Foreign buyers · before the deposit
Independent price and seller check before you buy property in Montenegro
Before you pay a deposit, we check two things: whether the asking price is fair and whether the seller or developer is financially sound. We found neither among the notary's duties in the provisions we read (Arts. 45, 48, 52, 82). Your lawyer still checks the title.
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.
- PriceIndependent check of the asking price
- SellerFinancial check of the seller or developer
- TitleStays with your lawyer
IWho it is for
Who this is for
Foreign buyers who are close to paying. The deposit is the moment after which walking away costs money.
A buyer about to pay a deposit
You have found a property and an asking price, and you want a second view on both before money leaves your account.
A buyer from a developer
You buy a flat in a building that is not finished. The price matters, and so does whether the developer can finish and deliver.
A buyer who wants residence on the property
You want to know how the price sits against the tax value the law asks for, before you commit.
IIWhat you get
What you get
A short written opinion on the price and on the seller. It sits next to your lawyer's work and does not replace it.
- 01
Independent price check
We compare the asking price with comparable properties and give a value opinion: a range, with each comparison and each assumption shown, so you can argue with it.
- 02
Financial check of the seller or developer
We read what the seller or developer provides and what is public: whether the seller can deliver, finish the building or return a deposit, and how the payment schedule fits that position.
- 03
Questions to put before you pay
A short list for the seller and for your lawyer: what to ask, what to ask to see, and what to have written into the contract.
VComparison
What the notary does under the law, and what we check
This table is our reading of the Law on Notaries (consolidated text as of 31 March 2021), not legal advice. Practice differs from one notary to the next; ask yours for the scope in writing.
| What the law gives the notary | What we did not find in those provisions | What we check | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The contract | A transfer of property is made as a notarial deed; without that form it has no legal effect (Art. 52)6. | Whether the amount and the payment schedule make sense for the seller's position. | The deposit and the schedule read against the seller's finances and the stage of the building. |
| The parties | The notary establishes the identity of the parties, and of a company from a registry extract (Art. 45). | Whether the seller or developer can deliver, or return a deposit if the deal fails. | A financial check of the seller or developer. |
| The price | The notary examines what the parties want and instructs them on the legal consequences (Art. 48). | Whether the asking price is fair against comparable properties. | An independent price check: a value opinion with its comparisons and assumptions. |
| Tax and residence | The notary sends a copy of the deed to the registry and, where the transaction is taxable, to the tax authorities (Art. 82). | How the price sits against the EUR 150,000 tax base that the residence rule asks for. | We show where your price falls against it and what to ask your adviser. |
Rules that move the price
Three rules to know before the deposit
Each rule with its source. Confirm the tax and legal points with your lawyer or tax adviser.
A new build from an investor carries VAT
The sale of a newly built object is a supply of goods4. Property transfers are generally exempt from VAT, except the first transfer of ownership of a newly built object, and the general rate is 21% (Arts. 24 and 27)3. A sale of building land by a taxable person has been a supply of goods since 1 April 2026, so ask about land separately. Ask whether the quoted price includes VAT.
The new VAT law does not apply yet
A new Law on Value Added Tax (104/26) has been adopted, but it applies from the date Montenegro joins the European Union; until then the current law applies (Arts. 212 and 213)5.
Residence on a property needs proof of value, with exceptions
Proof of the property's value is the local tax authority's transfer tax decision with a tax base of not less than EUR 150,000. The obligation does not apply to citizens of EU member states or to members of their families, whether or not those members are EU citizens, nor to citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland1. The permit itself rests on Article 562.
IIIProcess and timing
From your listing to a written opinion
Each step shows who carries it. We do not promise dates; the timing is written into our reply.
- You and us
01Send the listing
The listing or the contract draft, the asking price and the name of the seller or developer. We name the fee in writing, in our reply to your inquiry.
- Us
02Price check
We compare the asking price with comparable properties and set out each comparison and assumption.
- Us
03Seller check
The financial check of the seller or developer, on the documents they provide and on public records.
- Us
04Written opinion
A price range, the findings on the seller and the questions to put before you pay a deposit.
- You and your lawyer
05Your decision
You decide with your lawyer. Title, the contract and the deposit terms stay with the lawyer.
What we do not do
What we do not do
We do not check title or draft the contract. Your lawyer does; for a purchase through a company or a larger deal, see due diligence in Montenegro.
Our value opinion supports your decision. It is not a valuation report for a bank, a court or a tax authority.
We do not sell, rent or broker property, and we do not negotiate with the seller for you.
We do not promise an outcome. Whether a residence permit is granted is decided by the Ministry of the Interior (see residence permit in Montenegro).
This page is information, not legal, tax or investment advice (Terms of use).
VIFee
What the check costs
We name the fee in writing, in our reply to your inquiry. Scope, fee and timing are then confirmed in writing before work starts.
Named in our written reply
Scope, fee and timing confirmed in writing before work starts
Listed separately in the proposal
- Fees of your lawyer for the title check and the contract
- Notary fees and the real estate transfer tax or VAT
- Official fees for extracts from the land registry and other registries
- Certified translations of documents
- A valuation report for a bank, court or tax authority, which is a different document from our value opinion
What is not included is listed in the written proposal.
VIISources and legal framework
Sources for this page
Updated: . Sources read on .
- Law on Foreigners, amendments (Official Gazette of Montenegro 3/26), Art. 24 (value of the property, Art. 56) (in Montenegrin)
- Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette of Montenegro 12/18), Art. 56: temporary residence for use of a property (in Montenegrin)
- Law on Value Added Tax (Official Gazette of Montenegro 65/01 and later amendments), consolidated text to 49/22 as published by the Government of Montenegro: Art. 24 (general rate 21%), Art. 27 point 2 (property transfers exempt, except the first transfer of a newly built object) (in Montenegrin)
- Law amending the Law on Value Added Tax (Official Gazette of Montenegro 12/26), Art. 1: sale of newly built objects is a supply of goods (Art. 4, para. 2, point 4); it does not amend Arts. 24 and 27 (in Montenegrin)
- Law on Value Added Tax (Official Gazette of Montenegro 104/26), Arts. 212 and 213: applies from the date Montenegro joins the European Union (in Montenegrin)
- Law on Notaries (Official Gazette 68/05, 49/08, 55/16 and 84/18), consolidated text as of 31 March 2021, Arts. 4, 45, 48, 52 and 82 (in Montenegrin)
- RFE/RL, 19 November 2023: Montenegro's citizenship-by-investment programme was completed on 31 December 2022
VIIIQuestions
Buying property: questions
Is the asking price fair?
Nobody can tell from the listing alone. Certifying a contract and checking a title are different tasks from judging a price. We compare the asking price with comparable properties and give you a range and the assumptions behind it, so that you can negotiate or walk away with a reason. It is a value opinion for your decision, not a valuation report for a bank or a court.
Does the property qualify for a residence permit?
Owning property does not give you a permit by itself. The Law on Foreigners allows a temporary residence permit for use of a property you own (Art. 56), and since the amendments of 2026 the proof of its value is the local tax authority's decision on transfer tax, with a tax base of not less than EUR 150,000. This obligation does not apply to citizens of EU member states or to members of their families, whether or not those family members are EU citizens, nor to citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Ministry of the Interior decides, and we do not promise the outcome. Montenegro's citizenship-by-investment programme was completed on 31 December 2022, so a property purchase does not lead to a passport. Law on Foreigners, 3/26 → Residence permit in Montenegro →
What does the notary do, and what is not part of it?
Under the Law on Notaries, a contract that transfers ownership of a property must be made as a notarial deed, and without that form it has no legal effect (Art. 52). In drawing up the deed the notary establishes the identity of the parties (Art. 45), examines what they want and instructs them on the legal consequences of the transaction (Art. 48), and sends a copy of the deed to the registry (Art. 82). We found no duty in these provisions to assess the price or the seller's finances, so do not assume the notary covers them. Our reading is of the consolidated text as of 31 March 2021. Ask your notary and your lawyer for their scope in writing before you pay a deposit. Law on Notaries →
Which tax applies: VAT or transfer tax?
It depends on the sale. The first transfer of a newly built object is a supply of goods subject to VAT, and the general VAT rate is 21% (Law on Value Added Tax, Arts. 4 and 24). Other transfers of property are generally exempt from VAT (Art. 27, point 2), but a sale of building land by a taxable person has been a supply of goods since 1 April 2026, so ask about land separately. A new VAT law (Official Gazette 104/26) has been adopted, but under its Art. 213 it applies only from the date Montenegro joins the European Union; until then the current law applies. We do not quote transfer tax rates on this page. Ask in writing whether the price you were quoted includes VAT, and ask your lawyer or tax adviser which tax and which rate apply to your purchase before you pay. Law on Value Added Tax → Law on Value Added Tax, 104/26 →
What does the check cost?
We name the fee in writing, in our reply to your inquiry. Scope, fee and timing are then confirmed in writing before work starts.
IXNext step
Send a property inquiry
The form is right below; WhatsApp works too. We reply on the next working day.
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.