Legalisation of houses and buildings
We prepare the documentation for legalising houses and buildings in Croatia and handle the procedure on your behalf.
A building that is in order on paper too
A building that is not in order on paper is hard to sell, inherit, connect to utilities or finance. For a finished building, the legalisation decision counts as both the building permit and the occupancy permit.
Since May 2026 legalisation is open again, with no deadline for applications. A building can be legalised if it is visible on the aerial survey of 21 June 2011, and the application is filed electronically through the eDozvola system.
We survey the building on site, produce the drawings and collect the attachments, and we deal with the building authority. This matters especially if you live abroad and inherited a house in Croatia.
What you get
- Feasibility check for your building
- As built survey and structural engineer's statement
- Coordination with the land surveyor
- Application through eDozvola and communication with the authority
What is needed
The list differs from building to building, so we confirm it after the first check.
What you send us
- The cadastral parcel number, cadastral municipality and address of the building
- Access to the building for measuring, all floors and facades
- Every document you have: old permits, decisions, an earlier legalisation request
- Details of co-owners and who uses which flat or part of the building
- Power of attorney for us to file the application on your behalf
What we prepare
- A check that the building is visible on the aerial survey of 21 June 2011 and that its location does not rule it out
- The as built survey with drawings, photos and the data for the fee
- A licensed engineer's statement on structural stability
- The geodetic survey through a surveyor, or a cadastral extract if the building is already mapped
- Filing through eDozvola and following the procedure to the decision
- For an older building, a check of the other route: an occupancy permit for a building built before 15 February 1968
How we work
up to 1 week
Check
We review the documents and tell you honestly what is possible and how long it takes.
2–4 weeks
depending on the size of the building
Survey
We measure the building on site and draw the existing state.
duration depends on the building authority
Procedure
We submit the application through eDozvola and deal with the authority until the decision.
Typical durations from our practice; the exact date goes into the quote.
Frequently asked questions
Can every building be legalised?
No. The first condition is that the building is visible on the aerial survey of 21 June 2011; anything built later cannot be legalised. Location and the spatial plan matter too, which is why we always start with a check, before you pay for documentation.
The deadline for legalisation ended in 2018. Can I still apply?
Yes. An amendment from May 2026 removed the application deadline, so you can apply today. The 21 June 2011 limit for when the building was built still applies.
What is an as built survey?
Drawings of the building as it actually stands, measured on site. They are needed for legalisation and for bringing the documents in line with the building.
I inherited a house in Croatia and live abroad. Can you help?
Yes. Someone needs to give us access to the building, and we handle the rest remotely with you.