How do you go about buying property in Croatia?

In case you ever asked yourself, “How does real estate work here in Croatia?” this will help break it down.

1. The buyer or seller signs an agreement of cooperation with the agent. Each side usually has their own agent, but in some cases, one agent can carry out both tasks.
2. The seller is responsible for providing proof of payment for all utility related expenses, taxes and so on. Seller must also pay the price for removing seller’s name from the Land Registry book (Zemljišna Knjiga in Croatian, or Z.K.) which is maintained by the courthouse for the municipality where the land is located, so that the new buyer can become formally registered as its new owner, also known in English as transference of title. More on Title later.
3. The buyer is now responsible for paying all subsequent taxes on the new property. Buyer also pays for the Notary’s fees in verifying that this sale of property took place under normal conditions, not under force and that both parties are properly identified at the time of signature.
4. Final sale documents may be written up by an attorney, and must be solemnified by an authorized notary (Javni Bilježnik in Croatian, or J.B. after the person’s name) who verifies the parties’ identification and witnesses the transference of payment (cash).

FAQ: Is Croatian citizenship as a prerequisite?

Citizens can buy property; until recently, non-citizens had to get permission from the Ministry of Justice, but laws are changing. EU citizens do have some inherent rights. Best to check into your particular situation – there is no one size fits all answer to this question.