By the end of the year, Serbia plans to streamline the legalization of approximately 4.8 million unauthorized buildings, allowing them to be registered, sold, or used as collateral. The government has approved a draft law, and the Republic Geodetic Authority has released a guide for property registration under the new framework.
Attorney Biljana Milošević explains that the process should consider legal facts tying the de facto owner to the property, such as payment of utilities and property taxes, even if the building was previously unauthorized. Legalization rights apply to individuals who are the factual owners of the property, though unresolved land ownership issues remain a major obstacle.
In Belgrade alone, there are 266,655 unauthorized buildings, most of them residential, concentrated in neighborhoods such as Kaluđerica, Borča, Ovča, and Altina. Long-standing complications, such as inheritance disputes and unclear land ownership, have historically delayed legalization.
To register a property, applicants must submit details digitally, including personal ID (IMBG), cadastral parcel number or address, property information, proof of ownership, purchase agreements, inheritance documents, and a sworn declaration of accuracy. The platform will cross-check submissions with public records to verify ownership, and the Agency for Spatial Planning and Management will decide on registration.
Milošević emphasizes the need for additional legal adjustments to ensure the largest number of buildings can be registered, suggesting that long-term payment of taxes and utilities could be recognized as legal evidence of ownership even when formal land rights are unclear.
