Acquisition of Property Rights

Acquisition of property rights for foreign citizens and foreign legal entities

When deciding on giving consent for acquisition of property rights to foreign citizens (except citizens and legal entities from the European Union member states) on properties in the Republic of Croatia, the administrative procedure is applied on the party's (acquirer’s) demand.

The procedure is implemented pursuant to the regulations of the Law on Possession and other Material Rights and General Public Administration Procedure Law.
Written claim is submitted directly to the Administrative Office or is sent by mail to the address:

Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Croatia (https://pravosudje.gov.hr/)
Civil, Commercial and Administrative Law Directorate;
Ulica grada Vukovara 49,
10000 Zagreb.

You have to enclose the following documents to the written claim:
- legal basis for acquiring property (purchase and sale agreement, donation of property, agreement on maintenance and similar) in the original or a certified copy;
- evidence of ownership from vendor/alienator of real estate, or registered land certificate, in the original or a certified copy, not older than six months;
- certificate from the local self-government administrative body empowered for urbanization and land use planning based on location of the real estate, on legal status of the real estate (is real estate situated within boundaries of construction area defined in the urban development plan);
- evidence of acquirer's citizenship (certified copy of passport and similar) or evidence on status of legal person (excerpt from the court register), if the acquirer is a foreign legal person;
- if requestor is represented by a counsel, it is necessary to deliver a license in the original or a certified copy;
- if requestor has not  a counsel to represent him, and he is staying abroad, he is obliged to define a counsel for receiving written documents with residence in the Republic of Croatia,
- it is necessary to enclose the evidence that administrative fee of 50,00 kn is paid for, pursuant to Tariff item 101 a, Tariffs for administrative fees of Act on Administrative Fees
- furthermore, administrative fee of 100,00 kn is also paid for decision on acquiring real estate and 20,00 kn for every contingent supplement of claim (in case of missing documents).

Note: Party will be asked to deliver, within reasonable period, other documents as well, if they are necessary for the procedure.
Administrative fees of 100,00 kn are paid with public duty stamps of corresponding money equivalent, while amounts higher of 100,00 kn must be paid by standardized orders for payment on the account of the State Budget of the
·         Republic of Croatia IBAN HR1210010051863000160,
·         and number 64 (model) should be written in the first box of the standardized orders for payment,
·         and number 5002 in the second box
Croatian citizens have to write down their PIN next to number 5002, and foreign citizens have to write down number 721 and their PIN next to 5002. Besides filled-in standardized orders for payment (or public duty stamps), person that submits the claim or his/her counsel should enclose all necessary documentation.
Information on reciprocity (mutuality) for acquiring property rights on real estates between the Republic of Croatia and other countries could be find at: https://pravosudje.gov.hr/istaknute-teme/stjecanje-prava-vlasnistva/informacije-o-uzajamnosti-u-stjecanju-prava-vlasnistva-nekretnina-izmedju-republike-hrvatske-i-ostalih-drzava/6186

Reciprocity with Norway -  reciprocity exists, if the unit of local government does not oppose the acquisition of the property and if the surface does not exceed 2000 m2.  Reciprocity exists if there is a legal transaction entered into between spouses or relatives.