Slovenia: Ownership of real estate by foreigners
Foreigners from a wide range of countries are interested in purchasing real estate in Slovenia. The possibility for foreigners to purchase real estate in Slovenia is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia.
In accordance with Article 68 of the Constitution, foreigners may acquire ownership rights to real estate in Slovenia under the conditions provided by law or by an international treaty ratified by the National Assembly. This provision implies that foreigners can only acquire a right of ownership to real estate in our country if there is an additional legal basis for doing so - either a law or an international treaty. Since the sale of Slovenian real estate to foreigners is a matter of national interest that requires the highest level of protection, the condition for foreigners to acquire ownership rights to real estate is reciprocity, which means that a foreigner will only be able to purchase real estate in Slovenia if Slovenian citizens and legal entities also have such rights in the foreigner's country. Reciprocity does not have to be established for foreigners who have the same status as Slovenian citizens and companies established in Slovenia on the basis of a law or an international treaty.
With regard to the possibility of acquiring ownership rights to real estate in Slovenia, foreign citizens and companies are classified into the following groups: citizens and companies of EU countries, citizens and companies of OECD countries, citizens and companies of EFTA member states and citizens and companies of other countries.
Citizens and companies of EU countries, OECD member states and EFTA Member States are allowed to purchase real estate under the same conditions as Slovenian citizens and without any special restrictions. Citizens and companies of other countries may acquire ownership rights to Slovenian real estate only through a reciprocity procedure. As getting an administrative decision on reciprocity in reciprocity procedure is long and complicated, we advise foreigners to establish a company in Slovenia and through the company purchase real estate in Slovenia.
At our law firm, we help clients to register a company in Slovenia, we help companies to complete the purchase of real estate and acquire the ownership of real estate in Slovenia.
For all further information regarding real estates and company registration, contact ALG partner in Slovenia - Odvetniška družba Završek & Šnajder o.p., d.o.o.
