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Existing condition and access
An as-built survey is only possible with access to the property and a basic evidence base.
Legalisation of an existing building
Filing is open again from 16 May 2026, with no application deadline, only for buildings existing by 21 June 2011.
What we deliver
Deliverables, required inputs, and boundaries - one overview in the Scope tab below.
Full scopeWhat we need from you
- Ownership and possession extracts, access for survey.
- Power of attorney for eDozvola filing and supplements.
- Existing documentation and construction-date evidence if available.
- Payment of the retention fee and administrative charges when assessed.
Filing is only through eDozvola; the competent body is the one where the building stands.
When an existing structure lacks a valid permit, the first question is whether it falls under the Act at all. From 16 May 2026, new requests for an as-built status decision are filed only through eDozvola, with the full Article 11 attachments. Before we quote, we check DOF evidence, Article 6 exclusions, and whether you already have a pending file.
Legalisation is work inside an inherited condition. We do not promise the decision. We coordinate the as-built survey, geodesy, stability statement, and filing so you know where you stand before you sign.
What we deliver
Three views on the same scope: deliverables, your inputs, and what is out of scope.
- As-built survey (licensed architect) under Article 11(4).
- Coordination of the geodetic as-built survey in GML (licensed survey engineer).
- Coordination of the licensed civil engineer’s stability statement.
- DGU visibility certificate in the file and eDozvola filing with a written correspondence log.
- Written conclusion after the competent authority’s decision.
A question about what you just read? Write to us.
Duration and rhythm
Preparation typically takes four to twelve weeks; total procedure length is set by the authority and can range from several months to over a year.
Scope
- We do not guarantee an as-built status decision. The assessment shows what is available, where it narrows, and what comes next.
- We do not certify DOF visibility in place of DGU. We do not handle demolition or negotiations with third parties.
- We do not provide legal advice; cooperation with a lawyer is necessary in these cases.
When we finish this service for you, this project cycle is complete.
When the authority issues its decision and the documentation is complete, legalisation is closed. An as-built status decision does not mean all future location conditions for reconstruction were checked. By your choice, the file moves to archive or into a subsequent reconstruction cycle.
Frequently asked questions
- Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The assessment is based on the survey and a written response from the competent authority.
- Our part is a fixed package after the status review. The retention fee under the 2026 ordinance and the communal contribution are set by the authority or the local unit and are not part of our fee.
- Duration is set by the authority. Our obligation is a complete submission and timely supplements. Promising an issuance date is not professional.
- The Act on the Treatment of Illegally Built Buildings and related implementing acts, including NN 48/2026.
- An administrative act that, on conditions met, regularises the status of an existing unlawfully built structure.
- An owner obligation under the fee regulation; separate from the designer’s fee.
- Formal elaborates, geodetic attachments, and a DGU visibility certificate are required under Article 11.
- Restrictions or exclusions often apply; a pre-check of location and zone status is performed.
- From 16 May 2026 there is no preclusive deadline for new requests. Buildings after 21 June 2011 remain outside this law.
- A chartered architect or chartered civil engineer, per Article 11.
- Yes, but the buyer must understand the case status and open administrative risks.
- We analyse reasons and possible steps; re-filing is limited to cases under Article 26.
- GDPR principles, access control, and retention limited to what is necessary.
Rules and procedures in Croatia
- Act on illegally built buildings (NN 48/2026): new requests are filed only through eDozvola, with Article 11 attachments.
- The filing deadline is abolished; the building must have existed by 21 June 2011, proved via DOF5/2011 or a DGU certificate.
- The category-based documentation split in former Articles 12 and 13 is removed by the 2026 amendments.
- Retention fee under regulation NN 84/2026. Water contribution is no longer part of this procedure.
- Communal contribution remains an owner obligation under local rules.
- A decision on the as-built state does not replace a check of location conditions for future work.
A decision on the as-built state does not automatically mean that all future location/technical conditions for new construction or reconstruction have been examined.
Request an initial review. Send a short note.
Where legalisation breaks.
Missing evidence of existence
There are not enough photos, invoices, or other proof that the building existed at the reference moment. The procedure stops at the first check.
Early evidence-set review
Before starting we walk the evidence list and mark gaps. Missing items are requested immediately, before filing on eDozvola.
Building in a protected zone
The structure sits in a protected area, corridor, or heritage buffer. Category and procedure differ sharply from a standard legalisation.
Site and zone pre-check
Before contracting we check protection layers and applicable rules on the parcel. The client gets a clear answer on whether the procedure can start.
Incomplete eDozvola file
A request without all Article 11 attachments is not considered filed. The body returns the case and time is lost reassembling it.
Complete submission before filing
We assemble the full file and check attachments against Article 11 before filing on eDozvola.
Open ownership dispute
Co-owners disagree on who files or who pays. The procedure cannot proceed calmly without clear authority.
Legal status before regularisation
Ownership and business open points are resolved before legalisation starts. Without that we do not enter elaborates.
What we need before legalisation.
- Ownership extract and land-registry record.
- Old drawings, surveys, dated photographs of the building.
- Documents confirming the time of construction (invoices, permits, letters).
- Details for the DGU DOF5/2011 visibility certificate request.
- eDozvola access (e-Građani) or power of attorney for filing.
- Power of attorney if the applicant is not the owner.
A missing document does not block the first conversation. Tell us what you have, what is missing, and what you want to reconstruct.
Where legalisation sits among the stages
Legalisation is a standalone track. It does not continue into new design services. It puts the status of an existing situation in order before any new decision.
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Clear ownership
Open ownership disputes block the procedure before it starts.
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Legalisation
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Sale or financing
A settled status opens the frame for a transaction or lending.
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Reconstruction of an existing building
Legalised status gives a clear frame for further work on the existing building.
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Check before investment
Often enters as the first step in risk assessment of an existing property.
The regularisation procedure runs under the applicable Act on the Treatment of Illegally Built Buildings and implementing acts. The decision is not guaranteed.
Standards we work to
Legalisation in practice is not one document. It is a chain of evidence. We separate early what we can prove from what we want to achieve.
Authoritative capture of built conditions before legal closure.
Legal status verification before transaction or financing.
Geodesy, architecture, structural statements where required.
Evidence map, versioned submissions, auditable procedural log.
Send a quick enquiry · Legalisation
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Legalisation checklist
Download the document list, or send an enquiry for a fixed quote for legalisation.
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