Rural tourism and building on agricultural lands in Croatia
As the construction land is intended for construction, so is the agricultural land intended for agricultural production. Therefore, only appropriate facilities can be built on this kind of land (farmhouses, greenhouses, tool sheds, agricultural equipment storages, etc.) on the condition that they are not prohibited by the spatial plan and that the minimum land plot size is met. There is an exception - it is possible to build tourist objects in OPG tourist field (OPG is obiteljsko poljoprivredno gospodarstvo – can be translated as a “family farm”). Please, note that 38,1% of the territory of Croatia belongs to “protected areas” which is above the EU country’s average of 26%. Construction in “protected areas” can damage the natural environment, birds and animal ecosystems, therefore, it is prohibited or significantly limited.
Protected areas in Croatia
Can I build what I want on my island in Croatia?
Yes, you can buy an island. But you ARE NOT ALLOWED to build what you want there.
Unlike the Caribbeans, in Croatia in 99% of cases, there is no possibility of building a luxury isolated villa on a private island. Most of the smaller islands in Croatia are zoned as agricultural and protected territories (“protected” is a status meaning that the landscape is protected as such with no modifications). Any construction on those islands is subject to the regulations set above. If not protected, most of the lands on the islands are classified as agricultural lands. Sometimes there are older structures there (ruins of old houses, lighthouses, fishermen’s house) – if built before 1968 - they are 100% legal and can be reconstructed in existing dimensions (or those max dimensions which are approved by the local plans). Enlargement of those structures is not possible. You can’t build a luxury 500 sqm villa to replace a ruin of 20 sqm. If the island is big enough according to local municipality rules and it is not protected you can build а facility according to agritourism rules not closer than 100 m from the sea line and the sea line should be defined by the authorities.
Building requirements for rural tourism in Croatia
There are some exceptions when a residential building can be built outside the construction land on agricultural lands.
- It is possible to build a structure for housing and auxiliary buildings for one's own needs on a land plot of a minimum size of 20 ha (200,000 sqm). In different municipalities, the minimum size differs. At the seaside, it is usually 30,000 sqm but in another area, it might be 5,000 sqm. This is to be checked by your architect. If the structure is purposed for rural tourism, the minimum land plot size is 2 ha (20,000 sqm) for the hinterland, while in the coastal zone, it is a minimum 3 ha (30,000 sqm).
- All these facilities cannot be built closer than 100 m from the sea!
However, these size restrictions are not applied automatically. It is not that every land of 30,000 sqm is suitable for rural tourism objects, but only those which obtained potential OPG status in the local spatial plan. So, you need to consult an updated local spatial plan before buying agriland, taking into account that those plans may change from time to time. The most commonly permitted facility in agritourism is a building or a farm on 30,000 sqm (in some municipalities it is 10,000 sqm) of land. Such as farmhouses with wine or olive production – ground floor of 200 sqm plus basement of 200 sqm. In some areas, it can be increased up to 800 sqm of basement. But you should note that everything is defined by the particular spatial plan of a local municipality.
Residential and rental buildings are connected to the appropriate communal infrastructure therefore they should meet safety, sanitary, fire and other requirements. While agricultural buildings do not have all these strict demands, they also usually need electricity and water, but for agricultural purposes. In some cases, there may be legalized houses standing on agrilands, usually rather old structures. They can be renovated in the same dimensions as they are without expansion. In some areas a swimming pool is allowed to be built near these structures – but it depends on zoning and local municipality. Normally swimming pools up to 100 sqm do not need a building permit. If it is not a protected zone then it is usually possible to construct in it. If it is a protected zone by local planning - it is not possible to arrange a swimming pool.
Permissible size of other buildings for rural tourism
Possibility of construction on agrilands, type and size of permitted facilities are prescribed by the individual spatial plans. The square footage of the building is often tied to the minimum size of the agricultural plot. For example, some spatial plans allow the construction of a commercial building of 50 sqm on a plot of min. area of 1 ha (10,000 sqm). Elsewhere, you can find limits of building a field house up to 30 sqm on an area of 1,000 sqm, or a tool shed up to 10 sqm on 500 sqm, etc.
Most of the above-mentioned facilities require obtaining a building permit and usage permit. There is an exception for the buildings that are not registered in the cadaster, i.e., buildings with a floor area of less than 10 sqm and for them, a usage permit is not required. Some categories of agricultural buildings, such as greenhouses, canopies for housing livestock, etc. do not need a project or a building permit (less than 25 sqm).
Can prefabricated houses, containers and other light structures be used as residential facilities on agrilands?
The answer is NO.
For every kind of facility (even storage shelter) you need to obtain a building permit for agriland, if it has a size over 10 sqm. On top of that residential usage of agrilands (or tourist usage) is allowed only if the above-mentioned minimum surface requirements are met.
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