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Vehicle registration in Montenegro

Registration is the last step — and the one in which it shows best whether the earlier ones were done properly. Without proof of ownership, of roadworthiness, of paid insurance and of paid taxes a vehicle cannot be registered, however good it is.

What you need in order to register

The Road Traffic Safety Act requires proof of ownership, proof that the vehicle is roadworthy, proof of paid compulsory third-party liability insurance, proof of paid taxes and other prescribed charges, a completed application with the fee, and that the owner is not entered in the register of unpaid traffic fines. On first registration of an imported vehicle, proof of homologation and of settled customs obligations is submitted as well.

The application is filed with the police directorate for the owner's place of residence, either in person or through a roadworthiness testing station authorised to collect the registration document and the plates. That is why in practice it most often all ends in one place — at the testing station. Proof of roadworthiness must be no more than thirty days old at the moment the application is filed.

The roadworthiness test

For a passenger car the roadworthiness test is done once a year, before the registration application is filed and no earlier than thirty days before the registration expires. New vehicles are exempt for the first three years from first registration, provided they have not been involved in a road accident. Vehicles used for public passenger transport, for the transport of dangerous goods, for driver training and rental vehicles are tested every six months.

The test covers the steering and braking systems, including the braking coefficient, the lighting and signalling devices, the devices for normal visibility, the horn, the instruments — among them the odometer — the exhaust system, the coupling devices, the chassis, axles, wheels, tyres, suspension, seat belts, the measurement of noise and exhaust emissions, the compulsory equipment and, where one is fitted, the LPG system.

If the vehicle fails, the defect found may be rectified within forty-eight hours, and the retest checks only what was faulty. The vehicle must be clean and unladen, and body damage must not exceed the prescribed share of the surface. The price of the test is prescribed by the Government according to the type of vehicle; we do not quote an amount because the official price list in force was not available to us — ask the station before you go.

Vehicle-use tax and insurance

The annual tax on the use of passenger motor vehicles is paid at registration, and without proof of payment registration is not possible. It is set according to engine capacity and reduced for the age of the vehicle. Electric vehicles are exempt, as are taxis, driving-school vehicles with dual controls, vehicles adapted for people with disabilities and the vehicles of the police, the army, the fire service and the ambulance service.

Compulsory third-party liability insurance is a condition of registration and is arranged with an insurance company at its own tariff, which depends on the vehicle and on the driver. If you are travelling outside the country, check whether you also need a green card. The registration document is issued for one year, with the option of a shorter term that may not be shorter than three months; for tractors, working machines, mopeds and light trailers the term is five years.

What to take to the registration

  • Proof of ownership — a sales contract or invoice with certified signatures, or the customs documents on first registration of an imported vehicle.
  • The roadworthiness certificate, no more than thirty days old.
  • The compulsory third-party liability insurance policy.
  • Proof of the paid annual vehicle-use tax and, on a transfer of ownership, proof of the paid tax on the transfer of used vehicles.
  • The owner's identity card, the completed application and the prescribed fee; on first registration of an imported vehicle, proof of homologation as well.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a registration valid?
The registration document is as a rule issued for one year. A shorter term is possible, but not shorter than three months. The exception is tractors, working machines, mopeds, tractor trailers and light trailers, for which the term is five years. Any change to the details in the registration document must be reported within fifteen days.
Is there a registration sticker in Montenegro?
No. The sticker was only issued up to 1 January 2015. Today a vehicle is registered by the issue of a registration document and number plates, with no sticker on the windscreen. It is a common misunderstanding among people coming from Serbia, where the sticker still exists.
How much does registration cost?
There is no single amount. The total cost consists of the roadworthiness test, compulsory insurance, the annual vehicle-use tax, administrative fees and, if they are being changed, the plates. The largest single item for bigger engines is the use tax, which goes by capacity: up to 1,300 cc 25 euros, 1,300–1,600 forty, 1,600–2,000 seventy-five, 2,000–2,500 two hundred and twenty, 2,500–3,000 five hundred, 3,000–4,000 seven hundred and fifty, 4,000–5,000 one thousand, and over 5,000 cc 1,500 euros, with a reduction for every full year of the vehicle's age. The other items depend on the insurer and on the station, so check them in advance.
When do I have to take the roadworthiness test?
Once a year, before filing the registration application, and no earlier than thirty days before the registration expires. New vehicles are exempt for the first three years from first registration if they have not been in an accident. Rental vehicles, public passenger transport vehicles, vehicles carrying dangerous goods and driving-school vehicles are tested every six months.
What if the vehicle fails the roadworthiness test?
You can rectify the defect found within forty-eight hours and return the vehicle for retesting, when only what was faulty is checked. If that deadline passes, a full new test is carried out. If the check was ordered by a police officer or an inspector and the vehicle passes it, the owner does not bear the cost.
Does an electric car pay the vehicle-use tax?
No. Electric vehicles are expressly exempt from the annual tax on the use of passenger motor vehicles. All the other obligations — the roadworthiness test, insurance, fees and the registration itself — remain the same as for vehicles with an internal combustion engine.

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.