragraph 5).
Criminal or misdemeanour record: which one do you need?
- The criminal record contains data on criminal offences, sentences, suspended sentences, court warnings and legal consequences of conviction (Article 123 paragraph 1).
- The misdemeanour record is part of the Register of Fines and Misdemeanour Records, so it shows misdemeanours and fines imposed.
- Which certificate you need depends on the institution or employer asking for it, so check before you apply.
How do you request the certificate from abroad?
- You apply at any embassy or consulate of Montenegro with a completed consular application and the Ministry of Justice form for criminal record data.
- The embassy verifies your identity, and a copy of an ID document goes with the request.
- The consular fee is €20, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- A certificate that no criminal proceedings are being conducted against you is issued by a court, and you can also request it through an embassy.
Other personal documents are explained in our guide to the birth register extract, and apostilles for documents used outside Montenegro in our guide to power of attorney and apostille. Employers often ask for the certificate, so the job market is explained in our guide to jobs in Montenegro, and traffic offences and fines in our guide to traffic fines. What else the September 2026 Criminal Code amendment brings is also covered by RoNa Legal.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a criminal record certificate in Montenegro? The administrative fee for a certificate from the criminal record is €3, and a certificate from the misdemeanour record costs the same.
Can I get a Montenegrin criminal record certificate online? Yes, through the eUprava portal, logging in with an activated electronic ID card.
Where do I apply in Podgorica? At the Directorate for Criminal and Misdemeanour Records, Bulevar Ivana Crnojevića 167, where requests are received from 9 to 11 and certificates issued from 12 to 14 h.
What changed in 2026? Since 22 September 2026 citizens can obtain data on their own convictions even when they do not need them to exercise rights abroad (Official Gazette 137/2026).
Can I request the certificate from abroad? Yes, through an embassy or consulate of Montenegro, with a consular fee of €20.
What is the difference between the criminal and misdemeanour records? The criminal record contains criminal offences and convictions, and the misdemeanour record contains misdemeanours and fines.
Sources
The procedure, documents, fee and opening hours are published by the eUprava services for the criminal record certificate and the misdemeanour record certificate, requests from abroad by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the change to Article 123 by the Law amending the Criminal Code (Official Gazette 137/2026, Article 16). The information was checked on 26 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this article is not legal advice.