Explosion of Requests for Location Permits in Zagreb

The number of requests for the issuance of location permits in Zagreb has more than doubled compared to last year, according to data provided by the City of Zagreb to Lider.

By September 30, 2025, 979 requests have been received, while there were 502 throughout the entire year of 2024. Assuming a uniform issuance dynamic throughout the year, it follows that in the first nine months of this year, two and a half times more requests have been submitted than in the same period last year.

The main reason for this surge lies in the recent amendments to the General Urban Plan (GUP), prompting numerous investors to rush to submit requests before the new, more restrictive rules come into effect. According to the Construction Act, permits are issued according to the rules in effect at the time of the request submission.

A location permit is valid for two years, giving investors enough time to obtain a building permit and begin project realization under more favorable conditions. Since a building permit is valid for three years, investors who timely requested a location permit theoretically have up to five years to commence construction.

Among the investors who requested location permits for projects with dozens of new apartments before the new GUP was adopted are GIP Pionir and Miroslav Borojević, as previously reported.

This year, there has also been a milder increase in the number of requests for building permits – by the end of September, 1564 requests have been received, while there were 1804 throughout the entire year of 2024.

In the coming months, it remains to be seen whether the wave of requests for location permits will translate into actual construction and whether the new GUP will be used as an excuse to increase apartment prices, even though building permits were issued under the old, more favorable rules.