Slovakia's official land register recording all property rights, encumbrances, and ownership — publicly searchable online. Registration takes 30 days (or 15 with an expedited fee).
The Kataster nehnuteľností is Slovakia's unified real estate register, administered by the Úrad geodézie, kartografie a katastra Slovenskej republiky (ÚGKK SR — Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Authority). It records the ownership, physical description, and legal encumbrances of all real estate in Slovakia. The register is publicly searchable online at katasterportal.sk and provides the authoritative legal record of who owns what and what rights exist over any given property.
Slovak cadastral law, like Czech law, applies the constitutive principle: ownership of real estate transfers legally only upon registration in the Kataster, not upon signing the purchase agreement. This means that between signing and registration (typically 30 days for a standard application, 15 days for an expedited application on payment of an administrative fee), the buyer has a contractual right but is not yet the registered owner. During this period, a pendency note (plomba) is entered in the register indicating an application is being processed.
Before completing any Slovak property purchase, conduct a cadastral search to verify: the seller's registered title; the cadastral area and land use classification; any mortgages (záložné práva), liens, or court-ordered charges registered; any easements (vecné bremená) burdening the property; and any pending proceedings that might affect the title. The full cadastral extract (výpis z katastra nehnuteľností — LV) is the key document showing all this information.
The List vlastníctva (LV — Property Ownership Sheet) is the fundamental document in Slovak property transactions. It shows the owner's name, the property description (area, building structure, floor area), the folio number (parcela), and all registered rights and encumbrances. Requesting an aktuálny výpis (current extract) immediately before signing ensures you have the most up-to-date picture of the property's legal status.
Slovak property registration fees are relatively low: the standard registration fee is 66 EUR; the expedited (15-day) registration costs 265 EUR. The purchase agreement must be filed with the District Office (Okresný úrad) katastrálny odbor with jurisdiction over the property's location. Your Slovak lawyer handles the filing as part of the conveyancing process.
Use the free public portal katasterportal.sk to search by property address, parcel number, or owner name. The search provides the current LV extract showing ownership, area, and encumbrances. For an official certified copy (overený výpis), request it from the Okresný úrad katastrálny odbor or from a notary.
A vecné bremeno (easement or encumbrance) is a real right limiting the use of a property in favour of another person or another parcel. Examples include rights of way, utility easements, and lifetime rights of use (doživotné právo užívania). All vecné bremená are registered in the Kataster and must be disclosed to buyers.
EU/EEA nationals can purchase all types of Slovak real estate without restrictions. Non-EU nationals can purchase apartments and houses without a permit but may face restrictions on agricultural and forest land (which requires Slovak citizenship or residency in some cases). Your Slovak lawyer will advise on any applicable restrictions for your specific transaction.
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