Montenegro expects building permits for planned buildings at the Velje Brdo project in mid-December 2026, the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property said in a response to a parliamentary question. Minister Radunović expects the first residents to move in by the end of next year. The permits would establish the legal condition for construction to begin.
The timetable depends on completing the technical design, obtaining the competent architect’s consent and passing a review before permits can be issued. Work on the main project is under way, but the planned buildings cannot receive permits until all legally required documents are obtained. Construction must then proceed under the Law on Construction of Buildings.
Urban planning and technical conditions for Block A1 were issued on 15 May 2026. The block, part of the first phase of the planned settlement in Podgorica, covers portions of cadastral plots 387/1 and 366/1 in the Velje Brdo cadastral municipality. It provides for multi-family housing, housing with commercial activities, a road and infrastructure facilities.
The block falls within the General Urban Planning Elaboration for Velje Brdo, incorporated into amendments to the Spatial and Urban Plan of the Capital City of Podgorica. Its urban-architectural and conceptual design was selected through an international competition and incorporated into those amendments. The competition also covered a conceptual design for a road serving Block A1 and providing access from the public Velje Brdo boulevard.
The competent authority of the Capital City of Podgorica has issued a building permit for the 5.3-kilometre boulevard that will connect the future settlement. That permit is separate from those still required for the planned buildings.
Occupancy timetable
Democratic Party of Socialists lawmaker Aleksandra Vuković Kuč asked how a previously discussed move-in date in the middle of the year had become a December start for works. She also asked whether apartment deadlines were being moved or adjusted to win votes. The ministry did not directly answer whether the apartment schedule had changed.
Radunović said he had never stated that residents would move in during 2026. The prime minister had previously given that year as an occupancy date, according to the minister, who said the prime minister had lacked the experience to know how many procedures remained.
The minister described the timetable as the shortest possible route from undeveloped land to a construction site for a new settlement. He said some buildings would be occupied earlier than others after construction was completed, with the first move-ins expected by the end of next year. A delay of one month remained possible, which he described as not unusual.
