The process of buying a property in Croatia with us
Buying real estate in Croatia requires certain steps and knowledge of local laws and procedures. Even though Croatia is a member of the EU, some laws are different from Czech law.
Realityumore.com is the official partner of one of the biggest real estate agencies in Croatia, Dogma nekretnine d.o.o., we have more than 3000 properties in our portfolio. For the purchase of your property, it is possible to take out a loan from two banking companies – Zagrebačka banka or ERSTE Bank.
1.) Property selection
You can choose a specific property(s) from our wide range of properties, or please contact us directly and we will send you an offer according to your specified criteria (e-mail: info@realityumore.com, M: 601 001 652 or form directly at the property). We will also be happy to meet you in person so that you can tell us your ideas about your property.
2.) Visit Croatia
Answering and supplementing your questions in cooperation with the Croatian Agency, arranging a tour of the property with our Czech-speaking representative according to your time availability. In some cases, a video tour of the property can also be arranged.
During the on-site inspection, the interested party signs the inspection sheet and the general brokerage contract (UOP – Utdroj o posredovanju, we also have it in Czech language), by which, in the case of a purchase, you undertake to pay a commission to the Croatian agency in the amount of 3% of the purchase price of the property (+ VAT 25 % of this commission amount = 3.75% in total).
3.) Reservation contract (Predugovor) or future purchase contract
After choosing a suitable property, a reservation contract or a future purchase contract is concluded. The buyer pays the agreed amount (usually 10% of the purchase price of the property) as a reservation, the due date of the amount is according to the agreement. Contracts are created by the legal department of the Croatian agency, we assist with the translation into Czech, with comments, with amendments to the contract, we are always in touch with you. In addition, a commission will be paid to the Croatian agency according to the contract (UOP – Udgor o posredovanju) in the amount of 3% of the purchase price of the property (+ VAT 25% of this commission amount = 3.75% in total). Payments are made in Euros. For the purchase of real estate, it is possible to use the provision of credit at two banking companies – Zagrebačka banka and ERSTE Bank.
The signiture of the reservation contract can be done remotely, no need to come in person to sign the contract.
The law also imposes on us the obligation to identify and check the client from the point of view of the AML Act. The client must fill out an AML questionnaire and we will subsequently identify him.
4.) Preparation of purchase contract (Ugovor)
The obligation to establish a tax identification number (OIB = personal identification number) to enter the financial system of Croatia. It is established both for natural persons and for companies as legal entities in case of purchase of real estate in Croatia. We will help you to obtain OIB at the particular Croatian Office, this take little time or we can arrange on our own by the means of Power of Attorney. The OIB consists of eleven random numbers, each assigned OIB is unique and unchangeable. In the preparatory phase of creating a purchase contract, payment dates and other purchase conditions are agreed upon. For the purchase contract, we also recommend a translation into the native Czech (Slovak) language, price around €100 – €200 (depending on the number of pages of the translation).
5.) Signing the purchase contract
After the purchase is approved by the lawyer (he will check the complete documentation), the purchase contract is concluded, the buyer pays the rest of the purchase price or the payment according to the agreed dates (in the case of development projects, payments are paid in parts according to the construction phase). Payments are made in euros. Signiture can be also done remotely by the buyer, the signiture must be notarized only for the seller side.
6.) Transfer of ownership to the real estate cadastre
After its conclusion, the purchase contract is submitted for registration to the land registry department of the relevant local court and to the cadastre. The actual registration of the new owner of the property in the land register of the relevant court should take 40 days (our experience usually takes 1-2 months). Property transfer tax in the amount of 3% of the purchase price of the property will be assessed by the Croatian tax authority within 12 months.
7.) Throughout the process, we are at your disposal for questions, translations, by email and by phone.
Specifics for Croatia:
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- The Croatian government recently banned the construction of new housing within 70m of the coast on undeveloped sites.
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- Authorities are cracking down on structures built without permission.
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- From July 1, 2023, citizens of the Czech Republic can also buy agricultural land in Croatia (for example, for the location of a caravan, mobile home) – this location should always be approved and permitted by a specific municipality.
When buying real estate in Croatia, it is important to work with professionals and have all the documents properly processed.
We will be happy to assist you with the purchase of your dream property at the sea and ensure the whole smooth process!