As a rule, foreign legal entities can only acquire ownership of real estate in Croatia under the condition of reciprocity and subject to consent by the Minister of Justice, except through a company incorporated in Croatia, in which case the incorporated company will be treated as a Croatian national. Foreign legal entities cannot acquire or hold any property rights in agricultural land or forests, or in areas legally declared as restricted to foreign investors in view of protecting the interests and safety of the Republic of Croatia.
However, legal entities incorporated in EU/EEA member states can acquire and own real estate assets in Croatia under the same conditions as those applied to domestic legal entities, with the exception of agricultural land and other real estate localed in protected nature areas. Pursuant to the provisions of the Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union, citizens and legal entities of the European Union cannot acquire agricultural land for a period of seven years from the date of accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union [1 July 2013]. In 2020, the ban was extended until 30 June 2023 by a decision of the European Commission.
"Article 355
(1) From the standpoint of this Act, a natural person shall be considered a party when he or she does not have the citizenship of the Republic of Croatia, unless otherwise provided by law. [...]
(3) A legal person shall be considered a foreign person from the point of view of this Act when it has a registered office outside the territory of the Republic of Croatia, unless otherwise provided by law.
[...]
Article 356 [...]
(2) Foreign natural and legal persons may, unless otherwise provided by law, on the assumption of reciprocity, acquire ownership of real estate in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, if the consent is given by the Minister competent for justice of the Republic of Croatia.
[…]
Article 358
(1) A foreign person may not be the owner of real estate located in an area which, for the protection of the interests and security of the Republic of Croatia, has been declared an area in which foreign persons cannot have the right of ownership, unless otherwise provided by law.
[…]
Article 358a
(1) The provisions of Articles 354 to 358 of the Property and Other Real Rights Act (Official Gazette 91/96, 68/98, 137/99, 22/00, 73/00, 114/01, 79/06 and 141/06) do not apply to citizens and legal entities from the Member States of the European Union. These persons acquire the right of ownership of real estate under the preconditions that apply to the acquisition of the right of ownership for citizens of the Republic of Croatia and legal persons with a registered office in the Republic of Croatia.
(2) The provision of paragraph 1 of this Article shall not apply to real estate in the exempted areas:
- agricultural land determined by a special law,
- protected parts of nature according to a special law.[…]" (Property and Other Real Rights Act (NN 81/2015; consolidated text of 7/22/2015), Articles 355, 356, 358 and 358a [google translation])
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"Article 2
(1) Agricultural land is of good interest to the Republic of Croatia and has its special protection.
(2) Foreign legal and natural persons may not be holders of land ownership rights referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, unless otherwise determined by an international agreement and a special regulation. [...]" (Agricultural Land Act (NN 20/2018; 22 February 2018), Article 2 [google translation])
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"Article 1
The transitional period concerning the acquisition of agricultural land in Croatia referred to in Chapter 3 of Annex V to the 2011 Act of Accession shall be extended until 30 June 2023. [...]" (Commission Decision (EU) 2020/787 of 16 June 2020 extending the transitional period concerning the acquisition of agricultural land in Croatia (OJ L 192, 17.6.2020, p. 1–3), Article 1)
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"Article 56
(1) Forests and forest lands owned by the Republic of Croatia may not be alienated from the property of the Republic of Croatia, except in cases provided for by this Act.
(2) Foreign persons, namely natural persons when they do not have the citizenship of the Republic of Croatia or other Member States of the European Union and a legal person having a registered office outside the Republic of Croatia and other Member States of the European Union, may not acquire ownership of forests and forest land in owned by the Republic of Croatia, unless otherwise provided by an international agreement.[...]" (Forestry Act (NN 68/2018; 19 July 2018), Article 56 [google translation])
Property and Other Real Rights Act (NN 81/2015; consolidated text of 7/22/2015), Articles 355, 356, 358 and 358a
Agricultural Land Act (NN 20/2018; 22 February 2018), Article 2
Commission Decision (EU) 2020/787 of 16 June 2020 extending the transitional period concerning the acquisition of agricultural land in Croatia (OJ L 192, 17.6.2020, p. 1–3), Article 1
Forestry Act (NN 68/2018; 19 July 2018), Article 56
[<a href="https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2015_07_81_1548.html">Act</a>],[<a href="https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2018_03_20_402.html">Act</a>],[<a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32020D0787">Decision</a>],[<a href="https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2018_07_68_1392.html">Act</a>]