Cremation in Montenegro: Is It Possible and What to Do

In brief (30 seconds).

There is no crematorium in Montenegro. One is planned at the new municipal cemetery in Podgorica, but there is no opening date yet.
Montenegrin funeral services transport bodies for cremation to Serbia: to Novi Sad or Belgrade.
The second option: transport the body to Ukraine and arrange cremation there.
For the Ukrainian border, the ashes must be in a hermetically sealed, officially stamped metal urn.
Transporting an urn with ashes to Ukraine costs from 800 €, with no prepayment.

Call +380 77 882 77 77 Inquire about an urn

Is cremation possible in Montenegro

The honest answer: not within the country itself. According to the Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti (February 2025), there is no crematorium in Montenegro. It is planned to be built during the second phase of the new municipal cemetery at Ćemovsko polje in Podgorica. When it will begin operating is unknown.

Therefore, cremation for a person who died in Montenegro always means transporting the body across a border. Either to Serbia, or directly to Ukraine.

What families do instead of local cremation

Cremation in Serbia

This is the most common route. In October 2023, the municipal funeral service of Budva (Pogrebne usluge Budva) signed a contract with the public utility company "Lisje" (JKP Lisje) in Novi Sad. According to the director of the service, transportation, cremation, and returning the urn take up to 48 hours. We did not find an official price list for this service, so we confirm the price on request. Previously, bodies were taken to Belgrade, which took from 7 to 15 days. The service also noted that such requests come in almost every week, mostly from foreigners, including many Ukrainians. The Podgorica funeral service planned a similar agreement in 2025.

We can arrange cremation in Serbia through our partners. The urn then travels from Serbia to Ukraine or first returns to Montenegro, depending on the route and documents.

Transporting the body to Ukraine and cremation at home

The body is brought home in a hermetically sealed coffin, and the cremation is carried out by a Ukrainian crematorium. The advantage is that the farewell ceremony can take place at home, and the cremation documents are issued in Ukraine. We describe how this works on our page transporting a body from Montenegro.

Which option to choose

Cremation in Serbia makes sense when the family wants an urn and does not plan an open-casket viewing or farewell ceremony with the body. Transporting the body is better if a farewell ceremony at home is important. We calculate the price of both options based on your specific situation.

If you already have the urn

Sometimes cremation has already been carried out in Serbia, and the urn is with the family or at the funeral home. In that case, we pick it up and bring it to Ukraine.

There is a specific Serbian regulation to keep in mind. In 2020, the Serbian newspaper Danas reported that under Serbian burial law, urns are kept at the cemetery, and the Belgrade cemetery service releases an urn for transport only with proof of a burial plot. Therefore, we immediately request a certificate from a Ukrainian cemetery confirming a place for the urn. We verify how this currently works in Novi Sad with the local authority for each case.

Once the urn is in Ukraine, the next steps are straightforward: burial in a grave, placement in a columbarium, or interment in an existing family grave. Read our article urn burial.

Documents

To transport a body out of Montenegro, an extract from the death registry (izvod iz matičnog registra umrlih) is required. Montenegrin regulations require a sanitary inspection permit and a transit document for the deceased (sprovodnica) for international transport. These rules were cited by the European Court of Human Rights in 2020, and we verify the current procedure for each individual case. The funeral service handles all of this paperwork together with us.

For the urn at the Ukrainian border, you will need:

a death certificate with an apostille and a Ukrainian translation;
a cremation certificate from the crematorium;
a certificate confirming there are no prohibited items inside the urn, legalized by the Consulate of Ukraine (Article 22 of the Law of Ukraine "On Burial and Funeral Affairs");
a hermetically sealed metal urn with an official tamper-evident seal.

Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine are all parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. We coordinate the paperwork with the Embassy of Ukraine in Montenegro. You can find the full list on the documents page. Regarding border crossing, read our article customs clearance for an urn.

Comparison of options

	Cremation in Serbia and urn	Body transport and cremation in Ukraine
Borders	Montenegro, Serbia, then Ukraine	Montenegro, then Ukraine
Documents	Montenegrin for the body, Serbian for the urn	Montenegrin for the body, Ukrainian for cremation
Price	cremation calculated separately, urn from 800 €	see the country page, cremation in Ukraine is separate
Farewell	in Serbia before cremation	in Ukraine

How much it costs

We calculate the cost of cremation in Serbia and transporting the body to the crematorium based on your situation. Transporting an urn with ashes to Ukraine costs from 800 €. We work without prepayment: payment is made after delivery according to the contract. See details on the urn transport page.

Frequently asked questions

Can a person be cremated in Montenegro?

Not within the country itself, as there is no crematorium. Cremation is carried out in Serbia, or the body is transported to Ukraine.

How long does cremation via Serbia take?

In 2025, the Budva funeral service stated it takes 48 hours via Novi Sad. Previously, via Belgrade, it took from 7 to 15 days.

Can I pick up the urn from Serbia myself?

Yes, you can, but in Serbia they may ask for proof of a burial plot. At the Ukrainian border, a sealed metal urn and a certificate confirming the absence of foreign objects inside are required.

Which is better: cremation in Serbia or in Ukraine?

If the family wants a farewell ceremony at home, it is better to transport the body. If only the urn is needed, cremation in Serbia is usually faster.

Do I need to travel to Montenegro?

Usually not. A power of attorney with an apostille and translation is sufficient.

Do I have to pay in advance?

No. Payment is made after handover under the contract.

What to do right now

Call us and tell us where and when the person passed away.
Decide with your family: cremation in Serbia or transporting the body to Ukraine.
Decide where the burial will take place and request a certificate from the cemetery.
Arrange a power of attorney. We will take care of the rest.

We work 24/7, and are also available on Viber, WhatsApp, and Telegram.

Call +380 77 882 77 77 Inquire about an urn

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