Legalization cost in Serbia: how much legalization costs in 2025 and 2026
Legalization cost by zone (legalizacija cena): EUR 100 to 1,000 for a house or apartment, who is exempt and extra costs under the "Svoj na svome" law.
Legalization cost by zone
The legalization cost (legalizacija cena) no longer depends on the size of the house, as it did under the Law on Legalization of Buildings (Zakon o ozakonjenju objekata), where a legalization charge was paid. Under the Law on Special Conditions for Recording and Registering Rights in Real Estate (Zakon o posebnim uslovima za evidentiranje i upis prava na nepokretnostima, Sl. glasnik RS, Nos. 91/2025 and 80/2026), known as "Svoj na svome", a single fixed fee is paid for a family house up to 400 m² and for an apartment. Its amount depends on the size of the city and the zone in which the building is located (Art. 8 para. 2).
The range is EUR 100 to 1,000. The highest amount applies to Belgrade's extra zone. In municipalities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants and in villages the fee is EUR 100 regardless of zone. The zones are those the city or municipal assembly has already set for the land development contribution. If the building is in no zone, the amount for the nearest adjoining zone applies (Art. 8 para. 16).
All amounts are paid in dinars, at the National Bank of Serbia middle rate on the day of calculation (Art. 8 para. 5), in one instalment (Art. 8 para. 17). The law does not provide for payment in instalments. The Agency for Spatial Planning and Urbanism determines the fee before issuing the confirmation and sends a notice with payment instructions; the payment period is 30 days from service (Art. 8 paras. 11 and 14).
How much legalization costs for larger and commercial buildings
The fixed fee applies to a family residential building, which the law defines as a building with no more than two residential units and up to 400 m² of net area (Art. 4). For a larger house, the zone fee is paid, plus the land development contribution for every square metre above 400 m² (Art. 8 para. 3).
For warehouses, storage, farm and auxiliary buildings and production facilities up to 500 m² there is no fee. Above that, EUR 10 is paid for every further square metre (Art. 8 para. 4).
For all other buildings, for example business premises, the fee equals the full land development contribution (Art. 8 para. 1). That amount can be considerably higher than the fixed fees and differs from municipality to municipality.
Who is exempt from the fee
The law exempts owners of a house or apartment they live in if the applicant is a person with a disability, a war veteran, a single parent, a recipient of social assistance, or a family with three or more children (Art. 8 para. 15). The law does not say which documents are accepted as evidence.
Apartment owners in a building whose developer is known and available also pay nothing, because the developer is then liable (Art. 8 para. 6). If the developer does not pay, the apartment owners are still registered without a fee, and a note that the fee has not been paid remains on the building (Art. 8 para. 7).
When the main building on agricultural land or a farm holding is a house, the fee is paid only for the house, not for the auxiliary and farm buildings of the same owner (Art. 12 paras. 4 and 5).
Extra costs to plan for
Registration in the cadastre itself is free of charge (Art. 14 para. 3). An extra cost arises when a geodetic survey report is needed: if the building is not visible on imagery, is not recorded in the Geodetic Authority's database, or its area has changed. Residential buildings also need a sketch and specification of the separate units, prepared by a licensed engineer (Art. 7). These services are priced by the market.
After registration, an owner who also acquired the land beneath the building under this law must form a cadastral parcel for the regular use of the building within five years (Art. 16 para. 9). That is a separate procedure under the Law on Planning and Construction (Zakon o planiranju i izgradnji), with its own costs.
If the building stands on someone else's land or several people have applied for it, the cost of legalization may also include court proceedings over ownership, with court fees and a lawyer's fee that depend on the value of the dispute.
Sources
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fee for a family house up to 400 m² or an apartment, City of Belgrade | Extra zone EUR 1,000; first zone 800; second and third 300; fourth 200; fifth 150; sixth and other zones EUR 100 | Art. 8 para. 2 item 1) of the Zakon o posebnim uslovima za evidentiranje i upis prava na nepokretnostima (Sl. glasnik RS, Nos. 91/2025 and 80/2026) |
| Fee in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants | Extra and first zone EUR 500; second 250; third 150; fourth and other zones EUR 100 | Art. 8 para. 2 item 2) |
| Fee in cities and municipalities with 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants | Extra and first zone EUR 300; second 200; third and other zones EUR 100 | Art. 8 para. 2 item 3) |
| Fee in municipalities under 50,000 inhabitants and in villages | EUR 100 | Art. 8 para. 2 item 4) |
| Family house over 400 m² | The zone fee, plus the land development contribution for every m² above 400 m². The contribution per m² is set by your municipality's or city's decision | Art. 8 para. 3, as worded after the 2026 amendments |
| Warehouses, storage, farm and auxiliary buildings, production facilities | Up to 500 m² no fee; above that EUR 10 for every further m² | Art. 8 para. 4 |
| Business premises and other buildings not specifically listed | A fee equal to the land development contribution for the zone, as set by the local government unit's decision | Art. 8 para. 1 |
| Apartment in a building whose developer is known and available | The apartment owner pays no fee; the developer pays it | Art. 8 paras. 6 and 7 |
| Registration of ownership in the cadastre | No fees or charges | Art. 14 para. 3 |
| Geodetic survey report, when required | Market price of a surveying firm, depending on the building and location. Ask a licensed surveying firm for an indicative price | Art. 7 (the building is not visible on imagery or not recorded in the Republic Geodetic Authority's database) |
| Lawyer's fee, if you engage a lawyer for the application, an objection or a land dispute | Depends on the action and the value of the matter | Tariff on fees and cost reimbursement for the work of lawyers (Bar Association of Serbia) |
Worked example
A family has a 140 m² house in the second zone of a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The house is visible on the satellite image and recorded in the Geodetic Authority's database, so no geodetic survey report is needed. The fee is EUR 250, payable in dinars at the National Bank of Serbia middle rate on the day of calculation. It is paid in one instalment, within 30 days of receiving the Agency's notice. Registration in the cadastre is free. If the same house were in the fourth zone of Belgrade, the fee would be EUR 200, and in a village EUR 100. If a family with three or more children lives in the house, no fee is paid. If the house has 450 m², the land development contribution for 50 m² is added to the zone fee, at the price set in the local government's decision.
FAQ
How much does it cost to legalize a house in Belgrade?
For a family house up to 400 m² the fee is EUR 100 to 1,000 depending on the zone: 1,000 in the extra zone, 800 in the first, 300 in the second and third, 200 in the fourth, 150 in the fifth and EUR 100 in the sixth and other zones (Art. 8 para. 2). The zones are set by the city's decision on the land development contribution.
Who does not pay the legalization fee?
No fee is paid by owners of a house or apartment in which the applicant and members of their household live, if the applicant is a person with a disability, a war veteran, a single parent, a recipient of social assistance, or a family with three or more children (Art. 8 para. 15). Nor is it paid for auxiliary and farm buildings up to 500 m², or for buildings registered under the 2013 law.
Is the legalization fee charged per square metre?
Not for a house up to 400 m² or for an apartment. The fee is fixed per building and depends only on the zone. Only the part above 400 m² for houses, the part above 500 m² for warehouses and auxiliary buildings, and business and other buildings that pay the full contribution are calculated per square metre.
What if I do not pay the fee within 30 days?
After the 2026 amendments the Agency's confirmation is forwarded to the cadastre only once the fee has been paid (Art. 8 para. 14 and Art. 14 para. 1), so without payment there is no registration. The law does not provide for discontinuing the procedure over late payment; the consequence is that the confirmation is not sent to the cadastre until the fee is paid.
Is property tax payable after legalization?
The Geodetic Authority forwards the Agency's confirmation ex officio to the Tax Administration and the local tax administration (Art. 14 para. 5). Property tax is assessed under the Law on Property Taxes (Zakon o porezima na imovinu), regardless of whether the building was registered.