A foreigner can buy a flat or a house in Serbia on the same terms as a Serbian citizen, provided there is reciprocity with the country of their citizenship. Special restrictions apply to agricultural land. This page explains who can buy what and how the purchase works.
Who can buy and what
A foreign individual who does not carry on business in Serbia may, subject to reciprocity, acquire ownership of a flat or a residential building on the same terms as a Serbian citizen. They cannot acquire other land, except the land on which the flat or building stands and which serves its normal use. Foreign individuals and legal entities that carry on business in Serbia may, on the same condition, acquire the real estate they need for that business. A foreigner acquires real estate by inheritance in the same way as a Serbian citizen, also subject to reciprocity. Residence in Serbia is not required for a purchase.
Reciprocity
Reciprocity means that Serbian citizens can also acquire real estate in the buyer's country on similar terms. It may arise from an international treaty or from the laws and practice of that country. The Ministry of Justice publishes a list of countries with which reciprocity has been established. Among others, it includes the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia, China, Turkey, Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom and most European Union countries. For a country not on the list, the court, the cadastre or the buyer can ask the Ministry of Justice for an explanation.
Agricultural land
As a rule, a foreign individual or legal entity cannot own agricultural land. The law provides an exception for EU citizens, subject to conditions such as at least ten years of permanent residence in the municipality where the land is located and at least three years of farming that land. For houses in villages or on the edge of a town, it is worth checking how the land is recorded in the cadastre, because part of the plot may be registered as agricultural land.
What to check before buying
- who is registered as the owner and whether there are encumbrances: a mortgage, a note of a pending dispute, a ban on disposal
- how the building and the land are registered and whether the building is entered in the cadastre
- whether the seller can dispose of the property alone: co-owners, the seller's spouse, unfinished probate proceedings
- whether there are unpaid building maintenance charges or utility bills
How the purchase works
- Checking the property and agreeing on the price, deadlines and method of payment.
- A preliminary contract, if the main contract is not concluded straight away. The preliminary contract must have the same form as the main contract.
- The purchase contract, concluded as a notarially certified (solemnised) deed before a notary public in whose area the property is located. A contract not concluded in that form has no legal effect.
- Payment of the price in the manner and within the deadlines set by the contract, through a bank.
- Registration in the cadastre: the notary sends the contract to the cadastre electronically within 24 hours, and the cadastre decides on registration within five working days.
A buyer who is not in Serbia can buy property through a representative. Taxes and costs are explained on a separate page.
Property and residence
Owning real estate in Serbia can be a ground for temporary residence, but does not by itself give a right of residence. Residence is decided by the police in a separate procedure.
Common questions
Note: This text is general information and is not legal advice for a specific case. It reflects the regulations at the time of the page's last update (October 2026). Assessing a particular situation requires reviewing the documents and circumstances of the case.
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Contact
For more information, you can contact the office by phone or email.