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Montenegro’s Digital Leap in Maternity and Parental Leave Pay Reimbursements
Montenegro has long awaited digital transformation, and the portal porodiljsko.gov.me shows what it can truly achieve: making everyday life simpler. Before the portal, employers and self-employed parents struggled with mountains of paperwork, long queues, and slow reimbursements for maternity and parental leave. Now, with just a few clicks, the system handles requests that once took days or even weeks, lifting a persistent burden and transforming the way people experience public services.
Life Before Digitalisation
Before the portal, the process was slow, exhausting, and complicated. To submit a single reimbursement request, an employer had to collect documents from the Tax Administration and the Ministry of the Interior, while the parent regularly had to obtain certificates from doctors and deliver them to the employer. Once all the paperwork was gathered, the employer had to deliver it in person to the Centre for Social Work—not just for one claim, but for 12 monthly claims each year.
"The parent had to go to the Health Fund to get certificates, and the employer had to collect and deliver all the documents to the Centre for Social Work. It meant days of waiting for something that should have been straightforward."
recalls Vesna, Head of the IT Directorate at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography
For large companies with many employees, this meant daily battles with bureaucracy. For accountancy firms handling multiple clients, meeting all deadlines was almost impossible. Time and energy were spent on administration rather than the work that truly mattered.
A Digital Solution That Simplifies the Process
Everything changed with the introduction of porodiljsko.gov.me. Today, employers can submit requests, track their progress, view decisions, and check payments—all from their computers. There is no need to visit the Tax Administration, the Ministry of the Interior, the Health Fund, or the Centre for Social Work in person.
"The system automatically exchanges data with institutions, and medical certificates are only needed for the base request," Vesna explains. "After that, everything is handled digitally, without any trips to service desks."
Employers register electronically, and each request is processed through the e-Socijala information system. Procedural errors have been minimised, and the entire process is quicker and simpler.
"We received very positive feedback from employers about the new portal. Many said it was the most efficient and helpful e-service they’ve ever used."
adds Dušanka, a legal officer at the Centre for Social Work in Nikšić, Plužine, and Šavnik.
Who Benefits?
Thanks to digitalisation, Centres for Social Work spend less time on manual data entry and processing paperwork. Queues are shorter, work is faster, and the process is more transparent and reliable. Employers no longer worry about delayed reimbursements caused by administrative complications. The system works quickly, accurately, and dependably.
Statistics show that over €20 million is reimbursed annually through the portal, highlighting its importance for the state, businesses, and citizens alike.
A Digital Service That Understands People
porodiljsko.gov.me reminds us that digital solutions are meaningful only when they genuinely improve people’s daily lives. It demonstrates that digitalisation can be more than automation—it can be an experience designed to meet the real needs of those it serves. Technology stops being an abstract concept and becomes a practical ally.