Real estate reforms and tax refunds advance in Croatia and Serbia

In Croatia, the Agency for Legal Property Transactions and Mediation (APN) has approved over 5,044 requests for tax refunds related to the purchase or construction of first homes. Total approved payouts exceed 38.2 million euros, consisting of VAT and real estate transfer tax refunds. The average support per family is 7,578 euros. The highest number of approved requests originated from Zagreb, followed by Split-Dalmatia and Zagreb counties.

In Serbia, the ‘Svoj na svome’ (Own on my own) system has processed approximately one million property ownership registration requests in roughly 28 weeks. This figure represents a significant increase compared to the 320,000 cases resolved over the previous 28 years. The process, managed by the Agency for Spatial Planning and Urbanism in cooperation with the Republic Geodetic Authority, utilizes digital platforms for notifications and documentation to resolve long-standing issues regarding illegal construction.