DOO or AD · Law on Companies
Company formation in Montenegro: cost, documents, timeline
The registry (CRPS) charges EUR 15 to register a DOO and EUR 50 for an AD4; a company stamp is not required1. You sign a founding act and articles of association, with certified or qualified electronic signatures2, and the registry decides within ten working days of a complete file5. Notary, translation and bank charges are separate.
We reply on the next working day. We name the fee in writing, in our reply to your inquiry. Scope and timing are confirmed in writing before work starts.
IWho it is for
Who we work with
Investors from the EU, the UK, the Middle East, China and elsewhere who need one accountable team on the ground.
Companies opening a DOO or AD
Foreign businesses establishing legal entities in Montenegro.
Funds acquiring assets
Due diligence and closing support for an acquisition in Montenegro.
Family offices
Investing in Montenegrin real estate and tourism assets.
International law firms
Need one local partner for finance and coordination.
IIWhat you get
What we prepare
Entity registration for foreign investors, from choosing the legal form to the bank account file.
- 01
Legal form
DOO (limited liability company) or AD (joint-stock company)
- 02
Founding act and articles of association
- 03
Appointment of the executive director and powers of attorney
- 04
CRPS registration and tax number (PIB)
- 05
Bank account
We prepare the file and attend the bank meeting with you
IIIProcess and timing
Typical order of steps
Each step shows who carries it. We prepare every step and see it through, including those with third parties. The law sets the registry's deadline; the bank sets its own. Timing for your case is written into the proposal, and we do not promise dates that depend on the registry or the bank.
- Us
01Inquiry and reply
What you need, which legal form fits (DOO or AD) and who will run the company.
- Us
02Documents
Founding act, articles of association and powers of attorney if needed.
- Notary or e-signature
03Signatures
Certified signatures on the founding act, or qualified electronic signatures if the act is electronic (Law on Companies, Art. 8).
- Registry
04Registration and tax number
Filing with the CRPS (Central Registry of Business Entities) and the tax number (PIB). The registry decides within ten working days of a complete application, or five where all founders are individuals using the prescribed template acts (Law on Registration, Art. 27).
- Tax Administration
05VAT registration
Where the activity or turnover requires it.
- Bank
06Bank account
We prepare the bank file and attend the meeting with you. Opening depends on the bank's compliance review.
What you provide
What we need from you
The registry receives the founding act and the articles of association (Law on Companies, Art. 8), with the documents listed in the Registration Rulebook, Art. 18. We draft the acts; this is what we need from you. The exact list for your owners is confirmed in the proposal.
Owner who is a person: a copy of a valid passport.
Owner that is a company: a current extract from its home commercial register and its decision to found the Montenegrin company, with an apostille or legalization and a certified translation into Montenegrin; usually requested to confirm who may represent the owner.
The future executive director: a copy of the passport, a signed statement accepting the appointment, and a certificate that they are not banned from holding a management function (DOO: Registration Rulebook, Art. 18).
Company name, main activity and the address of the registered seat in Montenegro.
An email address at which the company receives mail.
Proof that the founding capital is paid in, if more than the legal minimum is paid.
A power of attorney, if a proxy files the registration on your behalf.
IVMethodology
We prepare every step and see it through, including those with third parties.
We do not promise dates that depend on the registry or the bank.
VComparison
DOO or AD: which structure fits?
| DOO | AD | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal form | Limited liability company (društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću) | Joint-stock company (akcionarsko društvo) |
| Typical use | SMEs, subsidiaries, single-owner companies | Larger ventures and companies planning to raise capital |
Management bodies, capital, number of members and audit duties are confirmed against the Law on Companies (Official Gazette of Montenegro 90/25, amended 121/25 and March 2026; unofficial consolidated text 90/25 and 121/25, Central Bank of Montenegro; in Montenegrin) for your case and written into the proposal.
VIFee
What company formation costs
State charges are set by law and by the Government decision on CRPS fees, and are paid on top of our fee.
What the state charges
Registration with the CRPS: EUR 15 for a DOO, EUR 50 for an AD (CRPS fee decision, Art. 2).
Reserving the company name before filing, optional: EUR 15 (CRPS fee decision, Art. 2).
Company stamp: not required (Law on Companies, Art. 20).
Minimum share capital: EUR 1 for a DOO (Art. 361) and EUR 25,000 for an AD (Art. 137). It is paid into the company, not to the state (Law on Companies).
Certified signatures, certified translations, apostilles and bank charges: set by those offices and listed separately in the proposal.
We name the fee in writing, in our reply to your inquiry.
Scope, fee and timing confirmed in writing before work starts
Listed separately in the proposal
- Registry and other administrative fees
- Notary fees
- Certified translations and apostilles
- Bank charges
- Legal opinions from licensed law firms, where needed
- Registered office rent and bookkeeping after registration, unless agreed in the proposal
What is not included is listed in the written proposal.
VIISources and legal framework
Primary sources for this page
Checked on
- Law on Companies (Official Gazette of Montenegro 90/25, amended 121/25 and March 2026; unofficial consolidated text 90/25 and 121/25, Central Bank of Montenegro; in Montenegrin)
- Law on Companies, amendments of March 2026 (Ukaz 01-009/26-581/2 of 27 March 2026, item 839, Arts. 8 and 10; in Montenegrin)
- Registration Rulebook (Official Gazette of Montenegro 118/25; in Montenegrin)
- Decision on CRPS registration fees (Official Gazette of Montenegro 116/25 of 14 October 2025, item 1491, Art. 2; applies from 1 January 2026; in Montenegrin)
- Law on Registration of Business and Other Entities, amendments of March 2026 (Ukaz 01-009/26-580/2 of 27 March 2026, item 840, Art. 27; in Montenegrin)
VIIIQuestions
Company formation: questions
How much does it cost to set up a company in Montenegro?
The CRPS charges EUR 15 to register a DOO and EUR 50 to register an AD; reserving the company name before filing is optional and costs EUR 15. The minimum share capital is EUR 1 for a DOO (Law on Companies, Art. 361) and EUR 25,000 for an AD (Art. 137); it is paid into the company, not to the state. A company stamp is not required (Art. 20). Certified signatures, translations, apostilles and bank charges are set by those offices and listed separately in our proposal. We name the fee in writing, in our reply to your inquiry. Decision on CRPS registration fees (Official Gazette of Montenegro 116/25 of 14 October 2025, item 1491, Art. 2; applies from 1 January 2026; in Montenegrin) → Law on Companies (Official Gazette of Montenegro 90/25, amended 121/25 and March 2026; unofficial consolidated text 90/25 and 121/25, Central Bank of Montenegro; in Montenegrin) →
What documents are needed to register a company in Montenegro?
The founding act and the articles of association, signed by all founders: on paper with certified signatures, or electronically with qualified electronic signatures (Law on Companies, Art. 8). For a DOO the registry also receives the executive director's details with the appointment decision, a signed statement accepting the appointment, a certificate that no ban on holding the function applies, the company's email address, and proof of capital paid in where more than the minimum is paid (Registration Rulebook, Art. 18). We draft the acts; the list for your owners is confirmed in the proposal. Law on Companies, amendments of March 2026 (Ukaz 01-009/26-581/2 of 27 March 2026, item 839, Arts. 8 and 10; in Montenegrin) → Registration Rulebook (Official Gazette of Montenegro 118/25; in Montenegrin) →
How long does company formation take?
By law the registry decides within ten working days of receiving a complete application and documents, or within five working days where all founders are individuals and use the prescribed template acts; in a complex case it may extend the deadline and must tell the applicant why (Law on Registration of Business and Other Entities, Art. 27). The decision assigns the registration number and the tax number (PIB). Time before filing depends on signatures, certifications and translations; time after it depends on VAT registration where needed and on the bank's review of the account file. We give the timeline for your case in the proposal and do not promise dates that depend on the registry or the bank. Law on Registration of Business and Other Entities, amendments of March 2026 (Ukaz 01-009/26-580/2 of 27 March 2026, item 840, Art. 27; in Montenegrin) →
Do I need to come to Montenegro to set up the company?
Not necessarily. The Law on Companies allows a DOO to be founded electronically, without the founders being present; in an individual case the authority may still ask a founder to appear (Art. 10). The electronic route has conditions: the founder, or the person the founder authorizes, identifies with an electronic ID issued within a scheme entered in Montenegro's register of electronic identification schemes (Art. 10(5)), and the founding act cannot be electronic where real estate is contributed as capital (Art. 8(5)). A written founding act carries the founders' certified signatures (Art. 8), and the registration can be filed by a proxy with a power of attorney (Registration Rulebook, Art. 4). Which route fits your owners, and whether anyone needs to travel, is confirmed in the proposal. For the bank account, the bank decides whether it needs to meet the owner or the executive director in person; we ask the bank before planning the meeting. Law on Companies, amendments of March 2026 (Ukaz 01-009/26-581/2 of 27 March 2026, item 839, Arts. 8 and 10; in Montenegrin) → Registration Rulebook (Official Gazette of Montenegro 118/25; in Montenegrin) →
How do I open a company in Montenegro as a foreigner?
A foreign person or company can found a DOO or an AD on the same terms as a domestic one (Law on Companies, Art. 7). The usual order is: the founding act and articles of association, certified signatures (or qualified electronic signatures for an electronic act), filing with the CRPS, VAT registration where needed, then the bank account. Registration can be filed by a proxy with a power of attorney. Some activities need a licence and some property types have separate rules; we check this for your case before you decide. Montenegro Advisory (Schule d.o.o. Podgorica) prepares and follows every step. Law on Companies (Official Gazette of Montenegro 90/25, amended 121/25 and March 2026; unofficial consolidated text 90/25 and 121/25, Central Bank of Montenegro; in Montenegrin) →
IXNext step
Start your company formation
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Send us the details
Tell us what you need and by when.
Your inquiry is handled by the Schule team in Podgorica: company set-up, bank file and due diligence.
We reply on the next working day. Scope, timing and fee are confirmed in writing before work starts.