Record Number of Construction Permit Applications in 2025, but Slower Issuance
In 2025, a total of 162,746 applications for construction permits were submitted in Serbia, representing a 6% increase compared to the previous year. The total value of projects grew at a similar rate, indicating a continued rise in investment activity. However, local governments recorded a slight decline in efficiency in issuing permits, with the share of resolved cases during the year decreasing from 97% in 2024 to 94.6% in 2025, according to the latest NALED analysis based on data from the Serbian Business Registers Agency.
According to NALED’s analysis, the most successful cities in issuing construction permits are Sremska Mitrovica, Sombor, and Kruševac, followed by Smederevo, Zrenjanin, Čačak, Vršac, Kraljevo, Pirot, and Kikinda. Among municipalities, the top performers are Bogatić, Apatin, and Ćuprija, with Svilajnac, the City Municipality of Mladenovac, Topola, Gornji Milanovac, Velika Plana, Kovin, and Aleksinac also ranking in the top ten.
The largest increase was recorded in demand for location conditions, with 20,923 applications submitted—nearly 8% more than in 2024 and the highest level in the past five years. The strongest results were achieved in the final quarter, indicating positive momentum that is expected to continue into 2026.
On average, all local governments issued location conditions within 21 days, confirming compliance with the maximum legally prescribed deadlines. Specifically, the deadline for issuing location conditions is five working days from the moment all necessary data is obtained from public authorities, which are required to respond within 15 working days. Occupancy permits were issued in an average of 13 days, while construction permits took an average of eight days.
Dušan Vasiljević, Director for Competitiveness and Investment at NALED, emphasized that NALED supports its member cities and municipalities in improving efficiency, noting that this is also one of the key requirements for obtaining the Business Friendly Certification.
" The data shows that three-quarters of members of NALED’s Club of Cities and Municipalities with a Favorable Business Environment recorded a higher number of applications compared to the national average. This confirms that municipalities within this Club rank among the most dynamic investment environments in Serbia. Although the overall annual number of issued construction permits remained almost unchanged compared to 2024, positive trends became visible toward the end of the year. In the final quarter, growth was recorded, and in December alone, around 11% more permits were issued compared to the same period of the previous year," said Vasiljević.
The analysis also shows that two-fifths of local governments experience delays in issuing permits, with delays more pronounced in cities (46%) than in municipalities (38%). On average, it took 8.5 days to issue a construction permit in municipalities, while in cities the same process took around 10 days.
Another ongoing challenge relates to cases where applications are returned for revision (so-called compliance adjustments). In approximately 11.7% of cases, submitted applications were returned for amendments, with a slightly higher rate in cities than in municipalities.
Electronic construction permits represent the first fully integrated public e-service, introduced in 2016 at the initiative and with the support of NALED. NALED recommends that the next step should be the full digitalization of urban planning processes and the establishment of a Central Registry of Planning Documents, as a prerequisite for creating the E-Space system, which would mark a significant step forward in transparency, efficiency, and the quality of spatial and urban planning.
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