Building savings scheme

Building savings (stavebné sporenie) is a Slovak banking product in which a saver deposits money and may later claim a building loan. The saver signs a contract with a building savings bank (stavebná sporiteľňa). The product is governed by the Act of the Slovak National Council on Building Savings, zákon č. 310/1992 Zb. o stavebnom sporení. It is a banking law and sits apart from the new Building Act (Stavebný zákon, 25/2025 Z. z.), which governs permits and construction. The saver deposits money and may receive a state premium on the deposits. The saver may later borrow on terms that the contracts set (§ 2(1), § 7(2) and (3)).

How does the savings phase work?

The savings phase starts when the contract is signed. The savings contract must name the parties and fix a target amount, the cieľová suma. It must also state the size and timing of the deposits and the interest rates on them. It must state the conditions for a building loan too (§ 7(2)). The target amount is made up of the saver's deposits, interest, the state premium, the building loan and other sources (§ 8(1)).

Deposits go into the building savings fund, which also holds interest, the state premium and loan repayments (§ 1(2)). Building loans come from this fund (§ 2(1)). After the saver meets the agreed conditions, the saver is entitled to the allocation of a building loan (§ 8(2)). The saver then gets the loan only if the saver keeps the contract conditions and meets the conditions for granting the loan (§ 9(1)). The loan may not exceed the target amount minus the saver's deposits, interest, premiums and other sources (§ 9(2)).

Stage	What happens	Where the act covers it
Contract	Parties, target amount, deposits, interest rates and loan conditions are fixed	§ 7(2)
Savings phase	Deposits and interest build up in the fund	§ 1(2), § 7(2)
Loan entitlement	The saver may claim the building loan, claim it later or withdraw the deposit	§ 8(2), (3), § 9(1)
Use of the funds	The loan is spent only on the building purposes listed in the act	§ 11(1)

How does the state premium work?

The state premium (štátna prémia) is a contribution from the state budget. The building savings bank claims it for the saver (§ 1(2), § 10(2)). It is not paid to every saver. Under § 10(1) it goes to a person who has not turned 18 by the end of the year. It also goes to an adult with an average monthly taxable income of at most 1.3 times the average monthly nominal wage. Both figures are for the previous year. It also goes to a homeowners' association that is a saver. A saver who is a company or other legal person does not qualify under § 10(1).

The act sets the frame. The premium is a percentage of the year's deposit, rounded to 0.5 percent. It is at least 2.5 percent and at most 15 percent of the deposit. It never exceeds 70 euro for one calendar year (§ 10(3)). The Ministry of Finance fixes the rate for the year in a measure published in the Collection of Laws. The measure for 2026 sets 6 percent of the annual deposit, up to 70 euro (measure 238/2025 Z. z., § 1). The measure for 2027 sets 5 percent, up to 70 euro (measure 229/2026 Z. z., § 1). Read the measure for the year you save in, because the rate changes.

The premium is paid for one savings contract per year. A saver with several contracts must declare which one receives it (§ 10(4)). A saver who cancels the contract within two years of signing loses the entitlement. After two years the saver also loses it by cancelling and not using the money for a building purpose. The premium counts as part of that money (§ 10a(1)). A saver who breaks these conditions must repay the premium through the bank (§ 10a(4)).

What can the building loan be used for?

The building loan (stavebný úver) comes from the building savings fund. A saver who keeps to the contract conditions receives it (§ 2(1), § 9(1)). The target amount may be used only for the building purposes listed in § 11(1). These include buying a flat or a family house, building or extending one and modernising it. They also include buying a building plot, preparing plots for houses and paying for an energy certificate. The list also covers buildings for social services and student residences, so it is wider than housing for one family. Read the full list before you rely on it.

A loan that is paid out in stages during construction works differently from a single lump sum. For that pattern, see staged loan drawdown.

Which institutions offer building savings in Slovakia?

Building savings may be offered only by a building savings bank, and only under a banking licence (§ 2(2) and § 2(3)). Three institutions that show building savings on their websites are Prvá stavebná sporiteľňa, Wüstenrot stavebná sporiteľňa and ČSOB stavebná sporiteľňa. The market changes over time. Wüstenrot's website reports a cross-border merger of the company with its parent company. It took effect on 1 October 2026, and a branch of a foreign bank was set up. Read the register of the National Bank of Slovakia before you sign a contract.

Institution	Legal form as shown on its website	Where it was checked
Prvá stavebná sporiteľňa	a. s. (joint-stock company)	Footer of pss.sk
Wüstenrot stavebná sporiteľňa	a.s. (joint-stock company)	Copyright line of wuestenrot.sk
ČSOB stavebná sporiteľňa	Not stated on the page	Building savings page of csob.sk

How is building savings different from a mortgage?

A building savings loan comes from a scheme that the saver joins first, and the saver normally saves before borrowing. A mortgage loan is a bank loan taken at the outset of a purchase or construction and secured on the property.

The state premium is the main feature that a mortgage does not offer. A saver who wants both products can use building savings for the deposit phase. The saver can then compare its loan terms with a bank mortgage before deciding.

What are the common misconceptions about building savings?

• A savings contract does not make the loan automatic. Section 9(1) ties the loan to keeping the agreed conditions and meeting the conditions for granting it.
• The state premium is not paid to every saver. Eligibility depends on the categories in § 10(1), and the rate depends on the ministry measure for the year.
• Building savings is not a building permit. The savings contract finances a building purpose, but permits for construction are handled under the Building Act, not under the savings law.