Building land: from purchase to building permit (overview)

From buying building land to a construction permit: title deed, zoning plan, access, utilities and a building-intent decision under current law.

“Building land” in everyday speech often means a parcel where you want to build a family house. In legal and zoning terms, however, it is a sequence of several steps: a clean title deed, compliance with the zoning plan, access, utilities, and only then authorisation of the building under construction law. This text is a practical overview of the path from purchase to a construction permit in Slovakia. It is not legal advice; for a specific project consult a designer, the municipality / building authority, a notary or an attorney.

Note on terminology: people still search for a “building permit”. The current Building Act (Act No. 25/2025 Coll.) generally requires for construction, alteration of a completed building, demolition and building modifications a decision on the building intent, unless the Act provides otherwise; for some minor buildings and modifications a notification is enough. The older Act No. 201/2022 Coll. on construction was replaced by this Act. Always verify the current wording and the practice of the specific building authority.

1. What you are buying – title deed and cadastre

Start with the official cadastre. On the ÚGKK portal (katasterportal / Portál ESKN) check an informative extract from the title deed (list vlastníctva) and review:

• parcel number, register C or E, area and land type (Part A);
• owner and share (Part B);
• encumbrances – mortgage, easement, contractual pre-emption right (Part C).

Cadastre data are kept under Act No. 162/1995 Coll. (Cadastral Act). Before signing and cadastral entry you need a current official extract. If the title deed carries a “plomb”, wait or have the pending proceeding explained.

A map view – for example on the Arealis portal (a map-first classifieds portal, not a real-estate agency) – helps you see the location, but take the legal status from the title deed.

For a co-ownership share, remember the statutory pre-emption right under § 140 of the Slovak Civil Code (Občiansky zákonník). For E-KN parcels, verify the relationship to C-KN and possible dual ownership – that can also complicate later construction.

2. Zoning plan – whether you may build at all

That a listing says “building” does not yet mean the zoning plan allows a family house. What decides is the municipal zoning plan (or a zone plan) under Act No. 200/2022 Coll. on spatial planning.

Request zoning information (územnoplánovacia informácia, ÚPI) for the parcel and describe the intent (family house, garage, extension). ÚPI typically states functional use, built-up limits, number of storeys, green-space ratio and other regulations. Also check the built-up area of the municipality, protection zones, flood areas and other limits.

If the land is agricultural and you plan to build, withdrawal from agricultural land under Act No. 220/2004 Coll. on protection and use of agricultural land may also be required – a separate proceeding, not part of an ordinary “building” listing. Likewise, forest land under Act No. 326/2005 Coll. on forests is not automatically a building parcel.

Without compliance with the zoning plan it makes no sense to proceed to design documentation – you risk refusal or years of waiting for a plan change.

3. Access, utilities and terrain

Before purchase and before design, verify:

Access. A direct boundary with a public road, or an easement of passage / drive recorded in the cadastre. A factual path between fences is not enough.

Utilities. Electricity, water, sewerage or a small wastewater plant, and possibly gas and telecommunications. Ask operators for a statement on connection and capacity. Protection zones of lines may limit building placement – even if the title deed does not list them.

Terrain and geology. Slope, groundwater, bearing capacity. If in doubt, an engineering-geological survey helps before you pay for full design documentation.

These points affect not only the land price but also the content of the design and later the decision on the building intent.

4. From intent to design

Once ownership, ÚPI and access are sorted, design preparation follows. In practice that means:

1. A clear intent – what you build, where on the parcel, and the scope.
2. A designer authorised for the relevant activity – documentation must meet building-technical requirements under construction law.
3. Opinions and statements required by the building authority and special regulations (utilities, nature protection, fire protection and others depending on the building type).
4. A geometric plan, if the parcel shape changes, a building is separated, or boundaries need clarifying.

Do not underestimate compliance of the design with ÚPI and the regulations. A common mistake: buy “building” land and only then discover that the required built-up ratio or setbacks do not allow the dream house.

5. Decision on the building intent (and notification)

Under Act No. 25/2025 Coll. (Building Act), construction, alteration of a completed building, demolition and building modifications generally require a decision on the building intent, unless the Act provides otherwise. For selected minor buildings and modifications a notification to the building authority may suffice.

What to take away as a buyer / builder:

• “Building permit” in everyday speech often means exactly this permit / decision under the current Building Act – verify the name and procedure with the specific authority.
• The decision is binding also on legal successors (important when selling an already advanced intent).
• Unauthorised building works have legal consequences; a subsequent permit is neither certain nor cheap.
• Deadlines, annexes and electronic filing follow the current Act and authority practice – do not rely on guides from before 2025.

After completion, occupancy / use authorisation under the Building Act usually follows. Only then does it make sense to deal with recording the building in the cadastre (if it is a building that is recorded there).

6. Practical path step by step

1. Check the title deed (informatively → officially before signing) and encumbrances.
2. Request ÚPI and confirm that the intent is zoning-permitted.
3. Verify access, utilities, protection zones and terrain.
4. Buy the land with a contract that clearly identifies the parcel and with cadastral entry under the Cadastral Act.
5. Prepare the design and the required statements.
6. File an application for a decision on the building intent (or a notification, if that is enough).
7. Only after a final permit / notification under the Act start building.
8. After completion, deal with use of the building and any cadastral record.

Common mistakes

• Buying “building” land from a listing and a photo only, without ÚPI.
• Assuming arable land with a view of the village is automatically building land.
• Building before a decision / notification (“we will sort it out later”).
• Ignoring access and utility capacity until the design stage.
• Mixing old procedures from the 201/2022 construction Act with the current Building Act 25/2025.

Checklist before buying “building” land

• Do the title deed, parcel, register C/E and owner match?
• Does ÚPI confirm my specific intent?
• Do I have legally secured access?
• Do we know about utilities, zones and approximate connection costs?
• Is a change of land type / agricultural withdrawal needed that I do not yet know about?
• Do I understand that after purchase I still need a design and a decision on the building intent (or a notification)?

If you can answer yes to these points, you are closer to a realistic path from purchase to a construction permit. If any point is hanging in the air, slow down – cheap land without zoning compliance or without access can cost more than pricier land with a clean status and clear ÚPI.

Informational content, not legal advice.