What to do if someone dies in Montenegro

If a British National Dies in Montenegro

Call the British Embassy Podgorica emergency line immediately. The Embassy covers the whole of Montenegro. Staff have experience with British national deaths given the high volume of UK coastal tourists, particularly during the summer season in Budva, Kotor, and Tivat.

Then contact a specialist repatriation company. The first practical point to understand: seasonal charter flights to Tivat cannot be used for repatriation cargo. Human remains must travel on scheduled carriers via Belgrade or Istanbul.

Step 1: Report the Death

Deaths in Montenegro are reported to the nearest police station (Uprava policije). The death certificate (Izvod iz matične knjige umrlih) is issued by the Matični ured (registry office) for the area where the death occurred.

For sudden, unnatural, or suspicious deaths, the police take jurisdiction. The body is referred to the Institut za sudsku medicinu (Institute for Forensic Medicine) at the University of Montenegro in Podgorica.

Step 2: Forensic Post-Mortem

The Institut za sudsku medicinu in Podgorica is the sole national forensic facility. Deaths from anywhere in Montenegro transfer to Podgorica for forensic post-mortem if required.

Coastal deaths: bodies transfer from the coast to Podgorica by road — approximately one to two hours from Budva or Tivat.

Durmitor deaths: road transfer from Zabljak (nearest town to Durmitor NP) to Podgorica takes approximately two and a half to three hours.

Post-mortem turnaround: five to ten working days for straightforward cases.

Step 3: Coastal Deaths

Drowning and swimming-related deaths are the most common British tourist fatalities on the Montenegrin coast. The coastal police are accustomed to tourist deaths in the Bay of Kotor, Budva, Sveti Stefan, and Ulcinj areas.

Deaths at sea (boat accidents, diving) involve the Maritime Police (Uprava pomorske sigurnosti).

Step 4: Durmitor Mountain Deaths

Durmitor National Park is in northeast Montenegro (Zabljak municipality), accessible from Podgorica via a mountain road. Bobotov Kuk (2523m) attracts hikers. The Tara Canyon has white-water rafting.

Deaths in Durmitor require Gorska Sluzba Spasavanja (Mountain Rescue Service) recovery. Zabljak Hospital has basic medical capacity only. Complex forensic cases transfer to Podgorica.

Step 5: Documentation and Export Permit

Required documents:

• Izvod iz matične knjige umrlih (death certificate) from Matični ured
• Police investigation closure for unnatural deaths
• Institut za sudsku medicinu post-mortem report if required
• Ministry of Health export permit
• Certified English translations of Montenegrin documents (Cyrillic or Latin script)
• Embalming certificate

Montenegro is not a Strasbourg Convention signatory. The full national export permit process applies.

Step 6: Translation

Montenegrin uses both Cyrillic and Latin scripts officially. Certified translators must be accredited in Montenegrin legal language specifically. Serbian and Croatian accreditation is not equivalent.

Step 7: Routing — Why Charter Flights Cannot Help

TUI and Jet2 operate seasonal direct flights from UK airports to Tivat Airport (TIV). These are passenger charter services only. They do not carry human remains cargo and are not scheduled carriers.

For repatriation cargo: human remains must travel via Podgorica Airport (TGD) and connect via Belgrade (BEG) on Air Serbia, or via Istanbul (IST) on Turkish Airlines, before reaching London.