Starting from January 1, 2025, a new regulation for calculating full taxes on all online purchases has come into effect, causing confusion among buyers.
Citizens have been receiving messages informing them to pay customs fees into a bank account, and only then are the ordered packages delivered.
In an interview for the “Boje jutra” program on TV Vijesti, Albian Siništaj, head of the Customs Tariff Department at the Customs Administration, explained that operators such as Montenegro Post, express courier services, DHL, and UPS submit declarations and handle package arrivals, but there is no unified system, and different operators use various methods to notify citizens about customs payments, which causes confusion.
“They fill out the declaration, the package is received, and the law and other regulations specify that the customs debt is secured by the operator’s guarantee, who submits the declaration. As for how they communicate with their customers, that is defined in the contracts between the sellers, i.e., exporters, and operators in Montenegro,” said Siništaj.
He also pointed out that many citizens are not adequately informed about the new regulations, as e-commerce in Montenegro, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen significant growth.
Platforms like Temu have become very popular, not only in Montenegro but also in the region and globally. This has led to an increase in the number of packages, which reached almost 24,000 in the first three working days of 2025.
Due to the high volume, Siništaj emphasized that it would be impossible for each citizen to go to a customs office, fill out a declaration, and pay customs duties, which is one of the reasons for implementing a system where the operator secures the customs debt.
“It would be impossible for each citizen to go to a customs office, pay, and fill out the declaration. That’s why many European countries have implemented a system where customs are secured by the operator’s guarantee,” explained Siništaj.
According to data from the Customs Administration, from January 1 to 9, 16 e-manifests arrived, with a total of over 21,000 shipments, amounting to a total value of €779,794. Of this amount, more than €163,000 was collected in VAT.
Given the enormous volume of packages and workload, Siništaj highlighted the importance of clear communication between operators and customers to avoid misunderstandings regarding customs payments and announced plans to standardize the process for online shopping.
