Can a foreign national without Slovak citizenship or permanent residence buy an apartment, a house or land in Slovakia? In most cases, yes.Slovak law is open to foreign buyers: you do not need a visa, a residence permit or Slovak citizenship to own residential or commercial real estate. There is, however, one important exception concerning agricultural and forest land that you should understand before signing anything. This guide explains the rules, walks you through the purchase and land registry process step by step, and highlights the practical points that foreign buyers most often overlook.
Are you buying or selling real estate in Slovakia as a foreign national and want to be sure everything is legally sound? Our law firm advises international clients in English and can represent you throughout the entire transaction, including before the Slovak land registry. Write to us at office@lidaybasaryova.sk to arrange a consultation.
Who counts as a “foreigner” under Slovak law?
The basic framework for the acquisition of real estate by foreign persons is set out in Act No. 202/1995 Coll., the Foreign Exchange Act (Devízový zákon).The Act does not use the word “foreigner” in the everyday sense — it distinguishes between a resident (tuzemec) and a non-resident (cudzozemec)..
A resident is a legal entity with its registered seat, or a natural person with permanent residence, in the Slovak Republic A non-resident je potom každá fyzická alebo právnická osoba, ktorá tuzemcom nie je. Teda nemá na Slovensku ani trvalý pobyt, ani sídlo. Občianstvo pritom samo osebe nie je rozhodujúce, rozhoduje trvalý pobyt, resp. v prípade právnických osôb sídlo.
The basic rule: foreigners can buy property in Slovakia
Under Section 19a of the Foreign Exchange Act a non-resident may acquire ownership of real estate in Slovakia, except for real estate whose acquisition is restricted by special legislation.In practice, this means that apartments, family houses, building plots and commercial premises can be freely purchased by foreign nationals from any country. The special legislation concerns mainly agricultural land and forest land, which we cover in detail below.
The exception: agricultural land and forest land
The acquisition of agricultural land is governed by a separate statute Act No. 140/2014 Z. z. on the Acquisition of Ownership of Agricultural Land (the “Agricultural Land Act”). For forest land, Act No. 326/2005 Coll. on Forests applies alongside Act No. 220/2004 Coll. on the Protection and Use of Agricultural Land.
The Agricultural Land Act prohibits the acquisition of agricultural land by a state, or by a citizen of a state, a natural person residing in a state, or a legal entity seated in a state, whose legal system does not allow Slovak citizens and Slovak natural and legal persons to acquire ownership of agricultural land there — the so-called principle of reciprocity).
Exemptions from the prohibition:
- acquisition of agricultural land by by inheritance. this applies regardless of nationality
- acquisition by citizens of, and persons residing or seated in, the EU member states, the EEA and Switzerland,as well as states covered by an international treaty binding on the Slovak Republic.
Which plots are not covered by the restriction at all
Despite its broad title, the Agricultural Land Act does not apply to every plot registered as agricultural land in the cadastre. The following are excluded from its scope:
- gardens,,
- plots located within the built-up area of a municipality (intravilán),
- plots outside the built-up area designated under special regulations for non-agricultural use, s obmedzenou možnosťou poľnohospodárskeho využitia,
- plots with an area of less than 2,000 m²,
- plots located adjacent to a buildingwith which they form a single functional unit
Practical example — a garden within the built-up area: Občan Iránu kupuje spolu s rodinným domom v obci aj priľahlú záhradu s výmerou 900 m², evidovanú v katastri ako orná pôda. Napriek druhu pozemku sa naň obmedzenia nevzťahujú. Pozemok leží v zastavanom území obce a je aj pozemkom tvoriacim funkčný celok s priľahlou stavbou.
How the reciprocity principle works in practice
- Iran – Iránske právo (zákon o nadobúdaní nehnuteľností cudzincami z r. 1928/1949 a FIPPA z r. 2001) absolútne zakazuje cudzincovi nadobudnúť poľnohospodársku a priemyselnú pôdu. Ide o plošný zákaz nezávislý od reciprocity (na rozdiel od bytov/domov, kde Irán reciprocitu skúma). Keďže iránsky právny poriadok neumožňuje slovenským občanom ani právnickým osobám so sídlom na Slovensku nadobúdať poľnohospodársku pôdu v Iráne, § 7 ods. 1 zákona č. 140/2014 Z. z. by sa uplatnil – iránski štátni občania, osoby s pobytom v Iráne a právnické osoby so sídlom v Iráne by nemohli nadobudnúť poľnohospodársky pozemok na Slovensku.
- United Arab Emirates – Vo všetkých emirátoch (Dubaj, Abu Zabí, Šardža a i.) je poľnohospodárska pôda vyhradená len pre občanov SAE. Cudzinci môžu nadobúdať nehnuteľnosti len v tzv. freehold zónach (byty, vily, komerčné priestory). Poľnohospodárska a priemyselná pôda je z tohto režimu vylúčená pre kohokoľvek okrem štátnych príslušníkov SAE. Keďže právny poriadok SAE neumožňuje ani slovenským občanom a právnickým osobám so sídlom na Slovensku nadobudnúť u nich poľnohospodársku pôdu, § 7 zákona by sa pravdepodobne uplatnil aj v prípade SAE.
The land registry application: specifics for foreign buyers
Even where a foreign buyer meets all substantive conditions, the formal requirements of the application for registration (návrh na vklad) deserve attention. The application must identify the applicant to the extent required by the Cadastral Act — for a natural person this normally means the name, surname, birth surname, date of birth, birth number, permanent residence address and nationality.
Návrh na začatie katastrálneho konania musí obsahovať identifikačné údaje navrhovateľa v rozsahu určenom Katastrálnym zákonom. U fyzickej osoby ide štandardne o meno, priezvisko, rodné priezvisko, dátum narodenia, rodné číslo, miesto trvalého pobytu, prípadne adresu na doručovanie v tuzemsku, ak je odlišná od trvalého pobytu, a údaj o štátnej príslušnosti.
Foreign nationals usually do not have a Slovak birth number Instead, another identifier is stated — in practice typically the passport number or the number of another identity documenta social security number or another personal identification number.
If a party to the proceedings has permanent residence abroad or is staying abroad, the application must also state a delivery address located in the Slovak RepublicIn practice, the address of the authorised Slovak attorney is commonly used for this purpose.
Practical example — a buyer from the USA: A US citizen with permanent residence outside Slovakia buys an apartment in Bratislava. In the registration application, he states his passport number or social security number instead of a Slovak birth number, and — since he has no permanent residence in Slovakia — he must also state a delivery address in Slovakia, for example the address of the law firm representing him in the proceedings.
Summary
- A foreign national can acquire an apartment, a family house or other property outside the special regime in Slovakia without restrictions no residence permit or visa is needed.
- Restrictions apply mainly to agricultural land and forest land, based on the principle of reciprocity..
- Citizens and companies from the EU, EEA and Switzerlandare exempt from the restriction, as is any acquisition of land by inheritance..
- In the land registry application, remember the substitute identifier instead of the Slovak birth number and a delivery address in Slovakia..
Planning to buy property in Slovakia and unsure whether one of the exemptions applies to your case? Or do you need the complete documentation prepared for the land registry — including a bilingual purchase agreement, escrow arrangements and remote signing by power of attorney? We advise international clients in English. Contact us.we will assess your specific situation and guide you through the entire process.