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InVero editorial team6 min read5 processed actsLast week brought important regulatory updates in Montenegro: updated family reunification rules for foreign registered partners, a comprehensive reform of judicial salaries and retirement thresholds, and the establishment of the national Digital Health Agency. Here is our overview of key changes for residents, expats, legal professionals, and businesses.
Migration and Residence
Family reunification rights are now expressly granted to registered same-sex partners.
Under Art. 12, proof of justified grounds for a temporary residence permit through family reunification now includes official documents certifying that a foreign national is the registered same-sex life partner of a Montenegrin citizen or a foreign national holding permanent or temporary residence. Previously, eligibility was limited to traditional nuclear family members. This update brings immigration practice into complete alignment with the Law on Same-Sex Life Partnership.
Application forms for residence and work permits now include marital and registered partnership status fields.
In Art. 6, the mandatory data fields for temporary residence and work permit application forms have been expanded. The personal data section now includes dedicated fields for registered same-sex partnership status alongside standard marital status options. This standardises applicant data collection across all regional Ministry of Interior branches.
Travel documents issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross are formally recognized.
Under Art. 3, the statutory definition of foreign travel documents accepted for entry and residence administration has been widened. The definition now explicitly includes travel documents issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), removing administrative ambiguities for individuals holding international humanitarian travel documents.
Updated official application forms for issuance and extension of temporary residence permits have entered into force.
Official templates Obrazac 3 and Obrazac 4 for initial residence applications and renewals have been superseded by revised bilingual versions. The updated forms contain structured fields for legal basis of stay, employer identification, residential address, and applicant statements. Submitting the new forms is mandatory at all Ministry of Interior service counters.
Judicial Authorities
Judicial base salary calculation is pegged to one-eleventh of the national average net monthly salary.
Under Art. 6, the base calculation unit for salaries of judges, state prosecutors, and Constitutional Court judges is formally defined as 1/11 of Montenegro's average net monthly salary in the preceding calendar year, according to official statistical records. Base salary is calculated by multiplying this coefficient value by the assigned grade coefficient, creating an automatic annual adjustment mechanism.
A nine-tier pay scale has been introduced with grade coefficients ranging from 20.23 to 33.72.
In Art. 9, judicial roles are classified across nine salary grades based on complexity and jurisdiction. Basic court and misdemeanour court judges receive a coefficient of 20.23; Commercial and High Court judges receive 24.73; Appellate Court judges receive 25.86; and heads of the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and Supreme State Prosecutor receive 33.72. A specific coefficient of 26.98 applies to High Court judges and special prosecutors presiding over organized crime, high corruption, money laundering, and war crimes.
A special duty allowance of up to 80% of base salary is established for Special State Prosecution cases.
Pursuant to Art. 13, judges and prosecutors handling proceedings within the remit of the Special State Prosecution Office are entitled to a special duty allowance of up to 80% of their base salary. Detailed qualification criteria and disbursement procedures are determined by the Judicial Council and Prosecutorial Council respectively to compensate for higher security risks and operational complexity.
Old-age pension eligibility criteria for judges are set at age 66 with at least 15 years of insurance coverage.
Under Art. 28, the standard statutory retirement threshold for judicial officeholders is set at age 66 with a minimum of 15 years of pension insurance. Exceptionally, upon their own request, judges and prosecutors may retire at age 65 with 15 years of service, or at age 61 with 40 years of service. This law takes effect on 1 January 2027.
Financial Operations and Services
A standardized ongoing charges figure replaces total expense indicators for open-ended funds.
In Art. 2, fund fee terminology has been aligned with European standards: management companies of publicly offered open-ended funds (UCITS) must calculate an ongoing charges indicator (pokazatelj tekućih troškova) at least once annually. This metric replaces aggregate expense tracking to reflect recurring operating costs deducted directly from fund assets.
The ongoing charges calculation formula and mandatory disclosure in Key Investor Documents are clarified.
Under Art. 4, the ongoing charges ratio is calculated as disclosed ongoing expenses divided by the fund's average annual Net Asset Value (NAV), expressed as a percentage to two decimal places. The resulting figure must be disclosed in Key Information Documents (KIDs). Excluded from the ratio are non-recurring portfolio transaction fees and performance-contingent items.
Website disclosure rules for historical fund expense ratios have been restructured.
In Art. 5, the statutory obligation for management companies to automatically absorb all fund expenses exceeding prospectus caps has been removed, while disclosure rules remain strict. Historic ongoing charge figures from previous years must remain accessible on the management company's website at the location referenced in investor information sheets.
Healthcare
The Agency for Digital Health is established to maintain and advance national health IT infrastructure.
Under Art. 1, the Agency for Digital Health has been established as an independent legal entity accountable to the Government of Montenegro. The agency is responsible for operational management, maintenance, and technical development of the Integrated Health Information System (IZIS) and nationwide e-health implementation.
The Agency takes over administration of Electronic Health Records and centralized healthcare IT procurement.
In Art. 3, key competencies of the new agency are defined: administering national Electronic Health Records (Elektronski zdravstveni karton), integrating IZIS with public and private clinical databases, conducting joint public procurement of medical IT hardware and software, and ensuring patient data protection compliance.
Domestic and Foreign Trade
The list of wood and timber tariff codes requiring mandatory export permits has been expanded.
Under Art. 1, additional customs tariff lines for timber and wood products (including codes 4401 21 00, 4401 22 90, 4401 41 00, and sub-heading 4401 49) are placed under temporary export restrictions. Cross-border dispatch of these items now requires prior export licensing to mitigate raw material shortages and support local processing.