Buying a house or apartment in Croatia from abroad rarely falls through over price. Far more often it stalls on something that could have been checked before signing. This is the order we advise our clients to follow.

1. Confirm who actually owns the property

The land registry extract and the cadastral records must say the same thing, and the situation on the ground must match both. Mismatches between cadastre and land registry, unregistered buildings and unresolved inheritances are the most common reasons a purchase is delayed by months.

2. Check whether you are permitted to acquire it

Citizens of European Union member states generally acquire property under the same conditions as Croatian nationals. For citizens of countries outside the European Union the procedure is different and may require additional consent, so this should be settled before any deposit is paid.

3. Decide whether you buy personally or through a company

This is not only a tax decision. It affects how you will rent the property out later, how much administration you will carry, and how the property will one day be transferred or left to your heirs. We have written about this in a separate article.

4. Verify that the building is legal

Occupancy permit, building permit and any legalisation: without these the property cannot be categorised for rental without trouble, nor sold on to the next buyer.

5. Calculate the total cost, not just the price

On top of the purchase price come notary fees, a lawyer, real estate transfer tax or VAT — depending on who the seller is — and registration costs. You want that total before the offer goes out.

6. Complete the registration and take over the obligations

After payment comes registration of ownership, then registration for local charges, fees and utilities. If this is not done straight away, bills can keep going to the previous owner for years.

7. If you plan to rent, set the system up immediately

Categorisation, guest registration, income records and tax status are all connected. Setting them up at the start takes a few days; correcting them after the first season takes far longer.

Planning a purchase? Talk to us before you sign the deposit agreement — that is when the most can still be arranged at no extra cost.