Contracts
Property purchase agreement 2026: template, requirements and registration in the cadastre
A property purchase agreement is a written contract between a seller and a buyer to transfer ownership of a property. It is governed by the Civil Code (§588 et seq.) and the Cadastre Act. The seller's signature, at a minimum, must be officially certified. Ownership is transferred only upon registration in the cadastre, not upon signing the agreement. The application for registration is filed with the district office's cadastral department; the fee is €33 for electronic filing or €66 for paper filing.
What is a property purchase agreement
A purchase agreement is a bilateral legal act in which the seller undertakes to transfer ownership of a property to the buyer, and the buyer undertakes to pay the agreed purchase price. For real property, it must always be in writing (§46(1) of the Civil Code).
Signing the agreement does not in itself transfer ownership. Ownership is transferred only when the cadastral office's decision to permit registration becomes final (§133(2) of the Civil Code). Until then, the buyer is only a prospective owner, even if they have already paid the purchase price.
Mandatory elements of the deed
A property purchase agreement must contain the following information, otherwise the cadastral office will not accept it for processing:
Identification of the parties
Full name, surname at birth, date of birth, birth registration number, and permanent address of both the seller and the buyer. For a legal entity: business name, registered office, company ID number, and the name of the statutory representative.
Subject of the agreement
Precise identification of the property: title deed number, cadastral area, municipality, cadastral parcel number (including the slash), land type, and area in m². For buildings, the building number and a description. For apartments, the apartment number, floor, and share of common areas.
Purchase price
A specific amount in EUR (or another agreed currency, converted at the applicable exchange rate). The price must be definite; 'reasonable price' or 'market value' is not sufficient. A transfer without payment is handled by a deed of gift, not a purchase agreement.
Method and date of payment
How the price will be paid (notarial or attorney escrow, blocked bank account, direct transfer) and by when. If a mortgage is used, the agreement also describes the cooperation with the buyer's bank.
Certified signatures
The signatures of both parties must be on the same document (§46(2) of the Civil Code). The seller's signature must be officially certified (by a notary, a registry office, or a diplomatic mission). The buyer's signature does not require certification, but it is recommended.
Registration application as an appendix
An application for registration in the cadastre, signed by both parties, is attached to the agreement. The form is available at slovensko.sk and at district offices.
The purchase process step by step
The standard process from signing the agreement to registering the new owner in the cadastre takes 4–8 weeks.
- 01
Drafting the agreement and checking the title deed
The seller or a notary/lawyer drafts the purchase agreement. The buyer obtains an up-to-date title deed and checks Part C (encumbrances). Buying a property with an undiscovered mortgage or enforcement order in Part C is a high risk.
- 02
Signing the agreement
The parties meet at a notary's office (recommended) or a registry office to have their identities verified and signatures certified. The contract is drawn up in at least 4 counterparts (one for each party, the cadastre, and the bank, if applicable).
- 03
Escrow for the purchase price
The buyer deposits the purchase price into notarial escrow or a blocked bank account. The funds are released to the seller only after the transfer is registered in the cadastre. If a mortgage is used, the bank transfers the funds directly to the seller's account once the conditions are met.
- 04
Application for registration
Either party (usually a notary or lawyer) files the application for registration in the cadastre with the district office's cadastral department. The fee is €33 for electronic filing via slovensko.sk or €66 for paper filing. An expedited procedure (15 days) is available for an additional fee of €130.
- 05
Cadastral proceedings
The cadastre reviews the application for formal requirements and substantive accuracy (checking that the title deed details match, the seller is the true owner, and there are no encumbrances preventing the transfer). The standard deadline for a decision is 30 days from filing.
- 06
Registration and delivery of the decision
Once the decision to permit registration becomes final, the cadastre registers the new owner on the title deed. Both parties receive the decision in their electronic data box or by mail. Ownership is transferred on the date the decision becomes final.
- 07
Release of funds and handover
The notary or bank releases the purchase price to the seller. The parties sign a handover protocol, recording utility meter readings and the condition of the property.
Registration fees and deadlines
| Action | Fee | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Application for registration – paper filing | €66 | 30 days |
| Application for registration – electronic filing (slovensko.sk) | €33 | 30 days |
| Expedited procedure (surcharge) | +130 EUR | 15 days |
| Official signature verification (notary) | approx. 2 EUR / signature | Immediately |
| Notarial escrow (funds) | 0.3–0.8% of the purchase price | Until release |
| Agreement drafted by a notary (notary's tariff) | 0.5–1.2% of the purchase price | - |
| Agreement drafted by a lawyer | 300–1,200 EUR | - |
Source: zákon č. 145/1995 Z.z. o správnych poplatkoch (item 11), the decree on notaries' fees (vyhl. 31/1993 Z.b.). A 50% discount on the administrative fee applies to electronic filings via slovensko.sk.
VAT on property purchases
When buying from a natural person who is not a VAT payer, VAT does not apply. This is the case for the vast majority of secondhand apartment purchases.
When buying a new build from a developer who is a VAT payer, a rate of 23% applies (the standard VAT rate effective from January 1, 2025). The VAT is included in the purchase price; the invoice itemizes it separately.
The sale of a property more than five years after its first final building approval is exempt from VAT (§38 of the VAT Act), unless the seller has voluntarily opted to apply VAT.
Common mistakes in purchase agreements
- Inaccurate property identification. A missing slash in the cadastral parcel number, the wrong cadastral territory, or a missing title deed number. The cadastre will not process such an agreement.
- Missing official verification of the seller's signature. Without it, the agreement is completely invalid from the perspective of the cadastre.
- Price stated as 'by agreement' or 'market price'. The price must be a specific amount in EUR.
- Signatures on different copies. The Civil Code requires both parties to sign the same document (§46 ods. 2).
- Unchecked title deed. The buyer fails to check Part C and discovers after signing that the property is subject to a writ of execution. The cadastre will reject the registration.
- Marital community property not accounted for. The seller owns the property as marital community property, but the other spouse has not signed the agreement. The cadastre will reject the registration (§145 ods. 1 OZ).
- No escrow for funds. The buyer pays the seller directly before registration. If the cadastre rejects the registration, the seller is obliged to return the money, but recovering it often takes years of court proceedings.
Frequently asked questions
No. The law only requires the agreement to be in writing with the seller's signature officially verified. However, having it drafted by a notary or a lawyer is strongly recommended—the notary will check the title deed, verify the parties' identities, and provide escrow for the purchase price.
Not upon signing the agreement, but when the cadastre's decision to permit the registration becomes final. This normally takes 30 days from filing the application, or 15 days for expedited processing.
The real estate transfer tax was abolished in Slovakia in 2004. You only pay the registration fee (33 EUR for electronic filing / 66 EUR for paper filing), signature verification fees (approx. 2 EUR per signature), and potentially fees for notary and escrow services (0.5–1.5% of the price). Income tax may apply to the seller, but not the buyer.
No. For real property, the law requires the agreement to be in writing on pain of nullity. An oral agreement to sell real property has no legal effect.
A title deed is not a document 'held by the seller'—it is a public record maintained by the cadastre. You can download it online from katasterportal.sk or obtain an officially verified copy via slovensko.sk for 4 EUR. The seller must, however, be able to identify the property's record (by title deed number and cadastral territory).
A preliminary agreement (an agreement on a future contract) is a commitment by the parties to enter into the actual purchase agreement within a specified period. It is used to reserve the property and allow time to secure a mortgage. The purchase agreement effects the actual transfer. Registration in the cadastre is based only on the purchase agreement, not the preliminary agreement.
A natural person not engaged in business does not charge VAT. A developer (a VAT-paying legal entity) charges 23% on the sale of a new build within five years of its final building approval. The sale of a property older than five years is exempt from VAT.
The application can be filed by either party; in practice, it is handled by the notary, lawyer, or real estate agency acting as an intermediary. The application must be signed by both parties. Electronic filing via slovensko.sk requires a national ID card with an electronic chip (eID).
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