Land registry extract in Bosnia: checking ownership before you buy

Before you pay a deposit, you need to know who really owns the property and whether anything is registered against it. The answer is in the land registry extract, known in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) as the "ZK izvadak". This guide is for buyers looking at one for the first time.

What the land registry is and why it matters

The land registry (zemljišna knjiga) is the public register of rights in property: ownership, mortgages, easements and other rights. In the Federation of BiH it is governed by the FBiH Land Registry Act (Zakon o zemljišnim knjigama FBiH).

Two points in that act matter most to a buyer:

• Public reliance. A registered right is presumed correct, and a deleted right is presumed not to exist. Someone who acquires a right in good faith relying on the register is protected, unless they knew it was wrong or failed to know through gross negligence.
• The extract is a public document. Anyone can obtain one after paying the fee. Inspection of the register is open.

For you this means: the owner is whoever is registered, not whoever holds the keys or an unregistered contract.

Reading the extract: sheets A, B and C

A land registry folio (zemljišnoknjižni uložak) has a heading and three sections.

The heading gives the court that keeps the register, the cadastral municipality and the folio number.

Sheet A ("Popisni list", property sheet) describes the property:

• cadastral parcel number,
• name, description and land use (for example house, yard, arable land),
• area,
• merger or division,
• rights that benefit this property (for example a right of way over a neighbouring parcel).

Sheet B ("Vlasnički list", ownership sheet) shows the owner:

• the legal basis of the entry (for example a contract or an inheritance ruling),
• the owner's name,
• whether there is co-ownership and the size of each share,
• restrictions on disposal and notes that concern the owner.

Sheet C ("Tereti", encumbrances sheet) shows what burdens the property:

• third-party rights and related notes,
• for a mortgage, also the amount, interest rate and ancillary sums.

Check that the seller's name on sheet B matches their ID, that all co-owners are parties to the contract, and that sheet C is empty or that it is clear how any burdens will be deleted before payment.

Encumbrances, mortgages and notes

The act distinguishes several kinds of entry:

• Uknjižba (registration) is a final entry by which a right is unconditionally acquired, transferred, restricted or extinguished.
• Predbilježba (provisional registration) is a conditional, temporary entry that becomes final once later justified.
• Zabilježba (note) records circumstances that affect disposal of the property. The act gives as examples minority, guardianship, bankruptcy, a pending dispute, expropriation, priority ranking and compulsory administration.
• Hipoteka (mortgage) is a charge, usually in favour of a bank. It appears on sheet C with its amount.

Important: an extract must carry a note if an application for entry has been filed and not yet decided. Such a note means a change is under way, for example a sale to someone else or a new mortgage. Clarify it before any payment.

Land registry and cadastre: why they often differ

The Federation of BiH has two registers:

• The land registry records the legal position (owner, encumbrances). It is kept by the land registry offices of the municipal courts.
• The cadastre records the physical position (parcels, areas, buildings, possessors). It is kept by the municipal geodetic and cadastre services.

The act says property is identified in legal transactions according to the land registry. In practice the two registers often disagree: the cadastre may list a different possessor from the registered owner, areas may differ, and a new building may appear in the cadastre but not in the land registry. The reasons include separate record-keeping, changes recorded in one register only, and old surveys.

So request both extracts and compare the parcel number, area and names.

Republika Srpska: the "list nepokretnosti"

In Republika Srpska (RS), both the cadastre and the land registry are kept by the Republic Administration for Geodetic and Property Affairs (RGURS), through its regional units.

• Where a real estate cadastre (katastar nepokretnosti) has been established, it is a single register of both the property and the rights in it. It issues the list nepokretnosti (real estate sheet), either for one property or for a right holder (all properties of one owner). It is governed by the RS Survey and Cadastre Act.
• In parts of RS where that cadastre has not yet been established, the land registry is still used.

Brčko District

Getting an extract: online and official

Online viewing (for information only):

• e-grunt.ba, the FBiH land registry viewing portal. Access is for registered users. The Sarajevo Municipal Court states that the data shown is for information only and is not an official document.
• katastar.ba, FBiH cadastre data searchable by municipality, cadastral municipality and parcel or possession sheet number. The data is informative and not a public document.
• eKatastar on the RGURS website for Republika Srpska. RGURS states that viewing is informative and the data is not a public document.

Online viewing is useful for a first check, but a notary, a bank and a contract need an official extract.

Official extract:

• In FBiH it is issued by the land registry office of the municipal court with jurisdiction over the property. You need the cadastral parcel number and cadastral municipality. If the parcel is in the electronic database, the extract can be issued at once.
• In RS, data is released on request at the competent RGURS regional unit, after the fee is paid.

Fee: in FBiH it is set by cantonal court fee laws. In Sarajevo Canton, under the 2014 consolidated text, an official extract costs 10 KM (about 5 EUR). A 2024 draft amendment proposed 15 KM, and amendments to the law were adopted in 2025.

How the whole purchase works when you live abroad is covered in Buying property in Bosnia from abroad.

Condominium division (etažiranje): a particular problem with flats

A flat is normally registered as a separate part of a building (etažno vlasništvo, condominium ownership). Under the FBiH Law on Real Rights, it is created by dividing ownership into co-ownership shares, each tied to a particular flat.

Many buildings have never been divided this way. The flat then has no folio of its own, and its details sit in the book of deposited contracts (knjiga položenih ugovora), which under the FBiH Land Registry Act remains in force until the conditions for registering ownership of separate parts of buildings are met. Such a flat is harder to sell, mortgage or buy with a loan.

For a flat under construction, the law protects the buyer: a provisional registration of future ownership of the specific flat is entered in their favour, and before that entry the buyer does not have to pay the price and the seller may not demand it. See Buying a new-build flat in Bosnia.

Red flags

• The seller is not registered as owner on sheet B, or only as a co-owner.
• Sheet C shows a mortgage, with no clear plan to delete it out of the purchase price.
• There is a note of a dispute, bankruptcy or enforcement.
• The extract notes an application for entry that has not been decided.
• The area or parcel number in the land registry does not match the cadastre or reality.
• The flat has no folio of its own, and the seller offers only a contract or an extract from the book of deposited contracts.
• The building is in the cadastre but not the land registry, which can point to unresolved legalisation. See Legalisation of property in Bosnia.

Common mistakes

• Relying on online viewing instead of an official extract.
• Using an extract that is weeks old. Get a fresh one just before signing and just before paying.
• Checking sheet B but not sheet C.
• Buying from one co-owner without the others' consent.
• Paying a deposit before the land registry has been checked.

FAQ

Can anyone get a land registry extract for someone else's property?

Yes. Inspection of the register is open, and anyone can obtain an extract after paying the fee.

Is an extract from the internet enough to buy?

No. Data on e-grunt.ba, katastar.ba and eKatastar is informative. A contract and a bank need an official extract.

What if the cadastre and the land registry differ?

The land registry is legally decisive. Resolve the difference before you buy, with a notary, lawyer or surveyor.

What is a "list nepokretnosti"?

An extract from the real estate cadastre in Republika Srpska, where it has been established. It shows the property and the rights in it in one register.

What does buying cost overall?

See Costs of buying property in Bosnia.

This guide explains how the land registry works but is not legal advice. For a specific property, consult a notary or lawyer. Before we list a property, DMI checks the land registry and the paperwork, so you know what you are starting with.