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Unique Master Citizen Number in Montenegro
The Unique Master Citizen Number (Montenegrin: Jedinstveni Maticni Broj Gradana or simply JMBG) is a national identifier used by the Montenegrin Government to facilitate the administration of employment agreements, taxation, health care, and government benefits for its residents and citizens.
The JMBG is a permanent number that encompasses a combination of thirteen digits in the following format:
‘DD MM YYY RR BBB K’
Example JMBG: 0704986225004,
whereas the first 7 bold digits represent the date of birth (07.04.1986) of the individual,
the two underlined numbers the municipality in which the person was born (for Montenegro natives) or where his/her residence permit was issued (22 is the code for the coastal city of Bar),
and the next three numbers indicate the individual’s gender: males fall within the range of 0 – 499 whereas females are bounded bya range of 500 – 999. In the exmple above, the number (‘BBB’ )shows 500, meaning that this individual must be female.
The 13th digit is just a control number, which is calculated from the other 12 digits to check the JMBG for potential errors.
The Importance of the JMBG
Similar to the Social Security Number in the United States, the JMBG is used to track the individual’s social security contributions, which is crucial for calculating his/her future retirement income and disability insurance income. The Unique Master Citizen Number is also needed to register for the public health insurance scheme.
Posessing a JMBG is a prerequisite for finding employment, and is also required prior to starting a business in Montenegro when employing yourself as the company director. Employers in Montenegro use the JMBG to deduct social contributions from their employees’ monthly salary and pay to the government. Here are some other reasons why you may need a JMBG:
- To open bank accounts in Montenegro
- To change your place of residence
- To apply for your Health ID
- To sign work contracts
- For university enrollment
- For receive pension benefits
- To get a drivers license
- To apply for loans
- To file your personal income taxes
- To pay property taxes
How to get a JMBG?
A Unique Master Citizen Number may be obtained by applying for residency in Montenegro or purchasing property. Some noncitizens may be able to obtain a JMBG under certain circumstances. even if they own no real estate or have not established a business in Montenegro.