This article deals with the law of the Slovak Republic and its application by Slovak courts and authorities.
Foreign buyers — EU citizens as well as most third-country nationals and companies — can acquire flats, houses and land in Slovakia; restrictions apply only to exceptions such as certain agricultural and forest land. The purchase is always governed by Slovak law, and ownership passes only upon registration in the Slovak land registry (kataster).
Step one is legal due diligence: the title deed, encumbrances (mortgages, easements), access to the land, and whether reality matches the registry. For flats, add a check of the building administrator and any arrears. As a foreign client you don’t have to handle any of this in person — we can run the checks and the entire transfer under a power of attorney.
The single most important safeguard is escrow: the purchase price goes into a notarial or attorney escrow and is released to the seller only after ownership is registered in your name. A contract authorized by a Slovak attorney also speeds up the registry proceedings and replaces signature certification — particularly practical when you sign abroad.
If you are buying from abroad, the whole process works remotely: a video consultation, a power of attorney (with an apostille where needed), contracts in Slovak with an English working translation, escrow and the land-registry filing. Talk to us before you sign a reservation agreement — that is where most costly mistakes happen.