A building permit is the administrative act on the basis of which construction is allowed. Without it, building is unlawful, and a completed structure cannot be connected to infrastructure or obtain an occupancy permit.
An exception are simple structures that may be built without a building permit, as laid down in the Ordinance on Simple and Other Structures and Works (Official Gazette NN 112/17, 34/18, 36/19, 98/19, 31/20, 74/22 and 155/23).
The new Building Act entered into force on 1 January 2026 and significantly changes the procedure — especially for family houses. This guide explains the procedure step by step, tailored to the type of building.
All cited articles (Art.) refer to the Building Act (Official Gazette NN 155/2025).
01Types of buildings under the new Act
The entire procedure depends on which group your building falls into. The Act distinguishes three:
A residential building with no more than two dwellings whose gross (built) floor area does not exceed 400 m², and an agricultural building up to 600 m² Art. 3 pt. 32. This is the typical family house, and the simplest procedure applies to it.
A residential building with three or more dwelling units, of which up to 20% of the area may be for commercial use Art. 3 pt. 33.
Everything else for which a building permit is issued.
In case of doubt, or when a building meets several criteria, the more demanding group applies.
→ Detailed procedure: Houses up to 400 m² · Multi-residential and other buildings (coming soon)
02Who takes part in the procedure
Zakon Art. 17 defines five participants in construction:
The person on whose behalf the building is constructed; submits the permit application.
A licensed architect or engineer who prepares the design and is responsible for its compliance with regulations Art. 19. When several designers are involved, the lead designer is responsible for their coordination Art. 20.
A licensed person who reviews the design with regard to mechanical resistance and stability Art. 27.
Carries out professional supervision of the construction on behalf of the investor Art. 24.
Builds in accordance with the permit Art. 21.
The permit is issued by the administrative authority (of the county or large city) competent for construction, and for buildings of national importance by the Ministry Art. 52–53.
03The procedure — from idea to occupancy permit
The general sequence is the same for all, but the content and obligations differ by group:
- Design — conceptual (for less complex buildings) or main (for others).
- Special and connection conditions — obtained before submitting the application. For now they are requested through the administrative authority — see the section on the transitional period.
- Building permit application — the investor submits it electronically Art. 61.
- Building permit — issued by the administrative authority.
- Notification of commencement of works — no later than 5 days before starting Art. 89.
- Detailed design — mandatory for all except less complex buildings Art. 39 para. 3.
- Construction under professional supervision.
- Occupancy permit — after the technical inspection Art. 94, 102.
04What’s new from 2026
These are the key changes compared to the previous act:
For the building permit, only the conceptual design and proof of legal interest are submitted Art. 62. The main design is no longer a condition for the permit; it is submitted at the notification of commencement of works Art. 89 para. 4.
An important change that raises the level of documentation for multi-residential and other buildings Art. 39 para. 3.
Professional supervision of less complex buildings is carried out only with respect to mechanical resistance and stability Art. 26 para. 2. The technical inspection of such a building does not check compliance with the basic requirements Art. 94 para. 3.
The Act provides that the designer independently obtains the connection conditions and special conditions electronically, via the eDozvola system Art. 47 para. 2. In practice, eDozvola is not yet enabled for this direct route, so during the transitional period the request is submitted through the administrative authority or the Ministry Art. 134. Public-law bodies respond within the prescribed deadlines (e.g. 30 days for special conditions Art. 48; 15 days for the approval of the main design Art. 66).
Although the Act requires designs to be prepared in a BIM environment for all except less complex buildings Art. 30 para. 3, that provision enters into force only on 1 January 2031 for buildings under the Ministry’s competence and on 1 January 2035 for those under the competence of the administrative authorities Art. 162. Until then, BIM is not mandatory.
Special fee for building without a permit
If construction begins before the permit is obtained, a special fee is charged Art. 72 para. 2:
05How long a building permit lasts
Two deadlines matter once the permit becomes final:
Deadline to start construction (validity of the permit)
The permit ceases to be valid if the investor does not begin construction within 6 years of becoming final, or 8 years for permits issued by the Ministry. The investor is deemed to have begun construction on the date of the notification of commencement of works Art. 79.
Deadline to complete the building
Counting from the date of the notification of commencement of works, the building must be completed (external appearance and landscaping of the building plot) within Art. 80:
5 years
7 years
10 years
The deadlines do not apply to buildings that are individually protected cultural heritage assets.
06Transitional provisions
For ongoing projects, the following matters:
Are completed under the old act Art. 129.
Remains valid for obtaining the permit if the application is submitted within 12 months of the new act entering into force Art. 130.
Those established under the old act may be used for a further 2 years Art. 142.
Since eDozvola is not yet enabled for obtaining conditions directly, during the transitional period the designer initiates the procedure through the administrative authority or the Ministry Art. 134.
Not sure which group your building falls into?
DoT. d.o.o. prepares design documentation and manages permit procedures under the new Building Act.
Get in touch →Note: this guide is informational and does not replace consulting the applicable regulations. For a specific case, the current text of the Building Act and its accompanying ordinances always applies.