Svoj na svome: late filing deadline is October 24

Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure in the caretaker government Aleksandra Sofronijevic told Tanjug today that about 2.7 million filings have been submitted so far under the “Svoj na svome” (“Own Your Own”) law, and that the late deadline for registering unlicensed buildings expires on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

Of that total, 2,527,000 filings arrived within the statutory deadline and slightly fewer than 200,000 came in late. 1.2 million certificates have been issued.

Until when and where can a late filing be submitted?

Electronic filings through the “Svoj na svome” application are accepted until midnight on October 24. Post offices operate during their regular hours, and municipalities and cities have been advised to open special filing points on Saturday. Each local government sets its own hours, so opening times differ from place to place.

The regular deadline ran from December 8, 2025 to midnight on February 8, 2026. Filings were then accepted at 547 post offices and at 150 other locations, and applicants could also file online on the platform of the Agency for Spatial Planning and Urbanization with a personal ID number and ID card, with an eUprava portal account, or through a local government service center.

Who is entitled to a late filing?

The late deadline applies only to citizens who, for objective reasons, did not manage to file within the regular deadline, and they must submit proof of hardship with the filing. The minister gave illness and administrative obstacles as examples:

“It can be the illness of the applicant or a family member, or some administrative obstacle.”

The proof is not a formality, because, as she put it, every filing will be assessed on its own:

“It is very important to submit proof, because every late filing will be individually assessed by the Agency for Spatial Planning.”

Sofronijevic urged citizens not to wait for the last day.

How many filings does the ministry expect by Saturday?

Asked how many additional filings are expected before the deadline closes, the minister said she has no estimate for now. The exact number will be known only once the Agency for Spatial Planning has received all filings. She does have an expectation:

“I think the number is not large, but the law simply gave everyone who could not do it for objective reasons the chance, within one year of the law taking effect, to exercise their right.”

She assessed the results of the law this way:

“Some said the ‘Svoj na svome’ law would not succeed, and today, instead of promises, we have very concrete results: over 2.5 million filings submitted, 1.2 million certificates issued, and hundreds of thousands of buildings already registered, that is, of our citizens as owners, that is, of those who have received proof that they own their own.”

The figure of over 2.5 million in that quote refers to filings within the regular deadline. Adding the late filings gives about 2.7 million, the number the minister cited at the start of her statement.

How much does registration cost and who is exempt?

Registration costs range from 100 to 1,000 euros, depending on the size of the building and its location. The following groups are exempt from payment:

• recipients of social assistance
• people with disabilities
• war veterans
• single parents
• families with three or more children

A building registered in the real estate cadastre can be sold, inherited and mortgaged by its owner, and can be legally connected to utilities and other infrastructure. The Law on Special Conditions for Recording and Registering Rights to Real Estate has another side: buildings constructed without a building permit, or without a decision approving the works, after the law took effect are registered as state property.