The Parliament of Montenegro has adopted the
Law on Amendments to the Law on the National Qualifications Framework,
published in the “Official Gazette of Montenegro”, No. 053/25 of May 29, 2025. This law introduces significant changes aimed at more clearly defining qualifications and improving their alignment with the needs of the labor market, education, and society as a whole.
One of the key novelties is the more precise definition of the term “national qualification.” Qualifications are categorized through level descriptors that include knowledge, skills, and competences, with the goal of enhancing transparency, accessibility, and quality. The National Qualifications Framework is now more clearly used as a tool for understanding, comparing, and developing qualifications across all levels of education.
The law also amends the definition of the term module, which is now regarded as an organizational unit of an educational program encompassing theoretical and practical instruction, exercises, and other teaching formats. For the first time, the term formal education is legally defined as education conducted in accordance with a publicly valid curriculum, based on which qualifications are acquired.
In addition to terminological changes, the law provides a clear breakdown of eight levels of qualifications, from basic to the highest, including several sub-levels. Each level corresponds to a specific degree of education and covers:
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General, vocational, and higher education,
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Vocational qualifications,
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Micro-qualifications (short programs with clearly defined learning outcomes).
Micro-qualifications are acquired upon completion of an educational program followed by assessment and may be recognized in the process of acquiring a vocational qualification or educational level, thereby providing greater flexibility and accessibility, especially for adults and employed individuals.
The law also stipulates that a diploma of higher education obtained at a faculty as an independent institution under earlier regulations is equivalent to Level VI of the qualifications framework, in terms of the knowledge, skills, and competences required for employment.
This law enters into force on the eighth day following its publication, i.e., on June 6, 2025.
For more information and the full text of the law, please visit the website of the Official Gazette of Montenegro.
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