For many company owners (D.O.O.), entrepreneurs, and expats in Montenegro, 2025 has become a time to rethink business strategies. Some are changing their residence permit status, some are optimizing expenses, and some have simply decided to stop operating. Despite the fact that you can open a company in Montenegro in just a couple of days, the process of closing one has become surrounded by myths about complexity and high costs.
In fact, the procedure has become more transparent, but the state has tightened the screws when it comes to tax discipline. Let’s figure out how to liquidate a company quickly, how much it really costs, and why “just abandoning” a company is a bad idea.
Closing a company in Montenegro through the simplified procedure
The most popular way to get rid of an unnecessary legal entity is voluntary liquidation through the simplified procedure (skraćeni postupak). This is the route taken by 90% of small business owners. The main condition: the company must have enough money to pay off all debts, or it must have no debts at all.
Unlike full liquidation, which takes months, the simplified option allows you to resolve the issue in a few weeks, if your documents are in order. The essence of the method is simple: the founders declare to the state that they owe nothing to anyone and ask for the company to be removed from the register.
Read also: Complete guide to obtaining a residence permit in Montenegro
Preparing documents and obtaining a certificate from the Tax Administration
This is the most important and difficult stage. Before going to a notary or to the Central Register (CRPS), you need to obtain Uvjerenje — a certificate from the Tax Administration confirming there are no outstanding debts. Without this “clean” certificate, CRPS will simply not accept your liquidation documents.
In 2025, the tax authorities check everything: from unpaid VAT to tiny penalties from five years ago.
- Your accountant must reconcile (usaglašavanje) all accounts.
- All reports, including the annual balance sheet, must be filed.
- The company bank account must be zeroed out and closed before the final submission. Any remaining funds must be transferred to the founders (as dividends with tax paid or as a loan repayment) or used to settle the last obligations.
If the documents are in order, CRPS issues a Decision on the deletion of the company from the register (Rješenje o brisanju). From that moment, the legal entity ceases to exist, but the founders’ obligations remain for a three-year period (we will explain this in more detail below).
Personal liability of a company founder (D.O.O.)
Many people are pleased by the speed of the simplified procedure, forgetting to read the fine print. To close a company quickly, the founder must sign a statement before a notary in which they assume unlimited joint and several liability for the company’s obligations.
What does this mean? If, a year or two later, it turns out that the company “forgot” to pay a supplier invoice or a tax, the creditor has the right to demand this money from you personally. By law, this liability remains in effect for three years after the company is removed from the register. Your personal property (apartment, car, accounts) becomes security for repaying the company’s old debts.
Important point: for foreign owners who do not live in Montenegro, logistics become a critical factor. Signing the statement of joint and several liability before a Montenegrin notary requires personal presence.
An alternative is to arrange a power of attorney in the country of residence, have it apostilled (if necessary), sent to Montenegro, and translated by a court translator. This adds another 200–300 euros and 2–3 weeks to the process.
Countries for which an apostille is not required: Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Croatia, Iraq, Italy, Cyprus, Hungary, North Macedonia, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine.
How much does it cost to close a company in Montenegro
The price depends on whether you do everything yourself or hire an agency. It is important not to confuse government fees with actual expenses.
Mandatory expenses (minimum):
- CRPS administrative fees: about 15–20 euros.
- Publication in the Official Gazette (Službeni list): about 15–30 euros (depending on the length of the text).
- Notary services: from 50 to 120 euros (depending on the number of founders and documents).
Additional expenses:
- Accountant’s services for preparing the liquidation balance sheet: from 200 euros.
- Lawyer or agency services (if you do not want to go through the institutions yourself): from 300 euros.
Company liquidation timelines
The process itself in the Central Register (CRPS) takes about 7 working days by law from the moment the full set of documents is submitted.
However, the real time is always longer. Allow for:
- 1–2 weeks for reconciliation with the tax authorities and closing bank accounts.
- A week for the notary and gathering documents.
- A week for the register to process the application.
On average, if the company has no problems, the entire process from the decision to the receipt of the closure document (Rješenje o brisanju) takes about a month.
What to do if the company has debts (bankruptcy)
If the company’s assets are not enough to pay off its debts, voluntary liquidation is impossible. In this case, the procedure of bankruptcy (Stečaj) is initiated. This is a court process that goes through the Commercial Court (Privredni sud).
Bankruptcy is long (from several months to several years) and expensive. The initial court deposit alone can exceed 500 euros, plus the fee for the bankruptcy trustee, which will depend on the documents and the complexity of the case. This path is chosen only in extreme cases.
Why can’t you just abandon a company (D.O.O.)?
Some owners mistakenly believe that if they simply stop filing reports, the company will be closed “automatically.” This is a dangerous misconception.
- Penalties are charged for failure to file reports (from hundreds to thousands of euros), and they are imposed on the director and the founder.
- The tax authorities may initiate forced liquidation, but the debts and fines will remain “hanging” over you, which can lead to problems when entering the country or opening new accounts.
Summary: closing a D.O.O. in 2025 is a standard procedure, but one that requires care. The main secret to success is an experienced accountant who will ensure you get a clean tax certificate.
Need help closing a company?
The liquidation procedure, despite its apparent simplicity, hides many bureaucratic nuances — from proper tax reconciliation to preparing notarized statements. A mistake at any stage can cost you time and money.
Our team is ready to take on the entire process: we will conduct a debt audit, prepare the documents, and represent your interests in CRPS and the Tax Administration. Contact us for a consultation to close your business in Montenegro quickly, legally, and without risks to your personal property.