Mortgage for a flat – what to watch for when buying a flat

You buy a flat with the same purpose-bound mortgage as a house, and the same NBS limits apply. Until 31 December 2026 the standard is a loan of up to 80% of the flat’s value. The value is the lowest of the purchase price, the expert valuation and the bank’s internal valuation.

A flat differs from a house because it’s part of a block with a building manager (správca) and other owners. So as well as the flat itself, check the information from the building manager and the building’s insurance. The general mortgage rules are on the Mortgage page.

What to check about a flat before signing

• Title record (list vlastníctva): who owns the flat, which encumbrances are registered (such as the seller’s bank’s charge) and whether any changes are pending.
• Building manager: for a paper application to the cadastre, the slovensko.sk guide also lists the building manager’s confirmation where it’s required. The manager can also tell you whether and how the block is insured.
• The seller’s mortgage: if there’s a loan on the flat, agree in advance how it will be repaid and when the seller’s bank will issue the document for removing its charge. The process is described in Selling a flat with a mortgage.
• Purchase contract: when and to which account the price is paid, and what happens if the cadastre doesn’t approve the registration or the bank doesn’t release the loan.
• Handover: record the meter readings and the handing over of keys. Notify the energy suppliers and the building manager of the change of owner.

Have a lawyer or notary check the contract and the order of payments. You become the owner of the flat only when the cadastre approves the registration, not when you sign the contract.

Valuing a flat

Banks value flats differently from houses. Tatra banka, for example, values a flat itself for €150 for selected loan purposes. This internal valuation is for the bank’s use only, and you don’t receive it as an expert report you could use elsewhere. For houses, Tatra banka customers order the report themselves.

Source	Flat	What it means
Banks’ APRC examples and indicative figures (e.g. ČSOB, VÚB, mBank, Prima banka)	€150	A bank’s assumption, not a valuer’s invoice
Valuer Dominik Ilavský, Bratislava	from €180	Published starting price; unclear whether VAT is included
Valuer Ing. Peter Novák	from €200	Published starting price

The valuers’ price lists were checked on 19 October 2026 and aren’t a representative national survey. Some supported developer projects don’t need a customer-paid report, but this has to apply to the specific flat.

New builds from a developer

When you buy a flat in a new build, the loan is sometimes drawn only after completion. Banks set their own deadlines for this:

• Slovenská sporiteľňa states drawdown within 36 months for partner developer projects, with the option to wait until completion. This period doesn’t apply to other loans.
• UniCredit states 36 months from signing to meet the drawdown conditions for purchases from a developer. Check the deadline in your contract.

Ask the bank when and on what conditions it will release the money to the developer.

Insuring the flat and the block

The bank can require property insurance. It must, however, also accept a policy from another insurer with equivalent cover. Tatra banka, for example, requires insurance with the payout assigned to it (vinkulácia) when a flat secures the loan.

The NBS recommends checking whether the block is insured through its building manager. That doesn’t mean the policy meets your bank’s requirements for cover and assignment of the payout. Have the bank assess it before you take out a new policy.

In a flat, think about two other types of insurance too:

• contents insurance covers the flat’s furnishings, not the building itself,
• liability insurance covers damage you cause to others, such as flooding a neighbour.

See Home insurance for a mortgage.

Own funds when the valuation is below the price

With flats, the purchase price can be higher than the valuation. The bank then works with the lower value.

Example: a flat costs €130,000 and the valuation comes out at €125,000. At 80% LTV, the bank lends you at most €100,000. You therefore pay €30,000 from your own funds, not the €26,000 that 20% of the price would suggest. Add the extra costs on top.

A €100,000 loan over 30 years at an illustrative rate of 4% (not a bank offer) means a monthly payment of €477.42. Do your own calculation in the mortgage calculator. If you have less than 20% of your own money, see 90% mortgage.

Flat prices according to the NBS

According to the NBS, the average asking price for flats in Slovakia in Q2 2026 was €3,430/m². That’s up 1.6% on the previous quarter and 10.2% year on year. In Q1 2026 it was €3,378/m².

These figures are average asking prices from listings, seasonally adjusted with NBS models. They’re not actual sale prices or a valuation of a specific flat. The NBS is expected to publish Q3 2026 figures in early November 2026.

Costs and the cadastre

• flat valuation – see the table above,
• cadastre registration application – €100 on paper, €50 electronically, or €300 or €150 for an expedited decision; applications are filed to register both your ownership and the bank’s charge,
• loan arrangement fee – per the bank’s price list,
• insurance – depends on the insurer and the scope of cover,
• property tax – you file the return by 31 January of the following year.

For a paper application you need two copies of the purchase contract, the seller’s officially authenticated signature, the administrative fee and, where applicable, the building manager’s confirmation or a power of attorney. The cadastre normally decides within 30 days, within 20 days for documents drawn up by a notary or lawyer, and within 15 days for an expedited decision.

If you’re buying a family house, go to Mortgage for a house.