When someone dies in Montenegro
Source: gov.uk (2025-06-01)

The process when a British national dies in Montenegro, including registering the death, funerals and cremations, and bringing the person’s body to the UK.

First steps in Montenegro when someone dies

If a person dies in a private residence in Montenegro, an ambulance should be called immediately by dialling 124 to establish and record the circumstances of the death.

If the physician determining the cause of death establishes or suspects that the death was caused by violence, suicide, or an accident, they must inform the police.

If the physician suspects that the cause of death is an infectious disease that must be reported by law, they are required to notify the sanitary inspection.

Contacting the insurance company

If the deceased had insurance, please contact their insurance company as soon as possible. If you’re unsure whether they were insured, refer to the general guidance on what to do when someone dies abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-do-after-a-british-national-dies-abroad).

The insurance company should appoint funeral directors both in Montenegro and in the UK. They may also cover the cost of bringing the person’s body to the UK (repatriation) and assist with medical, legal, interpretation and translation fees.

Registering the death

The death must be registered with the Registration Office of the Montenegrin Ministry of Interior in the municipality where the person died.

In some cases, a local funeral director can register the death on your behalf and collect the necessary documentation for repatriation, cremation or local burial.

You will need the following information and documents:
- date, time and place of death
- an official identity document (e.g. British passport)
- place of birth
- parents’ details (name, surname, and mother’s maiden name)
- spouse’s details (if applicable)
- contact information for the person or institution reporting the death
Getting a death certificate

Once the death is registered, you will receive a death certificate (“Izvod iz matičnog registra umrlih”). You may request an international version (“Extrait de l’acte de décès”) which includes an English translation.

It’s advisable to obtain several copies of the certificate, as they may be required by different authorities.

Montenegrin death certificates do not include the cause of death. That information is provided in a separate Medical Death Certificate (“Potvrda o smrti”), usually issued before the death certificate.

Although it is not mandatory to register the death with the British Embassy, doing so ensures a British style death certificate is issued and that a record of the death is held at the General Register Office in the UK.

To apply you should see the register a death information on our website (https://www.gov.uk/register-a-death).

A registration cannot, in any case, be made without presenting the death certificate issued by the local civil authorities. The death certificate issued by the local authorities will be sufficient for all purposes in the UK, including probate. If it is not in English or in the multilingual international form, it will need to be officially translated into English.

Post mortems in Montenegro

A post mortem is a medical examination of the body after death.

Whilst the procedures involved around a post mortem can be harrowing for family and friends, the British Embassy has no powers to change procedures or challenge local laws and is often not informed of the details surrounding each individual post mortem.

A post mortem is mandatory under Montenegrin law in the following situations:

When a person dies in a healthcare facility and the cause of death is not determined

Upon request of the treating physician

When the deceased is brought to a healthcare institution and the cause of death is unknown

Upon request of the physician responsible for determining the cause of death

Upon the request of a family member of the deceased

When requested by authorities due to suspicion of criminal activity

For public health, epidemiological or sanitary reasons

If death occurs during a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure

If the deceased participated in a clinical trial or scientific research

The state covers the cost of the post mortem in all cases except 5 and 6, when the cost falls to the requesting party.

Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account. Small tissue samples and organs may be removed for testing without the family’s permission. You will not automatically be told if this happens.

If organs are removed they will normally be returned before the person’s body is released for burial. In exceptional circumstances body parts may be kept without permission. This might happen if further investigation is needed. The next of kin will be told if this happens.

Post mortem reports are not usually provided to family members. If you have a local lawyer (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers?country=Montenegro) they can apply for a copy. Reports can take several months to be issued.

Visiting a mortuary

If close family members wish to see the deceased before burial or repatriation, they may request assistance from the consular team to help you to arrange a visit to the mortuary.

The police or the Public Prosecutor may request a family member or friend to identify the deceased before a post-mortem.

Burying or cremating the body in Montenegro

You need a local funeral director (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/funeral-directors) to arrange a burial or cremation. They can also provide advice on the process.

Costs for a local burial may vary. If the next of kin choose to proceed with a local burial, they will need to instruct a local funeral director.

Cremation is not available within Montenegro, but funeral directors can arrange transportation to a regional crematorium abroad.

Following cremation, ashes can be transported to the UK. The funeral director can assist with necessary paperwork and logistics whether the family or the funeral director transports the ashes.

Please note: You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a coroner in England and Wales to conduct an inquest into their death. In Scotland, a further investigation may still be possible.

Bringing the body to the UK

If the deceased had travel insurance, the insurance company will usually have an agreement with a UK based international funeral director to arrange the repatriation.

Without insurance, the next of kin or a formally appointed representative must appoint a funeral director in Montenegro or the UK.

To return the body to the UK, the funeral director must obtain:
- local death certificate
- medical death certificate (indicating cause of death)
- sanitary inspection certificates
- certificate of embalming or post mortem (if carried out)
- cremation certificate (if applicable)
- certificate of no objection to transport to the UK, issued by the British Embassy (if required)
Getting the person’s belongings back

Belongings found with the deceased are either returned to present family or handed to the police.

If repatriation is chosen, it is advisable to ask the local funeral director to collect these and ship them with the coffin.

In case of an ongoing investigation, personal items such as clothing may be retained as evidence until the case is closed.

Please note, the British Embassy cannot take responsibility for the deceased’s personal belongings.

UK coroners

If you repatriate the deceased to England and Wales, there may be an inquest.

The decision on when to hold an inquest is made by His Majesty’s Coroner.

Please note, an inquest will usually only happen in certain situations, for example, when someone has died in suspicious, unnatural, and violent circumstances or whilst in detention.

If the deceased is cremated and only their ashes are brought home, there will not be an inquest.

If you repatriate the person who died to Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal may decide to call for a Fatal Accidents or Injuries Inquiry.

If you repatriate the person who died to Northern Ireland, there will be no coronial inquest or further inquiry.

Please note, Procurators Fiscal and Coroners do not have jurisdiction in another country, nor do they seek to apportion blame to a named individual.

You can find more information on Coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in the FCDO guide on death abroad (http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coping-with-death-abroad).

Finding a Montenegrin translator

You may need a translator to help you understand Montenegrin rules or get documents translated. Check the list of official translators and interpreters in Montenegro (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/translators-interpreters?country=Montenegro). The British Embassy cannot offer translation services or pay for translation costs.

Finding a Montenegrin lawyer

You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Montenegrin legal system when someone has died. Check the list of English-speaking lawyers in Montenegro (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers?country=Montenegro). The British Embassy cannot give you legal advice or pay for legal costs.

Telling the UK authorities

Although you are not required to register the death in the UK, when someone dies abroad you still need to tell the UK authorities. Read general guidance on what to do when someone dies abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-do-after-a-british-national-dies-abroad) to find out what to do.

Contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

You can contact the FCDO if you still need advice:
- in the UK call xx-xxxx-xxxx
- see how to get help from the UK government abroad (https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/home)
If you require any form of assistance or help, please contact the British Embassy in Podgorica. The consular staff will be ready to help you in any way they can.

British Embassy PodgoricaConsular SectionUlcinjska 881000 Podgorica, MontenegroTelephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx