How a foreigner buys an apartment in Slovakia in 2026: step by step

A foreigner can buy an apartment in Slovakia just like a Slovak citizen. You need no residence permit, no Slovak company and no special approval. The differences come not from your passport but from what you buy: a finished flat from a private owner, or an apartment in a building still under construction. Below we go through both routes, the documents, the timelines and how to buy if you do not live in Slovakia yet.

Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Slovakia?

Yes. Restrictions on foreigners apply only to agricultural and forest land. An apartment, a town house, an atelier or a garage can be bought by a citizen of Ukraine, Kazakhstan or any other country in the same way as by a Slovak. Ownership is registered in the cadastre directly in your name, not in the name of a company or a nominee.

Do you need a residence permit?

No. You can buy with any status or none at all: with temporary protection, with temporary or permanent residence, or with just a passport. Status starts to matter later, in two situations.

• Mortgage. Banks look mainly at residence status and income in Slovakia. With temporary protection a mortgage is rare and usually needs a co-borrower.
• Residence. Buying an apartment does not by itself give you a right to residence. Your own flat is useful, though, as proof of accommodation when you apply on another basis (work, business, family).

Resale and new build: two different processes

With a resale flat you buy from a private owner. The flat already exists and the deal takes 1 to 2 months: checking the title deed (list vlastníctva) for debts and charges, a purchase contract, and the money held in escrow by a notary or lawyer until the cadastre registers you.

In a new build you buy from a developer an apartment that does not yet exist as a separate property. So the deal is spread over time and runs through several contracts. That is normal, but the things to check in those contracts are different.

Buying from a developer, step by step

• 1. Choosing the flat and reserving it. You sign a reservation agreement and pay a reservation fee. The flat is taken off the market and the price is fixed. The agreement should say clearly when the fee is refunded and when it is not.
• 2. Future purchase agreement (zmluva o budúcej kúpnej zmluve). The main document during construction: the exact flat with its plan and floor area, the price, the payment schedule, the completion date, the fit-out standard and what happens if the developer is late.
• 3. Instalments on schedule. Usually part of the price is paid at signing, part during construction and the rest on transfer of ownership. Each developer sets its own split.
• 4. Kolaudácia. The building authority inspects the finished building and permits its use (kolaudačné rozhodnutie). Until then the flat cannot be registered as a separate unit.
• 5. Purchase contract and cadastre. After kolaudácia the purchase contract is signed and an application is filed with the cadastre. It decides within 30 days, or within 15 days for an extra fee.
• 6. Handover and keys. You inspect the flat with the developer and sign a handover report (preberací protokol). Every defect goes into the report and the developer fixes it under warranty.

Apartments in the Račianska 109B new build, completion in Q2 2027 →

Which documents the buyer needs

• A passport or an EU ID card. A Ukrainian biometric passport is fine; your name goes into the contract in Latin letters exactly as in the passport.
• You do not need a Slovak birth number. The cadastre records a foreigner by date of birth.
• A postal address. The cadastre and the city (property tax) send letters, and a Slovak address makes this easier.
• A bank account. The law does not require one, but paying a developer on a schedule is easiest from a euro account at an EU bank. You can open a Slovak account even with temporary protection.

The buyer’s signature on the purchase contract does not have to be certified. The law requires a certified signature only from the person transferring ownership, which is the seller.

Can you buy without travelling to Slovakia?

Yes. The reservation agreement and the future purchase agreement are often signed remotely: a scan first, then the originals by post or courier. For the purchase contract and the handover you can send a representative with a power of attorney.

The power of attorney needs a certified signature. If you sign it abroad, you usually need a notary plus an apostille, or certification at a Slovak consulate, and then an official translation into Slovak. Agree the wording with a lawyer or the developer in advance so the cadastre accepts it without trouble.

How long it takes

Common buyer mistakes

• Paying a large sum before the future purchase agreement. At reservation stage you pay only the reservation fee.
• Skipping the clause on delays. A good contract names a final completion date and what follows: whether you can withdraw and get your money back.
• Not checking the floor area. The contract should state the flat’s area separately from balconies, terraces and gardens, because both the price and the tax depend on it.
• Signing a contract you do not understand. Ask for a translation or hire your own lawyer. A contract review costs a few hundred euros.
• Confusing an atelier with an apartment. An atelier is often cheaper, but legally it is non-residential space.

Atelier or apartment: what is the difference →

What buying a flat costs on top of the price →