Volunteer work in Montenegro is done under a written contract between the volunteer and the organiser and may last up to 6 hours a day and at most 25 hours a week. If the contract is concluded for professional training in one's field, volunteering may last up to 40 hours a week and counts as work experience and as a condition for the professional exam. The organiser must register the volunteer for insurance against injury or occupational disease and, when the work ends, enter the details in the volunteer booklet. Children under 15 may not volunteer, and a volunteer aged 15 to 18 signs the contract with the written consent of a parent. An organiser who uses volunteering to make a profit faces a fine of 500 to 20,000 euros.
This guide brings together the rules of the Law on Volunteer Work in one place.
Who may organise volunteer work?
| Organiser | Examples |
| state bodies and local government | state administration bodies, municipalities |
| institutions | social and child protection, health, culture, sport |
| religious communities | registered religious communities |
| non-governmental organisations | domestic and international NGOs registered in Montenegro |
| other legal entities | domestic and foreign, whose aim is not to make or increase a profit |
- It is forbidden to exploit volunteers to make or increase a profit.
- The beneficiary of volunteer services may be a legal or natural person, and the organiser may also be the beneficiary.
How much may you volunteer and what does the contract contain?
| Rule | Detail |
| regular volunteering | up to 6 hours a day and at most 25 hours a week |
| professional training under the Article 12a contract | at most 40 hours a week |
| form | a written contract |
| content | details of the volunteer and organiser, beneficiary, place and time, description of services, rights and obligations, costs and how they are reimbursed |
| termination | on expiry, by agreement or by unilateral written termination |
- Signing a volunteer contract does not cause the loss of unemployment rights.
- Services customary in family, friendly or neighbourly relations, such as communal help (moba), do not count as volunteer work.
What rights does a volunteer have?
- To receive a written description of the service and be informed of its risks.
- To occupational safety and to insurance against injury or occupational disease; the volunteer receives a copy of the registration within three days of signing the contract.
- To the necessary training and to justified absence, for example because of illness or donating blood.
- To a volunteer booklet with entries about the volunteer work.
- To reimbursement of agreed costs, and an international volunteer also to accommodation, training and return costs.
- The volunteer booklet is issued by the competent local administration body, and the organiser enters the period, type of work and training acquired.
- Within 10 days of the end of volunteering the organiser informs the Employment Agency or the volunteer service.
What applies to minors and foreigners?
| Who | Rule |
| children under 15 | may not volunteer |
| volunteers aged 15 to 18 | contract only with the written consent of a parent, adoptive parent or guardian; rules protecting employed minors apply |
| foreigners | volunteer with temporary residence or permanent settlement approval |
| Montenegrin citizens abroad | must be at least 18 |
How high are the fines for organisers?
| Who | Fine |
| legal entity organiser | 500 to 20,000 euros |
| sole trader | 150 to 6,000 euros |
| responsible person | 30 to 2,000 euros |
- Fines apply, among other things, to volunteering for profit, a contract with a minor without consent, engaging children under 15, a contract not in writing and failure to register for insurance.
- Supervision is carried out by the labour inspectorate.
How to found an association that organises volunteers is explained in the guide to NGO registration, and the paid programme for graduates in the guide to professional training. The civil service exam and unemployment benefit are covered in separate guides.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours a week may a volunteer work? Up to 6 hours a day and at most 25 hours a week, and under a special contract for professional training at most 40 hours a week.
Does volunteering count as work experience? Yes, if the contract was concluded for professional training in one's field under Article 12a; it then counts as work experience and as a condition for the professional exam.
From what age can you volunteer? From 15, with written parental consent until adulthood. Children under 15 may not volunteer.
Do I lose unemployment benefit if I volunteer? Signing a volunteer contract does not cause the loss of unemployment rights.
Who issues the volunteer booklet? The competent local administration body, and the organiser enters the details once volunteering ends.
May a company engage volunteers? Only a legal entity whose aim is not to make or increase a profit may be an organiser, and volunteering for profit is fined 500 to 20,000 euros.
Sources
The rules are set by the Law on Volunteer Work (Official Gazette 26/2010), as amended in 2012 (14/2012, Article 12a) and 2015 (48/2015, penalty provisions). Information checked on 29 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.