What is the Montenegrin Cadastre?
The Real Estate Cadastre (Katastar nepokretnosti) is Montenegro's official record of all real estate ownership and land use. It is maintained by the Real Estate Administration (Uprava za nekretnine — UPN).
eCadastre (ecadastre.me)
The online portal at ecadastre.me allows free public access to basic property information:
- Parcel boundaries and area
- Registered owner name
- Land category
- Building information
The List of Real Estate (List Nepokretnosti)
The full ownership document includes three sheets:
- Sheet A: Physical description (parcel number, area, buildings, land category)
- Sheet B: Ownership (who owns what percentage)
- Sheet C: Encumbrances (mortgages, liens, easements, restrictions)
Obtain a certified extract from UPN for the most up-to-date information.
How to Use the Cadastre Before Buying
1. Get the cadastre parcel number (Broj parcele / Broj lista) from the seller or agent
2. Search ecadastre.me for basic info
3. Have your lawyer obtain a certified full extract from UPN
4. Verify that the seller's name matches the registered owner on Sheet B
5. Check Sheet C for any mortgages or encumbrances
Red Flags to Watch For
- Registered owner differs from seller
- Multiple owners (heirs) with one owner trying to sell
- Mortgage or lien on Sheet C that hasn't been disclosed
- Land category says "agricultural" for a property being sold as residential
- Building not registered (only land parcel, no building record)
- "Illegal construction" notation
Building Permits Portal
Montenegro's permits are checked at the local municipality (Sekretarijat za urbanizam). Your lawyer can obtain:
- Building permit (Građevinska dozvola)
- Use/occupancy permit (Upotrebna dozvola)
A property without a use permit is not legally complete and cannot be legally transferred. Always verify this.