Law on Legalisation of Unpermitted Buildings: overview of the key provisions
The key provisions of the law are collected here in one place, without interpreting any specific case. For your own case, check the information with the competent authority or a lawyer.
Information, not legal advice. This text explains a general procedure. Regulations change and every case is different. For property decisions, disputes and deadlines consult a lawyer or the competent authority. →
Key dates and amendments
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 31 July 2025 | Parliament adopts the Law on Legalisation of Unpermitted Buildings (Zakon o legalizaciji bespravnih objekata) |
| 14 August 2025 | The law enters into force; the six-month deadline for registration in the cadastre begins |
| December 2025 | Surveying companies are overbooked; an extension of the deadline is announced |
| 14 February 2026 | Original registration deadline — extended by six months |
| 2026 | Amendments to the law: registration deadline extended to 14 August 2027; applications accepted only with complete documents |
Current status: Zakon o legalizaciji bespravnih objekata — usvojen 31.7.2025, na snazi od 14.8.2025, izmijenjen 2026 (rok za upis produžen do 14.8.2027).
Key provisions
| Topic | What the law provides |
|---|---|
| Visibility requirement | The building must be visible on the orthophoto image published by the competent ministry |
| Boundaries | The building must not extend beyond the boundaries of the plot |
| Excluded buildings | Buildings on land designated for infrastructure, temporary structures, buildings in protected natural areas |
| Survey report | Survey report (geodetski elaborat) of the as-built state of the unpermitted building, prepared by a licensed surveying organisation |
| Photographs | All façades of the building, JPG, at least 5 megapixels |
| Competence | Up to 500 m² — local government authority; over 500 m², high-category hotels and buildings in protected zones — state legalisation authority |
| Deadline for documents | After notification from the authority, the owner has a deadline (90 days) to submit the requested documents |
| Fee | Urban rehabilitation fee (naknada za urbanu sanaciju), based on zone and use; discount for payment in full; instalments |
| Instalments | Up to 360 monthly instalments for a basic residential building; up to 120 for others; shorter terms for high-category hotels |
| Reductions | For socially vulnerable people and other categories set out in the law |
| Consequence of not registering | Demolition of the building at the owner's expense |
What this means for owners
- One of the key steps is having a surveyor prepare the survey report. Without the required survey report, the registration application is not complete.
- Do not leave an incomplete application until the last moment. The documents need to be prepared and completed within the set deadline.
- Registration in the cadastre is not necessarily the end of the whole procedure. Further legalisation steps and calculation of the fee may follow, depending on the specific case.
The legalisation procedure step by step →
Sources: Official Gazette (Službeni list) — Law on Legalisation of Unpermitted Buildings; Investitor.me, 31 July 2025; Investitor.me, 24 September 2025; Portal Analitika, 21 December 2025; Investitor.me, 3 August 2026. How we check information. Updated: