Guidance

Montenegro: Knowledge Base profile

Published 18 August 2025

Version 2.0

About: Montenegro

This document contains useful information about Montenegro which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 12 August 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with formatting changes.

Montenegro: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Montenegro.

The Montenegro alphabet is different to the English alphabet; it does not contain the letters:

• Q
• W
• X
• Y

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Montenegro.

Change of surname after marriage is allowed for both spouses. A marriage certificate will show the surname the spouses will use after the ceremony.

Montenegro: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Montenegro.

Dual nationality is recognised in Montenegro, if:

• a person held dual nationality before Montenegro gained independence on 3 June 2006
• the person is given permission to hold dual nationality by the Ministry of Interior under special circumstances

If a person became a dual national on or after 3 June 2006, they had to renounce the other nationality within a year, otherwise they would lose their Montenegro citizenship.

Montenegro: legitimacy and parental responsibility 

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Montenegro.

Legitimacy

Montenegro recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child will be considered:

• legitimate:
  • if their parents are married at the time of birth
  • if their parents marry after the birth
• illegitimate if their parents never marry

A man will be considered the father of a child who was not born during a marriage, or within 300 days of a marriage being terminated, if:

• they recognise the child as their own; or,
• paternity has been determined by a court decision

Parental responsibility

Both parents hold parental responsibility whether they are married or not. Parental responsibility can be removed by a court order.

Montenegro: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Montenegro.

Adoption is legal in Montenegro.

Montenegro: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Montenegro.

Surrogacy is illegal in Montenegro.

Montenegro: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Montenegro.

Transgender citizens are recognised in Montenegro.

Montenegro: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Montenegro.

Civil partnerships (known as civil unions) are recognised in Montenegro.

Same sex marriages are not recognised in Montenegro.

Civil marriages are legal in Montenegro.

Religious marriage ceremonies are allowed but the marriage must be registered in line with the civil marriage process to be legally recognised.

Montenegro: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Montenegro.

All birth, marriage and death records are held in a central register in Montenegro.

Birth certificates

All births in Montenegro must be registered within 3 days of the birth. Late registrations are allowed.

Birth certificates are issued by the Ministry of Interior. Montenegro issues 2 types of birth certificate:

• a certificate written in Montenegrin
• a bilingual (written in French and Montenegrin) which is the international certificate

Marriage certificates

A civil marriage is registered as part of the ceremony. Marriage certificates are issued at the time of the marriage.

Marriages are recorded by local municipal authorities in the municipality where the marriage took place.

Death certificates

Deaths in Montenegro must be registered in the area where the person died. Late registrations are allowed.

Montenegro embassies can receive notification of deaths overseas. These are recorded on the central register.

Identity documents

A mandatory Montenegro identity card is available to Montenegro citizens over the age of 16.