Why registration matters
The title deed (list nepokretnosti) is proof of what exists on a parcel and who owns it. An unregistered building causes problems exactly when you need it most:
- when selling, because buyers and banks require a clean title deed;
- when taking out a loan, because a mortgage is registered on property that is in the cadastre;
- in inheritance and division of property;
- when extending, because the design starts from the registered state.
What the surveyor does: the survey report
Registration is based on a survey report (elaborat geodetskih radova). Under Serbian law it is prepared by a licensed surveying organisation, which surveys the building on site: its footprint, position on the parcel, number of storeys and, where needed, individual units such as flats and shops. From that data it prepares the report and submits it to the cadastre electronically, through the eŠalter portal.
Which documents are needed
The exact list depends on how the building was built, but most often it includes:
- the application for registration and the survey report;
- the building permit and occupancy permit, if they exist;
- proof of the right to the land, if the owner of the building is not also registered as the owner of the parcel.
For new buildings built with a permit, the report is prepared for the occupancy permit in the unified electronic procedure, and registration in the cadastre then follows as part of that procedure.
The procedure, step by step
- Checking the status. We look at the title deed and the documents you have, and tell you which procedure applies.
- Site survey. Surveying a building usually takes an hour or two; larger buildings and individual units take a little longer.
- Preparing the report according to the rules of the Republic Geodetic Authority.
- Submission to the cadastre. If the office finds shortcomings in the report, the surveying organisation corrects them within the short deadline set by law.
- Decision and registration. Once the decision becomes final, the building appears on the title deed.
What if the building was built without a permit?
Special rules apply to buildings built without a building permit. Since the end of 2025, Serbia has applied the Law on Special Conditions for the Recording and Registration of Rights to Real Estate (Zakon o posebnim uslovima za evidentiranje i upis prava na nepokretnostima), known as “Svoj na svome”. The procedure, deadlines and obligations differ depending on whether and when an application was filed, so we always check your case first, before any survey.