Buying a property in Croatia is quite a simple process as long as you get a good professional advice and representation. We are now explaining in simple terms all the necessary steps:

1.
You find a property which suits your requirements and we make a pre-contract between you as the buyer and the seller.In this pre-contact all the vital terms of purchase are already irrecoverably fixed:
- the parties involved
- description of the property with all its relevant details
- the checking of all legal documents concerning the property (clean papers)
- the agreed price of the property
- the exact date of making the binding contract at the lawyer's
- the purchase costs
- the date and conditions of giving the property to the buyer

2.
At this stage adownpayment of 10% of the price is to be payed.This step is very serious: if the buyer pulls out and does not show up at the lawyer's, he losses the downpayment. On the other hand, if seller pulls out, he has to repay the double sum of downpayment to the buyer.

3.
At this stage enters the lawyer and he makes the conveyancing to the end:all the bureaucracy and important matters which have to be settled and dealt with.
Usually 30 days from the pre-contact stage the lawyer makes the binding contract which is attested by a notary.The balance of the buying price is payed to the seller and the buyer takes over the property.
The lawyer proceeds with the formal transfer of legal title into your name.He applies in buyer's name for the approval to the Foreign Ministry department .***
After obtaining the approval, the new owner's name is entered into the Land register at the Court and the buying process is finished.
***While such an approval can take up to 12 months it can easily be avoided if the property is bought by a domestic-croatian company d.o.o.(same as L.T.D.in U.K.) which can be entirely owned by a foreign person.The property is entered into the Land register without the approval of the foreign Minister department.

4.
After getting the approval the real estate purchase tax is to be payed: 5% of the  value which is defined by the Tax office.

The purchase costs:

- 5% real estate purchase tax
- 2% lawyer's fee for legal servicies (not less then 1.500 Euro)
- 3,5% agency's fee (not less then 1.600 Euro)
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Allow in total 10.5% for all purchase costs.