APN received 2,025 subsidy requests for young people purchasing or constructing first residential real estate

By October 2, 2025, the Agency for Transactions and Mediation in Immovable Properties (APN) received a total of 2,025 tax refund requests for purchasing or constructing first residential real estate, after opening the application process on June 5, 2025, when the Ordinance on subsidies for the acquisition of first residential real estate entered into force. This is a permanent measure intended for young citizens and young families aimed at helping them solve their housing situation.

Of the overall number of received requests, 1,251 requests have been processed - 935 being complete requests, all approved. So far 139 requests require additional documentation, and 177 requests have been declined because they do not fulfil legal requirements or because the applicant has withdrawn the request. Out of the total number of declines requests, only 51 requests (4%) have been declined due to the real estate price, which exceeds the legally prescribed threshold of 50% above the average published price.

The most common reasons for declining a request, apart from too high a price or too many square meters, include purchase and sale contracts concluded prior to January 1, 2025, applicant who are older than the legally prescribed age, possession of other real estate or multiple requests submitted by members of the same family.

 The total worth of the so far approved subsidies is 7,616,957 euro - out of which 5,724,632 euro refers to value added tax (VAT) refund and 1,892,325 euro to real estate transfer tax (RETT) refund. The average subsidy amount is 14,641 euro for VAT and approximately 3,479 euro for RETT. Out of the 935 approved requests, 391 refer to new construction (VAT refund) and 544 to existing construction (RETT refund). The average subsidy per a family is 8,146 euro.

Overview by counties - most requests coming from the City of Zagreb

The majority of the 935 approved requests is from Zagreb - 494 of them. Then there are 90 approved requests from Zagreb County, followed by 78 requests from Split-Dalmatia County and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County each. There are 30 approved requests from Osijek-Baranja County, and 17 from Brod-Posavina County, Istria County, Zadar County and Vukovar-Srijem County each. Furthermore, 13 requests have been approved in Dubrovnik-Neretva County and Karlovac County each, 12 in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, 10 in Sisak-Moslavina County and 9 in Krapina-Zagorje County and Varaždin County each. In Šibenik-Knin County there are 8 requests, in Koprivnica-Križevci County and Međumirje County 7, in Lika-Senj County and Virovitica-Podravina County 4 and in Požega-Slavonia County 1 request.

The subsidy requests have been submitted across Croatia; hence, subsidies have been paid to young people in all Croatian counties. With regard to cities, the following cities take the lead: Zagreb (494), Split (50), Rijeka (49), Velika Gorica (40), Osijek (20), Zaprešić (16), Zadar (15), Slavonski Brod (13), Samobor (10) and Vinkovci (10).

The average applicant’s age is 32 - the youngest applicant is 19 years old and coming from the City of Zagreb, while the oldest is 44 years old, which is also the upper age limit prescribed by the amendments to the Act on State-Subsidised Housing Construction. The average number of household members is two people, while the largest household is a family of 12.

Regarding real estate floor area, the average is 67 square meters. The smallest real estate with an approved subsidy request is in the City of Zagreb and it comprises 18 m², while the largest real estate, comprising 259 m², is registered in Istria County.

The average real estate price based on the 935 approved requests is 2,256 euro per square meter. The highest price registered amounts to 5,013 euro per square meter and it is in Split-Dalmatia County, while the real estate with the lowest price, 186 euro per square meter, was purchased in Virovitica-Podravina County.

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