The legalization process for illegal buildings in Montenegro remains largely unchanged for residential properties up to 200 m². Local governments will handle legalization for properties up to 500 m², while the new government-established agency will oversee properties over 500 m².
To start the legalization process, owners must submit: a legalization request, a survey report of the existing illegal structure, proof of cadastral registration, and photos of all facades. The deadline to submit applications is six months from the law’s effective date.
Owners pay an urban development fee, with payment terms varying by property type: up to 360 monthly installments for residential properties, 120 installments for other buildings, and 60 installments for hotels or tourist resorts, at rates of €400–€800 per square meter.
Properties not submitted for legalization incur an annual usage fee, ranging from 0.5%–2% of the average construction cost per m² for documented structures, and 1%–3% for undocumented or unregistered structures.
Legalization procedures already underway will continue under the new law if it benefits the applicant. The government expects to finalize the total number of buildings eligible once new satellite imagery from July 2025 is compared with 2018 ortho-photo data.
