How do you bring a loved one home from Montenegro?

Timeline

How long does repatriation from Montenegro take?

In most cases, repatriation from Montenegro takes 14-21 days. The fastest straightforward cases complete in 8 days. Complex cases involving a post-mortem, criminal investigation, or a remote location can extend to 25-35 days or beyond.

What makes a case complex?

• Institute for Forensic Medicine (Institut za sudsku medicinu) at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro, Podgorica, conducts post-mortems for unnatural deaths
• No Strasbourg Convention; full export permit process required through the Ministry of Health; Montenegro is an EU candidate state but has not yet acceded
• Montenegrin language documentation, closely related to Serbian and Croatian but with distinct official status, requires certified translation; translators must work in Montenegrin (Cyrillic and Latin script both used officially)
• Seasonal coastal tourism (Tivat, Budva, Kotor Bay) generates higher British tourist volume in summer; Durmitor National Park trekking deaths require mountain rescue in a remote area with limited infrastructure
• No scheduled direct UK-Montenegro flights; seasonal charter services (TUI, Jet2) fly to Tivat (TIV) and Podgorica (TGD) but cargo for human remains does not route on charter flights

Documentation

What documents are required to bring a body home from Montenegro?

All of these documents must be in place before air transport can proceed. Your appointed repatriation coordinator will obtain most of them.

British Embassy

What does the British Embassy in Montenegro do when someone dies?

For British nationals, the British Embassy provides consular assistance, which includes giving you a list of local funeral directors, helping you notify relatives, and advising on local procedures. What the Embassy cannot do is pay for repatriation, organise the funeral director, or make arrangements on your behalf. If your loved one was a citizen of another country, contact that country's embassy or consulate instead.

Getting started

How do you start the repatriation process from Montenegro?

Call a specialist repatriation company. Do not wait until all other steps are complete. A specialist can begin the process immediately, even before the local death certificate has been issued.

You will need to provide: the name of the deceased, the location of the body, your contact details, and the name and contact of the local hospital or authority holding the body.