Buying Property in Slovakia as a Foreigner: Step by Step, Costs and Taxes

A foreigner can buy a flat or a house in Slovakia — and in most cases without any special permits. But the transaction itself works differently from Ukraine or Russia: ownership does not arise when the contract is signed but only once the entry is made in the cadastre, and it is in the gap between those two moments that people most often lose money.

Here is everything in order: who can buy what, how the transaction goes, how much money you need on top of the price of the flat, what taxes await you afterwards and what you absolutely must check before signing.

Updated: August 2026.

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Can a foreigner buy property in Slovakia

The short answer: yes. A foreigner can buy a flat, a house or a building plot in Slovakia with practically no restrictions — regardless of citizenship and without needing any special permit. A residence permit is not required for the purchase either.

There is one exception, but an important one: agricultural land and forest plots. A special legal regime and the principle of reciprocity apply to them — that is, they can be bought by a citizen of a country which in turn allows Slovaks to buy land.

For citizens of countries outside the European Union the conditions on land are stricter: pre-emption rights apply, under which the plot must first be offered to neighbouring farmers and local residents. This does not extend to flats and houses.

In practice this means: if you are buying a flat in a city or a house with a building plot, citizenship will create no additional barriers.

How the transaction works: step by step

1. Reserving the property

A reservation contract is signed and a deposit is paid. At this point the property is taken off the market. Read the terms on returning the deposit carefully: in some contracts it is non-refundable even if the bank turns you down for a mortgage.

2. Checking the property

The key stage, which many people skip to save money. A lawyer checks the cadastre extract, encumbrances, third-party rights and whether the actual condition matches the records. More on this below, in a section of its own.

3. The purchase contract

Signatures on the contract are officially certified. Certifying one signature costs 2,87 euros including VAT. It is this certified contract that is then filed with the cadastre.

4. Handing over the money

This is where the main risk of the transaction lies, so it has a section of its own below. Never hand over the full amount to the seller before the cadastre entry.

5. Filing with the cadastre

An application for the entry of the ownership right is filed. You become the owner only from the moment of that entry, not from the moment the contract is signed. The standard processing time is 30 days, the expedited one 15.

6. After the entry

The energy and utility contracts are transferred, and by 31 January of the following year a tax return for property tax is filed with your town hall.

What buying costs on top of the price of the flat

The price in the listing is not the sum you will pay. Fees, lawyer’s and notary’s services, a valuation and the agency commission are added on top. Below is a calculator that adds it all up.

The state fees in it are exact; the other amounts are indicative, so change them to fit your situation.

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The cadastre registration fee: how to save half of it

This is a case where one decision saves real money.

Electronic filing costs exactly half for the same result. If a lawyer with an electronic signature is running the transaction, they will file the documents electronically — ask about this in advance.

An important detail: if the application is rejected, the fee is not refunded. That is one more argument for having the documents prepared by someone who does this regularly.

Handing over the money: the main risk in the transaction

Between signing the contract and the cadastre entry, two weeks to a month go by. If you handed over the money straight away and the entry did not go through for some reason, you are left with neither the flat nor the money.

That is why the money is passed through notarial escrow: the buyer transfers the sum to the notary, who releases it to the seller only once the entry naming the new owner appears in the cadastre and the property is free of encumbrances.

The escrow terms must state explicitly that the money is released against the original cadastre extract showing you as the owner. The escrow costs are usually borne by the buyer — logically enough, since it is their money it protects.

An alternative is bank vinkulácia, where the funds are blocked in an account on the same terms. The mechanism differs, the substance is the same: the seller receives the money only after ownership has passed.

What you should absolutely never do: hand over the full sum in cash or by transfer directly to the seller before the cadastre entry, however convincing the explanation.

What you must check before signing

The check costs a few hundred euros and takes a couple of days. A mistake at this stage costs tens of thousands.

• The cadastre extract (list vlastníctva). Who the owner is, whether they are the person selling to you, and whether this really is the flat in terms of floor area and number.
• Encumbrances (ťarchy). The previous owner’s mortgage, liens, debts. A flat with a mortgage can be sold, but the order of repayment must be set out in the contract and secured by escrow.
• Third-party rights (vecné bremená). A right of lifelong residence, a right of way across the plot. They pass with the property and remain your problem.
• Debts on the building’s upkeep. Arrears owed to the management company, the state of the repair fund, major works that are planned.
• Whether the records match reality. Extensions, layout changes and loft conversions that are not in the documents take a long time and a lot of money to legalise afterwards.
• The energy certificate. It shows the real heating costs, which in older buildings can be an unpleasant surprise.

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Taxes: what you pay on purchase, ownership and sale

On purchase

The good news: there is no separate transfer tax on property in Slovakia. The buyer pays only the fees and services calculated above.

Every year while you own it

Property tax is local; it is set by the town hall in its own ordinance, so the rates differ from city to city. As a guide: flats around 0,50–0,90 euros per m², buildings 0,40–1,00 euros per m².

The key obligation people forget: after buying, you must file a property tax return by 31 January of the following year. After that the town hall sends you the payment decision itself.

On sale

Here is a rule worth keeping in mind from the very start: if you have owned the property for five years or more, the income from the sale is not taxed. The period runs from the cadastre entry to the sale.

Sell sooner and the difference between the sale price and the purchase price is taxed. The personal income tax rate is 19 % (and 25 % on anything above the set limit), plus a health insurance contribution of 14 %. It is that contribution that usually comes as the unpleasant discovery.

The return is filed by 31 March of the following year. Separate rules apply to property included in business assets — there the five-year period runs from the date it was taken out of them. A general overview of taxes is in the article on taxes in Slovakia.

A mortgage for a foreigner

Most buyers take out a mortgage, and here the terms depend on your residence status. Banks will generally lend foreigners a maximum of 80 % of the value, meaning you need at least a fifth of your own money plus the costs from the calculator above.

There is a separate situation with temporary refuge status: most banks reject such applications, but the option of a co-borrower works. All the limits, calculations and conditions are covered in the article on how to get a mortgage in Slovakia.

A practical tip: get preliminary mortgage approval before you pay the reservation deposit. Otherwise you risk losing it if the bank says no.

Right after the purchase it is worth insuring the home. You can compare prices from different companies online: compare offers on Netfinancie.

Affiliate link: if you take out a policy, we receive a commission from the insurance company. It does not affect the price you pay.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a residence permit to buy a flat?

No. Buying property does not require a residence permit and does not depend on citizenship.

Does buying property entitle me to a residence permit?

No, not automatically. This is a common misconception. The types of residence and the grounds for them are covered in the article on types of residence permit in Slovakia.

Can a flat be bought remotely?

Yes, through a representative acting under a power of attorney with certified signatures. But it is better to entrust the property check and the handover to someone who will physically view the flat.

How long does the whole transaction take?

From reservation to the cadastre entry usually a month and a half to two months: preparing the documents, the mortgage, then 30 days at the cadastre or 15 with expedited filing.

What if the seller does not speak Russian?

The contract is drawn up in Slovak, and you must not sign a document you do not understand. You need either a lawyer who speaks your language or an interpreter. Contacts are in the list of Russian-speaking specialists.

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What to read next

• Mortgages in Slovakia: limits, conditions and documents
• How to buy a flat in Bratislava below market price
• How to find housing in Slovakia
• Taxes in Slovakia: a complete overview
• How to open a bank account in Slovakia

The information has been collected from open sources on the internet and is current as at the date of publication. Fees, tax rates and rules change, and every transaction has its own particulars. Before buying, be sure to consult a lawyer or a tax adviser — the price of a mistake in a property transaction is measured in tens of thousands of euros.

Not sure which area to look in? A breakdown of every Bratislava district with prices is in the article on which district of Bratislava to live in.

You will find the official rates and forms here: electronic account of the insured person and the tax return on the Financial Administration website.

Property is often bought through a company — how to register one is described in the article on setting up a company (s.r.o.) in Slovakia.

As soon as the cadastre entry is made it is worth insuring the home: what a property policy covers, what a contents policy covers and what the price depends on — in our article on flat and house insurance in Slovakia.

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If you are planning a purchase, we will find properties, check the documents at the cadastre and see the transaction through to the ownership entry.

Fill in the form and we will get in touch — by message or by phone, whichever suits you. We answer in Russian and Ukrainian.

The service commits you to nothing. Quarads s. r. o., IČO 53 047 486 — we are a Slovak company. How we process your data is described in the document “Processing of personal data”.