Buying Land in Europe – What You Need to Check
Aktualisiert: 2026-06-21
Land Purchase in the EU: More Transparency, but Still Big Differences
The European land market is as diverse as its member states. While Germany has the sophisticated BORIS land value system, many other EU countries offer little public price data. This guide explains what to check before buying and where to find reliable data.
1. Estimating the Right Price
Before making an offer, understand which type of price data is available:
- Germany: Official land reference values (BORIS) for almost all federal states – highly reliable.
- France: DVF transaction prices at commune level – transparent and current.
- Austria: WKO/Statistics Austria building plot prices at federal state level.
- Spain: Ministry MITMA provides prices at autonomous community level.
- Most other countries: Only regional NUTS medians from Eurostat-based data.
Groundcheck clearly shows on every result page which data type is used and how granular it is.
2. Cadastre and Land Register
For any plot, arrange to have the cadastre and land register inspected:
- The cadastre confirms location, area and boundaries of the parcel.
- The land register shows ownership, mortgages and encumbrances (easements, rights of way).
In Germany: notary or land registry (Amtsgericht). In France: Service de la publicité foncière. In Spain: Registro de la Propiedad.
3. Protected Areas and Planning Rights
A plot can be legally purchased and yet not be buildable:
- Natura 2000 areas: Strict usage restrictions across almost all EU countries. Groundcheck shows these zones in the location profile.
- National parks and nature reserves: Visible in Groundcheck for Germany via BfN data.
- Local development plan (Bebauungsplan / PLU): Governs what can be built. Not yet available as uniform open data – check with the local municipality.
- Water protection zones: Restrictions apply to drilling and soil sealing.
4. Risks: Flooding, Radon, Terrain
The location profile on Groundcheck shows, alongside the price:
- Flood risk (JRC/CEMS-EFAS, EU-wide): scenarios RP10, RP100, RP500
- Radon potential (BfS, Germany): classes 1–3 and radon action areas
- Slope gradient (Copernicus DEM, EU-wide): relevant for construction costs and access
- Soil composition (SoilGrids, EU-wide): pH, clay and sand content
5. Country Highlights
| Country | Key feature |
|---|---|
| France | DVF transaction prices open; parcel via Géoportail |
| Netherlands | WOZ tax value not public; cadastre via BRK |
| Austria | BEV cadastral WMS; prices at federal state level |
| Croatia | Cadastral metadata via OSS; no open price data |
| Latvia | Universal cadastral value (max. 80 % of 2022 market value) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can EU citizens buy land anywhere in the EU?
In principle yes – EU fundamental freedoms allow property acquisition in all member states. Some countries (e.g. Denmark for holiday homes) retain historic exceptions. If in doubt, engage a local notary.
What are typical transaction costs for land purchase?
Additional purchase costs vary widely: in Germany roughly 9–12 % (land transfer tax 3.5–6.5 %, notary, land register, possibly agent). In France around 7–8 %. In Spain 8–11 %. Always involve a local tax adviser or notary.
How reliable are the prices on Groundcheck?
We show exclusively official or scientifically recognised sources. Granularity varies: for Germany, land reference values are parcel-level; for many other countries we are at NUTS level (province or region). This is clearly labelled on every page.