From February 1, foreigners will purchase real estate in Croatia without special conditions

The Croatian Government today proposed amendments to the Law on Ownership and Other Real Rights to the Parliament, based on which, after February 1 of next year, citizens and legal entities from EU countries will be able to acquire ownership of real estate in Croatia under the same conditions as Croatian citizens, thus only under general, and not special conditions, except for agricultural land and protected parts of nature.

The obligation to equalize physical and legal persons from EU countries with Croatian citizens regarding the acquisition of real estate (except for the mentioned exceptions) arises for Croatia from the Stabilization and Association Agreement, which provided a deadline of 4 years for this, expiring at the beginning of February next year. Until now, foreigners from the EU could acquire real estate only with the consent of the Minister of Justice based on a legal transaction.

Vocational education in Croatia has been neglected for years, and the Government wants to change this situation with a special law on this education and align vocational education with the economy and labor market needs, which has not been the case so far, said the Minister of Science, Education and Sports Dragan Primorac today. The proposed Law on Vocational Education regulates the specific needs of vocational education, training and upgrading of students, as well as issues related to practical teaching and exercises. In cases of exercises and internships with employers, the law provides for the right to compensation, which would depend on the average Croatian salary and would range from 10 percent of that average for first-grade students to 25 percent for students from the third grade.

This proposed law is aligned with European legislation, and from today’s session, the Government sent nearly 20 legislative proposals to the Parliament aligned with EU legislation. This package also includes several new tourism laws – on tourist boards and promoting Croatian tourism, on membership fees in tourist boards and the residence tax. With the new laws, the 330 tourist boards in Croatia gain the ability to manage the destination, emphasized the Minister of Tourism Damir Bajs, adding that the new laws also aim to achieve more efficient collection and better distribution, i.e., more rational spending of money from membership fees and residence taxes.

The Government also accepted the proposal for the Law on Golf Courses, which, Bajs emphasizes, should contribute to a new quality of Croatian tourism and assist investments in tourism. The Government also supported the proposals for the Law on Waters and on financing water management. The new water law, as highlighted by the Ministry of Agriculture, completely excludes the possibility of privatizing water resources and systems. The laws also foresee the establishment of the Institute for Waters and the Agency for the Regulation of Water Services, through which, as emphasized, the prices of fees for water services imposed by cities and municipalities through their utility companies will be controlled.

Amendments to the Law on State Border Control have also been sent to the Parliament, which are related to clarifications regarding the application of the Schengen Code at the border. (Hina)