Croatia Property Sales: how a Split agency takes foreign buyers through a purchase in Dalmatia
EU citizens buy in Croatia on the same terms as Croatians, and the extra costs come to about 8% of the price. Croatia Property Sales, an agency from Split selling Dalmatian property to foreign buyers since 2009, explains who can buy what, how a purchase runs from the pre-contract to the land registry and what to sort out before you choose a property.
In short: if you are an EU citizen, you can buy property in Croatia on the same terms as a Croatian. Budget about 8% on top of the price for tax, the agency and a lawyer. Take an independent lawyer from the start: they check the title, draft the contracts and see the purchase through to the land registry. This article walks through the purchase step by step, as Croatia Property Sales runs it with its clients.
Who Croatia Property Sales is
Croatia Property Sales sells property in Dalmatia to buyers from abroad. It was founded in 2009 by two agents from Split. Inga Majić has worked in property sales since 1998, when the first foreign investors arrived in newly independent Croatia. Mario Morača started as an agent on the islands off Split. Between them they have handled many hundreds of sales.
Today the agency has twelve agents, each of whom speaks at least one foreign language, and three offices: in Split, in Supetar on Brač and in Stari Grad on Hvar. It works on the coast from Zadar to Dubrovnik and on the main islands, together with local lawyers, engineers and architects.
The company behind the brand is P.M.C. 2009 d.o.o., based in Split.
What the agency sells
On assetlog.ai Croatia Property Sales lists about 1,060 properties (as of September 2026). Most of them are on the islands and the coast around Split:
| Area | Properties |
|---|---|
| Brač | 266 |
| Hvar | 144 |
| Šibenik | 88 |
| Split | 85 |
| Trogir and Čiovo | 84 |
| Vis | 65 |
| Omiš | 63 |
| Zadar | 62 |
| Kaštela | 56 |
| Rogoznica | 51 |
A smaller number are on Šolta, in Makarska, on Pelješac, in Primošten, Murter, Korčula, Dubrovnik and Lastovo.
By type: 277 houses, 206 villas, 176 apartments, 173 building plots, 126 old stone houses and 96 plots of agricultural land. The median asking price is about €495,000; 180 properties cost less than €200,000 and around 250 cost more than €1 million. Some are listed with the price on request.
Listings show the town or island, not the exact address.
Who can buy property in Croatia
- EU citizens buy on the same terms as Croatian citizens and need no permission. Since 1 July 2023 this also applies to agricultural land, where the state's pre-emption and offer rules apply to Croatian and EU buyers alike.
- Citizens of countries outside the EU need the consent of the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, and get it only if their country has a reciprocity agreement with Croatia (for the United States, it depends on the state). The ministry publishes the current list of countries. A change is already written into law: once Croatia joins the OECD, citizens of OECD countries will no longer need this consent, except for agricultural land.
- Agricultural land and non-EU buyers. Buyers from outside the EU cannot buy agricultural land in their own name. Croatia Property Sales' clients in this situation usually buy through a Croatian limited liability company (d.o.o.), and the agency can recommend lawyers who set the company up as part of their fee. Have your lawyer confirm this route for the specific plot.
- Companies follow the rules of their home country: an EU company is treated like an EU citizen, a non-EU company like a non-EU citizen.
Check this before you pick a property: close to one listing in ten in the agency's portfolio is agricultural land.
How a purchase runs
- Choosing and viewing. An agent shows you the properties that match what you are looking for.
- Your own lawyer. Before you commit, appoint a lawyer experienced in property sales. Croatia Property Sales insists that the lawyer be independent, not one working for the agency, so that your interests are represented. There are several English-speaking lawyers in Split and you are free to pick any of them.
- OIB. The OIB is the Croatian personal identification number, issued by the tax office. You need it to own property or open a bank account, and your lawyer normally arranges it as part of the fee.
- Title check (due diligence). The lawyer checks who owns the property, its legal status and whether the building has legal project documentation.
- Pre-contract. The lawyer drafts the pre-contract, which sets out the terms and how the purchase price will be paid.
- Final contract. The seller's signature on the final contract must be certified by a notary public; without it you cannot be registered as the owner. The buyer's signature does not need a notary.
- Payment. All payments are made in euros. If you want the money held until both sides have fulfilled their part, lawyers, notaries and banks all offer escrow; with Croatia Property Sales' clients, the lawyer's escrow account is the most common choice.
- Handover. You usually take possession on the same day that three things are done: the final contract is signed by both parties, the full price is paid, and the seller has signed a confirmation that the money has arrived together with their consent to registering you as the owner, the clausula intabulandi.
- Land registry. Ownership passes to you only when you are entered in the land registry, which is kept by the municipal courts. The application is filed electronically; for Croatia Property Sales' clients, the lawyer takes care of it.
- Transfer tax. After the registration, the tax office assesses the property's market value and sends you the bill for the transfer tax. This can take several months, but it does not affect your possession of the property.
- Utilities. The seller gives the meter readings to the utility companies and settles the final bills. You then register as the new customer with a copy of the purchase contract. Agents of Croatia Property Sales do this for their clients, and where a utility company wants the buyer to come in person, the agent goes along.
Buying from abroad
You can complete the contract without being in Croatia. Because only the seller's signature has to be certified, you just sign the final contract and send it back to Croatia by guaranteed courier.
It gets more involved when the seller is abroad. Their signature has to be certified outside Croatia, and the certification usually needs an apostille, which takes up to about ten days. No apostille is needed if the signature is certified at a Croatian embassy or consulate, or in a country whose treaty with Croatia waives it, such as Austria, Czechia, Italy, Slovakia or Slovenia. The documents then travel to Croatia by courier and must be translated into Croatian by a court-certified translator. If your purchase depends on a seller abroad, plan the timing with the agency before you start.
What it costs
On top of the purchase price, a buyer pays:
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Real estate transfer tax | 3% of the market value assessed by the tax office (one-off) |
| Agency commission | 3% + VAT = 3.75% (minimum €3,000 + VAT) |
| Lawyer | 1% + VAT = 1.25% (minimum €1,000 + VAT), plus small statutory fees |
That comes to about 8% of the price for a resale property. The costs are the same for foreign and Croatian buyers.
No transfer tax on new builds with VAT. When a VAT-registered seller sells a new home, one that nobody has lived in yet or that was first occupied less than two years ago, the price carries 25% VAT and no transfer tax is due. This is usual with new apartments and houses from developers.
Transfer tax is based on the assessed value. The tax office bases it on the market value it assesses, and that value is never lower than the price in the contract.
Annual property tax. Since 1 January 2025 residential property pays a local property tax of €0.60 to €8.00 per square metre of usable area a year. Each town or municipality sets its own rate within that range, and the tax is paid by whoever owns the property on 31 March. Homes used for permanent living are exempt, and so are homes let for permanent living for at least ten months a year with the lease reported to the tax office. Holiday homes and short-term tourist lets pay it.
Monthly running costs. A communal charge set by the municipality, plus utilities. For a 100 m² property, Croatia Property Sales puts the monthly bills at roughly:
| Utility | Per month |
|---|---|
| Electricity | €50–100 |
| Water | €20–50 |
| Waste and local services | €15 |
| Internet and TV | €30 |
Mortgages are available to non-Croatian buyers through a small number of banks, but foreign buyers rarely use them.
Residence and renting out
Residence. Owning property in Croatia does not give you the right to live there. EU citizens simply register their residence. Buyers from outside the EU can apply for a temporary stay for other purposes, which the authorities may grant for up to a year and which normally cannot be extended; since March 2025, non-EU pensioners over 60 who own property in Croatia can have it extended.
Holiday lets. Only Croatian citizens and citizens of the EEA and Switzerland can let property to tourists as private individuals, so buyers from the United Kingdom, the United States and other non-EU countries cannot. A rental licence does not pass to a new owner: you apply for your own. In an apartment building you also need the consent of the other owners. Non-EU buyers who want rental income can let through a Croatian company registered for tourist rentals, or sign a contract with a Croatian tourist management agency. Tax on rental income depends on your citizenship and VAT status, and the agency can put you in touch with tax advisers.
How long it takes
There is no single timeline: it depends mostly on who is buying and who is selling. What sets the pace:
- For non-EU buyers: the ministry's consent.
- For agricultural land bought by a non-EU buyer: setting up the Croatian company.
- A seller living abroad: about ten days for the certified signature and apostille, plus courier and translation.
- The transfer tax bill can come months after the purchase, but you do not wait for it: you take possession when the contract is signed and the price paid.
Who oversees the purchase
The agency. Croatia Property Sales is run by P.M.C. 2009 d.o.o. (OIB 27071764184) in Split. Since 2011 the company has been entered in the Register of Real Estate Brokers kept by the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK), under number 51/2011. The register lists its licensed agents, including director Mario Morača, its professional liability insurer, Wiener osiguranje, and its signature of the brokers' code of ethics. You can look up any Croatian agency in the HGK register by name or OIB before you sign anything.
The law. Estate agencies in Croatia work under a new Real Estate Brokerage Act, in force since 7 July 2026. Among other things, it requires:
- professional liability insurance of at least €100,000 per claim and €300,000 a year,
- a signed brokerage contract with the owner before a property can be advertised,
- the agency's company name, registered office and branch addresses in its advertising,
- the broker's register number in the brokerage contract.
The public bodies your purchase passes through:
- The notary public, appointed by the state, checks the seller's identity and certifies their signature.
- The tax office issues your OIB and assesses the transfer tax.
- The land registry at the municipal court enters you as the owner.
- The Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation gives consent to buyers from outside the EU.
Your lawyer is the other safeguard. Their due diligence checks that the property is legally ready for sale, with no dispute attached, before you sign.
Before you choose a property
- Do you hold an EU passport? If not, check first whether your country is on the ministry's reciprocity list.
- Is it agricultural land? For EU citizens that is fine; buyers from outside the EU need the company route.
- Budget about 8% on top of the price, or less for a new build sold with VAT, plus the annual property tax.
- Appoint your own lawyer before the pre-contract.
- Will you rent it out? Outside the EU and EEA, decide on the company or management-agency route before buying; in an apartment building, ask about the other owners' consent.
The agency's details and all its properties listed on assetlog.ai are on the Croatia Property Sales agency page.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy property in Croatia?
Yes. EU citizens buy on the same terms as Croatians, including agricultural land since July 2023. Citizens of non-EU countries need the consent of the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, which depends on a reciprocity agreement with their country, and they cannot buy agricultural land in their own name; they usually buy it through a Croatian company.
How much does buying property in Croatia cost on top of the price?
About 8% for a resale property: 3% real estate transfer tax, 3.75% agency commission including VAT and 1.25% for the lawyer including VAT. A new build sold with VAT carries no transfer tax. After that comes an annual property tax of €0.60–8.00 per square metre, unless the home is your permanent residence or let long-term.
Do I need a lawyer to buy property in Croatia?
Croatia Property Sales considers it essential, and the lawyer should be independent rather than working for the agency. The lawyer checks the title and the building documentation, drafts the pre-contract and the contract, can hold the money in escrow and makes sure you are entered in the land registry. The fee is usually 1% + VAT, with a minimum of €1,000 + VAT.
Can I buy property in Croatia without travelling there?
Yes. Only the seller's signature has to be certified by a notary, so you can sign the final contract abroad and send it back by courier. If the seller lives abroad, their certified signature usually needs an apostille and a court-certified Croatian translation.
When do I get the keys?
Usually on the day the final contract is signed by both sides, the full price is paid and the seller signs the confirmation of payment with their consent to registering you as the owner. The transfer tax bill comes later and does not hold up the handover.
Can I rent out my Croatian property to tourists?
As a private individual only if you are a citizen of Croatia, the EEA or Switzerland, and you need your own licence because it does not pass from the previous owner. In an apartment building you also need the other owners' consent. Non-EU owners can let through a Croatian company registered for tourist rentals or a tourist management agency.
Does buying property in Croatia give me a residence permit?
No. EU citizens only register their residence. Non-EU owners can apply for a temporary stay of up to a year, which normally cannot be extended; non-EU pensioners over 60 who own property in Croatia are the exception.