How to Check if a Property is Registered in Serbia?

When we say that an apartment or other real estate property is registered in Serbia, it means that it is recorded in the Real Estate Cadastre as a property with clearly defined owner(s), along with all registered rights, restrictions, and encumbrances. In Serbia, the registration of ownership rights and other real rights is carried out in accordance with the Law on State Survey and Real Estate Cadastre, and the Cadastre is maintained by the Republic Geodetic Authority (RGZ), which is the sole official real estate register.

However, how to check if a property is registered in Serbia? Below, we provide all the key information you need to verify this yourself, including what cadastral extract looks like and what information can be obtained from it. It is important to know that the Cadastre is public and accessible to everyone, and that with basic knowledge you can easily check the legal status of any property.

According to the law, the Cadastre is the basic and public register of real estate and real rights therein. It consists of the survey elaborates, a collection of documents, and the real estate cadastre database. Under the principle of reliance, cadastral data are deemed accurate and reliable, and ownership rights are acquired and transferred exclusively through registration in the Real Estate Cadastre.

🏠 What does it mean for an apartment to be registered?

A registered apartment is an apartment that:

• is recorded in the Real Estate Cadastre,
• has clearly defined owner(s) or co-owners,
• contains registered data on the building and the specific unit,
• has any encumbrances properly recorded, such as mortgages or court disputes.

In other words, a registered apartment is legally “clean” and transparent in status, providing buyers with security during the purchase.

📑 What does a cadastral extract (Real Estate Sheet) look like?

The Real Estate Sheet consists of four main sections:

Section A – Land Data

Contains information about the land plot, surface area, and basic characteristics of the land.

Section B – Rights Holders / Owners

Includes:

• full name of the owner,
• ownership share,
• legal basis for registration (contract, decision, court judgment, etc.).

Section V – Buildings and Individual Units

This section shows:

• data on the building,
• data on the individual unit (apartment): surface area, floor level, apartment number, and rights holders.

Section G – Encumbrances

Displays:

• mortgages,
• restrictions on disposal,
• registered procedures,
• court disputes,
• legalization procedures and other encumbrances.

This is the section that buyers must carefully review before signing any contract.

🔎 How to check if a property is registered in Serbia – step by step

Access the official cadastral website

The fastest way to check whether an apartment is registered is via the RGZ electronic service:
👉 https://katastar.rgz.gov.rs/KnWebPublic/#/pretraga
Select the “public access” option and choose the municipality where the apartment is located.

You can search by:

• address,
• plot number,
• street name and number.

Once you enter all parameters, the search results will appear.

Check Section B – ownership of the building or land use rights

Check Section V – whether the apartment is registered as a separate unit

Find the apartment number you are interested in and click the cloud icon with a hand on the right side to open detailed information.

Section V must include:

• unit number (e.g., apartment 12),
• surface area,
• floor,
• building information,
• ownership shares (1/1, 1/2, etc.).

Check Section G – are there any encumbrances?

The most common encumbrances are:

• bank mortgage,
• court disputes,
• registered procedures,
• restrictions on disposal,
• unresolved legalization issues.

Purchasing an apartment with encumbrances may be possible, but it requires additional steps and legal assistance.

Check for notes or preliminary registrations

• A preliminary registration means that the right is not final and depends on the fulfillment of certain conditions.
• A note (annotation) indicates that a legal status is changing or being challenged.

🏢 How to determine whether an apartment is “clean” for purchase

An apartment is considered “clean” if:

✔ Section V exists and matches the actual situation
✔ Section B shows a clear owner or all co-owners
✔ Section G contains no encumbrances
✔ There are no notes or disputes

If there is any discrepancy, we recommend consulting a professional agent and a lawyer—because even the smallest irregularity in the purchase process can lead to complications in ownership transfer.

🧭 How the Cadastre works – a brief explanation for buyers

The key points to understand are:

• The Cadastre is public – all data are accessible to citizens.
• Registration in the Cadastre is constitutive – rights exist only once registered.
• Cadastral data are reliable – they are considered accurate and verified.

This allows buyers to obtain a clear picture of a property’s legal status before purchase.

🌐 For detailed instructions on RGZ electronic services, visit:

👉 https://www.rgz.gov.rs/#/elektronske-usluge

🔗 More useful articles from our blog

We recommend reading the following texts to gain a full understanding of safe apartment purchases:

Safe apartment purchase in Serbia – how to protect yourself from fraud
This article explains all the steps a buyer should take after verifying the legal status of a property in the Cadastre.

What documentation is required for the legal sale of an apartment in Serbia?
This text helps you understand which documents a seller must possess for a valid ownership transfer.

📌 Conclusion

Checking whether an apartment is registered is one of the key steps in the process of buying or selling real estate. By using the cadastral extract, you can easily and quickly determine:

• who the owner is,
• whether the apartment is registered in the Cadastre,
• whether there are encumbrances or disputes,
• whether the registered data match the actual situation.

The Cadastre is a reliable and transparent source of information, and proper interpretation of its data protects you from financial losses and legal risks.

📞 Contact us for a safe apartment purchase

Buying real estate is a major decision and should not be made without a complete legal review and professional support. ImoNova A has an in-house legal team, licensed professionals, and many years of experience to facilitate the entire buying or selling process.

If you want complete certainty regarding the legal status of the property you are purchasing:

Contact us — we will conduct a full legal check for you and guide you through the entire process.

ImoNova A – your partner for a safe real estate purchase.