In Montenegro a death is registered within three days of the death, and before the burial; if the person died in a hospital, care home or hotel, that institution files the report, and if they died at home, the family or members of the household do it, with a death confirmation issued by a doctor. If the deceased was a pensioner, the Pension Fund (Fond PIO) pays whoever paid for the burial a funeral allowance of three average pensions, on a claim within 60 days. An employee has seven working days of paid leave for the death of a close family member.
This guide explains registering a death, the death register extract, burial allowances and leave from work.
Who registers a death and by when?
| Where the death occurred | Who reports it | Deadline |
| Hospital, care home, hotel or other shared accommodation | the institution or company on whose premises the person died, usually electronically | three days |
| At home or outside such a building | the doctor who confirmed the death, family members, members of the household or the owner of the flat | three days, and at the latest before the burial |
| Montenegrin citizen who died abroad | the family, through the embassy or with an extract from the foreign state | entry in the municipality of the last residence |
- The report goes with a death confirmation issued by the doctor who confirmed the death or by the health institution where the person died.
- If the deadline falls on a non-working day, the report is filed on the next working day.
- The report can be filed with the Ministry of Interior in any municipality, whatever the place of death.
- A company that does not report a death on time pays a fine of 500 to 5,000 euros, and the responsible person 200 to 1,000 euros.
How do you get an extract from the register of deaths?
- The Ministry of Interior keeps the register of deaths electronically, and the extract is issued where you file the request.
- The request can also be filed electronically if it carries a qualified electronic signature.
- For a deceased person the extract goes to someone with a legal interest, for example for probate or a pension, if the heirs do not object.
- From abroad the extract is requested through a Montenegrin embassy or consulate, with a consular fee of 20 or 25 euros.
- The Ministry of Interior's online portal for extracts and certificates issues birth register extracts and certificates, but not death register extracts.
The Pension Fund does not wait for the family: the registrar sends it the report of a pensioner's death within three days of issuing the death register extract.
Who pays for the burial and what allowances are there?
| Deceased | Allowance | Amount | Where to claim |
| Pensioner | funeral allowance to whoever paid for the burial | three average pensions in Montenegro paid in the month before the death | regional office of the Pension Fund, within 60 days |
| Recipient of social assistance, personal disability allowance, care allowance or residential care | burial costs to whoever paid for the burial, if not received on another basis | 502.83 euros, plus actual transport costs if the person died away from home | social welfare centre |
The claim to the Pension Fund comes with:
- the extract from the register of deaths;
- the invoice from the funeral or public utility company for the burial costs;
- the claimant's ID card for inspection, with a photocopy;
- a bank account number, if you want payment through a bank.
The claim goes to the Pension Fund regional office in whose area the deceased was last insured or which granted the pension.
How many days of leave does an employee have?
- An employee is entitled to seven working days of paid leave for the death of a close family member.
- Close family members are a spouse, a same-sex life partner, children (born in or outside marriage, adopted, stepchildren and the partner's children), brothers, sisters, parents and adoptive parents.
- Leave for the death of other relatives can be set by a collective agreement or the employment contract.
- An employer who does not allow this leave pays a fine of 2,000 to 20,000 euros.
What comes next after a death?
- The deceased's property passes to the heirs through probate, which needs the death register extract.
- A widow or widower is entitled to a survivor's pension if they had turned 52 by the spouse's death; if they were 45 at that time, the right starts when they turn 52.
- Other conditions also apply to a survivor's pension, so check them with the Pension Fund before you claim.
How probate works and what it costs is covered in our guide to inheritance, and the old-age and minimum pension in our guide to pensions in Montenegro. How to order a birth register extract and certificates is covered in our guide to the birth certificate extract, and who receives social assistance in our guide to social assistance. What foreign owners should know about inheriting in Montenegro is explained by RoNa Legal.
Frequently asked questions
How soon must a death be registered in Montenegro? Within three days of the death, and before the burial if no special rule sets a final deadline for the burial.
Who registers a death if the person died at home? The doctor who confirmed the death, family members, members of the household or the owner of the flat, with a death confirmation issued by the doctor.
Where do you get a death register extract? At the Ministry of Interior's regional office where you file the request, and from abroad through an embassy or consulate, with a fee of 20 or 25 euros.
Does the Pension Fund pay for the funeral? If the deceased was a pensioner, the Pension Fund pays whoever paid for the burial an allowance of three average pensions, on a claim within 60 days.
How much are burial costs from the social welfare centre? For recipients of social assistance, personal disability allowance, care allowance or residential care, burial costs are 502.83 euros.
How many days off does an employee get when a family member dies? Seven working days of paid leave for the death of a spouse or partner, child, brother, sister, parent or adoptive parent.
Sources
Death registration, deadlines, extracts and fines are set by the Law on Civil Registers, Official Gazette 47/2008 as amended (Articles 12, 25, 26, 29 to 31, 38 and 43). The funeral allowance and death reports to the Fund are set by the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance (Articles 57, 131 and 140), and the Pension Fund publishes the documents and survivor's pension rules on its funeral costs and frequently asked questions pages. Burial costs are set by the Law on Social and Child Protection (Articles 35 and 36), and the amount of 502.83 euros by the Decision on adjusting benefit amounts. Paid leave and the fine are set by the Labour Law and its April 2026 amendments, Official Gazette 51/2026 (Articles 87 and 208), the consular fee by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the online services by the Ministry of Interior portal for extracts and certificates. The information was checked on 27 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.