by croatiaweek
September 21, 2025
in
Zagreb
Three months have passed since Croatia introduced the option of a tax refund for the purchase of a first property, a measure aimed at easing access to housing, particularly for younger buyers.
So far, the Agency for Transactions and Mediation in Immovable Properties (APN) has received almost 1,800 applications, with more than €6.5 million already paid out, HRT reported.
Around 75% of applications have been approved, while 13% were rejected and 12% deemed incomplete. The largest individual refund to date was approximately €27,000.
The average age of applicants is 32.
The highest number of requests has come from Zagreb and the wider Zagreb County, followed by the Split-Dalmatia, Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Osijek-Baranja counties.
For many, the refund is helping reduce lengthy mortgage repayment periods or cover furnishing costs, with the scheme offering welcome relief at a time of high property prices.
Applications can be submitted within 24 months of signing a purchase agreement, provided it was concluded after 1 January this year.
Required documents include proof of identity, purchase contract, land registry extract, proof of residence registration, tax assessment and bank account details.
Those building a family house must also provide a usage permit.
Jelena Bokun, public relations advisor at APN, explained that applicants should not worry if their documentation is incomplete at the time of submission.
“Our colleagues will notify them, they will have sufficient time to provide what is missing, and the application will still be processed,” she said. Refunds are typically issued within a few months once requirements are met.
Applicants are reminded that eligibility excludes those who have already used state subsidies for property acquisition. Common reasons for rejection include exceeding the permitted age limit, a price per square metre above the published averages, or property sizes not matching household criteria.
APN also provides an online calculator allowing buyers to estimate their potential refund.
For example, on a 63-square-metre new-build apartment in Zagreb priced at €214,166, the refund would amount to just under €15,000.