Gepek

Selling a car

A vehicle sells quickly in Montenegro if three things are in place: a realistic price, an advert that hides nothing and documents in order. Everything else — negotiating, arranging appointments, the handover — goes more easily when those three stand.

How to set the price

Start from what the market is actually asking: search the listings for the same model, model year and similar mileage and look at the range, not at a single price. Then honestly place your own vehicle within that range according to condition, service history, equipment and how long it is registered for. An advert priced too high does not bring negotiation, it brings silence.

Take the season and the location into account too. A convertible in November and an off-roader in July sell more slowly than in their own season, and the same vehicle in Podgorica has greater visibility than in a smaller municipality — which does not necessarily mean a higher price, because competition in Podgorica is greater too.

An advert that sells

The photographs do most of the work. Wash the vehicle, shoot in daylight, from every side, plus the interior, the boot, the engine bay, the odometer and the wheels. Photograph the damage as well — a buyer who sees it in the advert arrives prepared, while a buyer who discovers it on the spot walks away.

Fill in all the technical details and write down what was done and when: the major service, the timing belt, the clutch, the tyres, the battery. State how long the vehicle is registered for and whether it has a service book. A specific description cuts the number of pointless calls and raises the number of serious ones.

Paperwork and handover

Prepare the registration document, proof of ownership, the service records and the invoices for larger jobs. If the vehicle was on lease or under a pledge, obtain proof that the charge has been settled and removed — buyers check this themselves nowadays, free of charge, in the Commercial Court's Register of Pledges.

Draw up the contract in several copies and have the signatures certified by a notary or at the municipal certification office. The certified contract is what the buyer takes to the tax authority and to the registration, and it is also submitted to the tax authority ex officio. The tax on the transfer of used vehicles is the buyer's obligation, but it is in your interest that the transfer is actually completed — while the vehicle stands in your name, the obligations attached to it come to you.

For the handover, choose a daytime appointment and a place you can calmly leave. Take payment by bank transfer or at a bank. Hand over the keys, both sets if there are two, the documents and the vehicle only when the money is unquestionably yours, and keep your copy of the certified contract.

Before you publish the advert

  • Check the price range for the same model, model year and mileage and set your price inside it.
  • Wash the vehicle and take photographs in daylight, including the damage.
  • Fill in all the technical details — model year, mileage, fuel, gearbox, power, equipment.
  • Write down what was done on the vehicle and when, and attach the invoices for larger jobs.
  • Check that no pledge is registered against the vehicle and, if there was one, obtain proof that it has been removed.
  • Prepare the contract in several copies and arrange for the signatures to be certified.

Frequently asked questions

How do I set a realistic price?
Compare your vehicle with active listings for the same model, model year and similar mileage and look at the whole range. Then place yourself within that range according to condition, equipment, service history and the registration remaining. If there is not a single serious enquiry in the first ten days or so, the price is almost certainly above the market.
How many photographs are enough?
As many as it takes for the buyer to have nothing left to imagine: all four sides, the front and the rear, the interior with both rows of seats, the boot, the engine bay, the odometer, the wheels and every existing scratch or dent. Shoot in daylight and without filters — a clean and honestly presented car sells faster than a flattered one.
Do I have to have the contract certified?
Registration in the new owner's name requires proof of ownership, and in practice that is a contract with certified signatures. Certification is done by notaries and by the certification offices in the municipalities. A certified contract that is relevant for taxation is submitted to the tax authority, so the buyer's tax liability is triggered automatically — which is why the details in the contract have to be accurate.
Do I pay the transfer tax?
No. The tax on the transfer of used motor vehicles is paid by the buyer and amounts to five per cent of the market value, where the transaction is not subject to VAT. Your interest is that the buyer actually completes the transfer, because while the vehicle is in your name the obligations attached to it still come to you.
What should I do after the sale?
Keep your copy of the certified contract and the proof of payment, hand the buyer the complete documentation and all the keys, and agree a deadline within which the transfer will be reported — the deadline for reporting a change of details is fifteen days. Whether the plates stay with the vehicle depends on whether the registration area changes, so check that with the buyer at the competent police directorate.

This text is a general explanation of the procedure, not legal or tax advice. Regulations and the amounts of fees and taxes in Montenegro change — in the last two years alone both the homologation act and the act on the tax on the transfer of used vehicles have been amended. Before you make a decision that costs you money, check the conditions in force with the Uprava prihoda i carina (Revenue and Customs Administration), the Ministarstvo saobraćaja i pomorstva (Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs) and the competent police directorate. We deliberately do not quote amounts we cannot support with an official source.