What buying really costs: beyond the apartment price

The apartment price is not the full cost of buying. You also need to budget for the notary fee (based on the transaction value), land registry registration, the annual property tax after buying, and, if you take a loan, the financing cost. All the figures here are dated and must be confirmed yourself.

How much does the notary cost?

The real estate sale-purchase contract is solemnized at the notary — this step cannot be avoided. The notary fee is not a fixed amount, but based on the value of the transaction, under the Administrative Instruction on Notary Fees (UA MD No. 05/2022).

This page deliberately does not publish a specific percentage. The figure “0.5%” that often circulates online refers to Albania’s fees, not Kosovo’s, and using it here would be a factual error. The exact fee structure — how it changes with the property’s value, whether there is a progressive scale — is confirmed only by the notary themself, before signing the contract. Ask for the full amount, not just the “base fee”, because there may be additional costs for drafting documents.

How much does land registry registration cost?

The property possession certificate — the fletëposeduese — has been available free of charge through the eKosova platform since 3 October 2024, according to the Kadastral Agency of Kosovo (AKK). This is a significant improvement compared to previous years, when obtaining the certificate required extra time and bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, the registration of the actual transfer of ownership — that is, the transfer of ownership from seller to buyer in the cadastral register — may carry a separate administrative fee. This fee is not the same as the cost of the certificate and varies by case; confirm it directly with the municipal cadastral office or the AKK before budgeting for it.

This step is not a secondary formality. Under Law No. 08/L-237, you become the legal owner of the apartment only after the transfer of ownership is registered in the cadastre — not at the moment the contract is signed with the notary. For many buyers this is the most misunderstood distinction in the whole process: the signed contract gives you the right to be registered, not ownership itself. So do not consider the process closed until you hold the new ownership certificate in your name — until then, even though you have paid, your legal status remains unprotected in the event of a dispute.

Do I pay VAT when buying an apartment?

In Kosovo, value-added tax has a standard rate of 18% and a reduced rate of 8%. But whether VAT applies, and at what rate, to a specific apartment sale is not the same in every case — it depends on the seller’s status (a construction company versus a private individual reselling) and on the type of transaction.

For this reason, this page does not state a VAT amount for a private resale, nor does it assume that every purchase from a developer is automatically charged the same rate. The exact treatment is confirmed with the ATK and with the notary preparing your contract, according to the specific circumstances of the sale.

How much is the annual property tax?

After buying, as the owner you will pay the annual real estate tax every year — this is an ongoing obligation, not a one-time payment. Under Law No. 06/L-005, each municipal assembly sets the annual rate within a range of 0.05% to 1% of the property’s market value; the exact rate depends on the municipality and can change from one year to the next.

For the apartment where you live as your primary residence, a deduction of 10,000 euros from the taxable value is allowed, which reduces the effective burden for most buyers of an ordinary apartment. The tax is administered by the municipalities and the Ministry of Finance — not the ATK, as buyers often assume. You get the specific figure for your apartment from the relevant municipality after registration.

Is there a transfer tax in Kosovo?

No, Kosovo does not have a dedicated “transfer tax” for buying property, unlike some neighboring countries where a separate payment exists at the moment of ownership transfer. The ongoing burden on property in Kosovo is the annual real estate tax described above — not a one-time payment at the moment of purchase. This makes it easier to calculate the initial cost of buying, but it does not reduce the importance of the annual tax as an ongoing cost that must be budgeted every year, not just in the first year.

What about financing costs?

If you buy with a mortgage, the financing cost is part of the total cost of buying, not something separate from it. The average effective mortgage rate in Kosovo was 5.9% according to the Central Bank of Kosovo (CBK, March 2026). This figure changes over time, by bank, and by your credit profile, so it does not replace the specific offer you get from the bank. For details on loan types, terms, and how to prepare to apply, see our page on financing your purchase with a mortgage.

How do I calculate the full cost before I buy?

The practical rule: take the apartment price as a starting point, not the final amount. Add the notary fee (confirmed with the notary, based on value), the possible transfer registration fee (confirmed with the AKK), and plan for the annual property tax you will pay every year after buying. If you take a loan, also add the financing cost confirmed by your bank.

For the current price levels in the city, media reports put the range around 700–900 €/m² in Gjilan (around 2025, not an official statistic), while according to ASK, apartment prices nationwide were up +5.3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. No specific complex publishes a price per m² here, because we do not have a verified figure for each one — ask the developer directly. For the practical steps of the buying process itself, see how to buy an apartment in Gjilan and our list of what to check before buying.

Not every complex documents ownership, materials, or extra costs equally openly — this is exactly one of the reasons we compare complexes by checkable criteria, not by promises. How we verify each figure is explained in our methodology.

Bottom line

Beyond the apartment price, leave room in your budget for the notary, registration, the annual property tax, and, if applicable, the financing cost. All the figures on this page are dated (July 2026) and must be confirmed with official sources — the ATK, the AKK, your municipality, the notary, and the bank — before you count on them as certain for your case.