Construction and development · Slovakia
Legal support for development approvals
The permitting process for a development project depends on relationships with authorities, utility operators, neighbours and the municipality. We keep its legal aspects together. We represent you in proceedings, address objections and appeals, and prepare the agreements without which the project cannot move forward. The designer handles the technical work; we handle the legal issues.
- Legal support alongside external permitting consultants
- Representation in proceedings and on objections
- Prices agreed in advance
What we'll do for you
Legal support for the approval process, from filings and representation to agreements with neighbours and the municipality. The permitting consultant or designer handles technical submissions and project matters; we coordinate our work with them.
Select an item to see the details.
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Representation in permitting proceedings
We represent the developer in permitting under Construction Act No. 25/2025 Coll., including proceedings concerning a proposed construction project; for older matters, we review the transitional regime governing planning and construction permit proceedings — preparing submissions and statements and communicating with the relevant authorities.
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Relevant authorities and utility operators
The legal aspects of statements and opinions — we assess the conditions imposed by authorities and operators and ensure they do not bind the project beyond what is necessary.
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Neighbour agreements
Owner consents and agreements establishing utility and access easements, prepared to stand up in the proceedings and Land Register.
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Objections and appeals
Assessment of participants' objections, responses and a strategy for resolving them, from negotiation with the objector to appeal proceedings.
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Municipal agreements
Cooperation memoranda, agreements on infrastructure investments required by the project and transfer of infrastructure into municipal ownership, with clear obligations for both sides.
Deliverableagreements, submissions and statements for the permitting process, with representation through to a decision
How it works
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- Consultation and process mapday 0
We review the proposal, filing status and relationships around the project, identify the proceedings and agreements ahead and highlight legal risks.
- Document preparation
We prepare filings, agreements with neighbours and the municipality, and responses to opinions, in coordination with your designer or permitting consultant.
- Proceedings and completion
We represent you in proceedings, address objections and appeals, and monitor the process through to a decision. You remain informed of its status.
Permitting is the stage at which a development project most easily loses time. Not because the proposal is flawed, but because many parties enter the process with interests of their own: relevant authorities, utility operators, neighbours, participants and the municipality. Each can slow it down, and most points of friction have a legal basis — an incomplete filing, missing consent, unresolved easement or objection without a timely response.
Our role is the legal side of the approvals process. We represent the developer in permitting under Construction Act No. 25/2025 Coll., including proceedings concerning a proposed construction project; for older matters, we review the transitional regime governing planning and construction permit proceedings. We check conditions in statements and opinions, prepare neighbour agreements from consents to utility and access easements, and document municipal arrangements, whether a memorandum, related investment or infrastructure handover. When objections or an appeal arrive, we assess them and prepare a response that moves the proceedings forward. Construction legislation has also changed substantially in recent years, so procedural steps must reflect the current position — another reason to involve a lawyer rather than rely solely on forms.
We define the boundaries honestly: the permitting consultant or designer handles technical submissions, project documentation and specialist engineering matters. We step in where legal issues arise and coordinate with the technical team so responsibility is assigned for every part of the process. If the project also involves financing, construction contracts or later apartment sales, our other services for developers follow on from permitting support — including a separate legal review of the land before purchase, undertaken before permitting begins.
No-obligation enquiry
Ready to start?
Send us an enquiry. We usually reply within 24 hours with a price confirmation and next steps. The first 30-minute consultation is free and commits you to nothing.
- 1Send your enquiry via this form
- 2Usually within 24 h you get a price confirmation and plan
- 3We start work only after your approval
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What clients ask
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Do you also handle the technical side of the approvals process?
No — the permitting consultant or designer handles technical submissions, project documentation and specialist technical matters. We handle the legal side: proceedings, objections, appeals and contracts, coordinating with your technical team so both parts fit together.
A neighbour has objected — what can be done?
We first assess the objections legally. Some can be resolved by changing the design or reaching agreement; others require a legally substantiated response in the proceedings. We propose an approach to each and prepare the submissions and any agreements with the neighbour. Experience shows that early negotiation often saves months of proceedings.
Can you guarantee that we obtain the permit?
No — the relevant authority decides, and nobody can responsibly guarantee the outcome. We can, however, ensure filings are complete, supporting documents are legally sound, and responses to objections and requests are timely and well grounded, removing the most common causes of delay.
When should we involve you?
Ideally before the first applications are filed. Neighbour consents, easements and municipal agreements are easiest to negotiate before proceedings begin and pressure builds. We can join at any stage, including when objections or an appeal have already stalled the process.
The municipality requires infrastructure investment for its consent — is this common?
Yes, it is common for larger projects, involving roads, utilities or public spaces necessitated by the development. The important point is to document these arrangements with clear scope, deadlines and handover conditions so the municipality's expectations do not change during construction. We prepare precisely these agreements.
Legal Q&A
Common questions on this topic
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Why are handover and a handover record important on a building project?
Handover is important for performance of the works and generally also for the entitlement to payment. The transfer of ownership and risk of damage, however, depends on the contract and the regime under § 542 and § 554 of the Commercial Code; the employer may already own the works during construction. A warranty period is relevant if the contractor has assumed a quality warranty. At either party’s request, a written handover record must be made, recording identified defects and reservations.
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We built a building but the Land Register has not recorded it. What usually went wrong?
A document error must be distinguished from a documented change of ownership. Under § 46, the Land Register records the person named in the relevant document unless another public or other document proves a different owner. A difference between the person undertaking the building named in the permit and the current owner therefore does not automatically require correction of the old permit. If the documents contain an actual error or fail to prove ownership, however, they must be corrected or supplemented; disputed ownership may require court proceedings.
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The municipality assigned a building number to a shelter. Does that mean the Land Register will record it?
No. Municipalities assign building numbers under their own rules, while the Land Register records buildings under the Cadastral Act; the categories do not coincide. It records buildings attached to the ground by solid foundations, with or without a building number; buildings under construction in connection with the creation, change or termination of rights; and underground structures where they intersect the ground surface. If eligibility is disputed, the Slovak Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Authority decides.
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Further reading
Binding opinions on the building intent: time limits, silence of the authority and defences against conditions
Before the proceedings on the building intent, the investor must discuss the project with the consulted authorities and the network operators. The new Building Act sets time limits for them, presumes on their silence that they have no comments, and gives the builder a short period in which to challenge conditions. The article is for developers and investors who manage permitting themselves or through their designer.
Read more →
Building amnesty: three routes for legalising old and unauthorised buildings
Amendment No. 46/2024 Z. z. created three regimes: unconditional legalisation for pre-October 1976 buildings, conditional legalisation through 1989, and an application procedure for buildings from 1990 onwards (after Amendment No. 26/2025 Z. z., for buildings up to March 2025) until 31 March 2029. None automatically enters a building in the land register.
Read more →
After the first flat is sold: the developer as co-owner of the building, the repair fund and defects in common parts
With the first transfer of a flat, the developer becomes one of the owners of the building. It pays contributions to the operation, maintenance and repair fund for the unsold flats, votes at meetings, and the rights arising from defects in the building against the contractor pass to the flat owners. This article explains what to prepare for before the first purchase agreement is signed.
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