In four years, the Municipality of Bar has supported almost 70 couples and women on their path to becoming parents. Of these, last year alone, they provided financial assistance of a total of 66 thousand euros to 35 couples and one woman without a partner.
Compared to others and those who responded to the editorial office's inquiry, the Bar municipality supported the most those struggling for offspring. The capital, Podgorica, has not provided this type of support since 2021. The Secretariat for Social Welfare told "Vijesti" that the challenge for them is the lack of a database on the number of those who need such support.
The importance of support is evidenced by the municipalities of Herceg Novi, Kolašin, and Cetinje, where, thanks to the assistance, more pregnancies have been achieved...
"Vijesti" sent questions to all municipalities about the support that local governments provide to couples and women without partners who want to become parents.
In addition to the Municipality of Bar, the responses were submitted by the municipalities of Herceg Novi, Kolašin, Tivat, Danilovgrad, Nikšić, Kotor, Rožaje, the Royal Capital of Cetinje and the Capital of Podgorica.
"In order to strengthen pro-natality policy and provide systemic support to families, the Municipality of Bar has been implementing a measure of financial support for the treatment of infertility through the medically assisted reproduction (MAV) program for four years," the Municipality of Bar stated in its response to "Vijesti".
Support is implemented according to the Rulebook on the criteria, method and procedure for allocating funds for MPO, which is also the case in some other municipalities. Specifically, in Bar, couples living in a married or cohabiting union, who have exercised their right to infertility treatment through MPO procedures at the expense of mandatory health insurance costs, couples who are starting or have just started infertility treatment through this method, as well as women who are not living in a married or cohabiting union, are entitled to financial support.
Funds are allocated through a public call.
"The Municipality of Bar has been recording an increase in the volume of support in this area year after year," they said.
So in 2022, they financially supported 3 couples, a year later 12 and one woman, while in 2024 they supported a total of 18 couples.
Last year, the Municipality of Bar, as they said, implemented two public calls and supported a total of 36 beneficiaries - 35 couples and one woman.
"A total of 66.000 euros were spent to implement this measure in 2025, which represents a significant increase compared to previous years," they said.
They also do not have data on the number of babies born, but from unofficial communication, they were informed that last year four married couples and one woman who is not living in a marriage or common-law relationship achieved successful pregnancies and had offspring.
In 2026, as they said, 50 thousand euros have been allocated for infertility treatment through MPO.
Herceg Novi: More than half of supported pregnancies
The Municipality of Herceg Novi, which has been providing infertility treatment through MPO procedures since 2022, has responded positively to requests for assistance from 22 couples, or women without partners, in the past four years. Of these, they said, 14 pregnancies were achieved.
Support is provided based on the Regulation on the allocation of one-time assistance, to which both couples and women without a partner are entitled, provided that, in the case of a couple, one partner is a citizen of Montenegro and has a residence in the territory of the municipality of Herceg Novi.
The right can be exercised once during a calendar year, after previously exercising the right in accordance with the Law on Mandatory Health Insurance, at the expense of the Health Insurance Fund.
The Municipality of Herceg Novi also said that a couple, or rather a woman, can exercise this right multiple times, for several years in a row, and there is no restriction on the woman's age.
The amount of financial assistance provided by the local government is determined based on the attached invoices from the clinic where the MPO procedure was performed, and is up to a maximum of 2.250 euros.
Nikšić doubled the amount
The Municipality of Nikšić has been providing support for infertility treatment through MPO procedures since 2021. Persons from the territory of that municipality who have previously used the opportunity for MPO through the Health Insurance Fund are entitled to assistance.
In the previous five years, beneficiaries could receive assistance in the amount of 2.000 euros annually, and with the decision for 2026, as they said, these funds have been increased and now amount to 4.000 euros.
The Royal Capital of Cetinje has also been providing support to couples and women without partners since 2024. That year and a year later, they allocated 25 thousand euros to cover the costs of infertility treatment using MPO procedures.
Funds are allocated based on the Rules, and one couple, or woman, can receive a maximum of 3.000 euros. In the capital, support can be received by women, or couples where at least one spouse is a citizen of Montenegro, with a residence in the territory of the capital for at least six months, but also a foreign citizen with an approved temporary/permanent residence of at least six months. In addition, the condition is that this right has not been exercised in another municipality.
In the past two years, seven couples have claimed the right to reimbursement of part of the costs related to exercising their right to infertility treatment through MPO procedures.
"According to our knowledge, as a result of implementing this measure, one baby has been born so far, and another is on the way," they told the editorial team.
For other couples covered by this support measure, they added, procedures are ongoing or are in various stages of the medical process...
"The capital of Cetinje will continue to implement this support measure in 2026," they said.
Kolašin: We didn't turn anyone away
Like the Royal Capital, the Municipality of Kolašin has been providing support for infertility treatment since 2024. At that time, two registered couples received 8.000 euros, while last year two registered couples received 5.000 euros. The Municipality of Kolašin said that the remaining amount of 5.000 was not allocated because there were no more applicants.
"We have learned that two pregnancies were successful, one baby was born, and one is on the way," they told "Vijesti" and added that they have allocated 10 thousand euros for this year, and that the public call will be published by the end of the first quarter.
If the funds are not allocated, they will issue a second call by the end of October.
"There were no registered couples, or women, who did not receive support," they said.
The Municipality of Tivat has also been providing support to couples and women on their way to becoming parents since 2024. The prerequisite is that the woman, or one partner, has Montenegrin citizenship and has resided in the territory of the Municipality of Tivat for at least three years before submitting the application.
In the Municipality of Tivat, it is possible to receive up to 2.000 euros.
In 2024, they said, 22.100 euros were allocated, when eight couples received support, in a total amount of slightly less than 14 thousand. Last year, the Municipality of Tivat allocated a budget of 22 thousand, and five couples received support, in a total amount of 9.375 euros.
The budget proposal for 2026 plans to allocate 22 thousand euros for the reimbursement of the costs of the MPO procedure. The call is published in the last quarter of the calendar year.
Danilovgrad: Women in Strategy, no money yet
In their response to "Vijesti", the Municipality of Danilovgrad pointed to the Strategic Development Plan for the period 2024 to 2029, which envisages a measure to support women in achieving motherhood, but the document does not specify any amounts.
The Municipality said that funds for implementation will be provided from the budget of the Municipality of Danilovgrad, and "the planned implementation period is 2026 to 2029."
The Municipality of Danilovgrad provided support for infertility treatment in 2021, when it supported the Foundation "I Have the Right to Be a Mom" with an amount of 5.000 euros. At that time, some other municipalities, including the Capital City of Podgorica, also cooperated with that Foundation. The cooperation was terminated after "Vijesti" raised the issue of the fact that the money was paid to a non-governmental organization in which one person, then executive director Žana Mihaljević, made decisions about who the funds would be allocated to. At the same time, it was problematic that the medical documentation of couples and women who applied for help was also provided to that NGO, that is, one person.
The capital, Podgorica, has not had a support program since then.
The capital needs statistics
In their response to "Vijesti", they reminded that they had provided 10 thousand euros in 2021, and that the funds were planned to be implemented in cooperation with NGOs:
"Due to the unsatisfactory outcomes of this initiative, as well as the absence of other requests, no funds were paid in the period from 2022 to 2025," they said.
They add that it is difficult for them to plan the necessary and sufficient resources, because there are no statistics on the number of couples and women facing this problem at the national and local levels.
"Of course, as the Secretariat for Social Welfare and the Capital City, we remain open to cooperation with all marginalized social groups and those who need community support, including people who are being treated for infertility and want to fulfill their role as parents in 2026 and in the coming years," they said, adding that they will support "quality and responsible initiatives, including support for projects of civil society organizations through public calls through which socially responsible initiatives can be supported."
Kotor: Nobody is asking, so there is no support
Among the municipalities that responded to "Vijesti"'s questions about support programs for infertility treatment through MPO procedures, those from Kotor and Rožaje responded. Neither of them has such programs.
The Municipality of Rožaje, as they stated in their response, "recognizes the importance of this issue and the need for additional engagement at the local level."
"In this regard, the plans for 2026, depending on available financial resources, envisage improving cooperation with the Health Center and other relevant institutions, as well as organizing several working and advisory meetings dedicated to the issue of sterility," they told "Vijesti" and added that the goal of these activities will be to exchange information, assess the needs of citizens, and consider possible support models in accordance with the responsibilities and capabilities of the Municipality.
"The municipality will continue to monitor this area and consider opportunities to improve measures and activities that can contribute to better information and support for citizens."
In the Municipality of Kotor, as they said, in the previous period they had no activities related to infertility treatment.
"Since so far there have been no complaints from the citizens of Kotor to the local government about infertility treatment and seeking assistance on that basis, there was no need to plan activities and funds for that purpose for 2026," they said.
Some rights still only on paper
According to the Law on Mandatory Health Insurance, women up to the age of 45 are entitled to procedures at the expense of the Health Insurance Fund. If they have no children, they are entitled to four procedures, insured women who have one healthy child are entitled to three, and those who have two healthy children are entitled to two MPO procedures.
The law also provides for the right to one procedure for treating male infertility using the Micro TESE method for the implementation of the MPO procedure, however, since the adoption of the regulation, it has not been defined how and where this right can be exercised.
It is similar with some other rights, which are provided for by the umbrella Law on Medically Assisted Reproduction, so donations cannot yet be made at the expense of the Health Insurance Fund...
Bonus video:
