Green mortgage

What is a green mortgage, and which rules apply?

A green mortgage is a home loan with a price benefit that a bank ties to the energy performance of the financed house. The benefit can depend on the energy class or only on holding an energy performance certificate. Each bank sets its own benefit in its price list or campaign conditions, so the terms differ between banks and change over time.

Two sets of rules sit side by side. Act 555/2005 Z. z. governs the energy performance of buildings. Its consolidated text in force runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 December 2026. The Building Act, 25/2025 Z. z. (Stavebný zákon), governs the final inspection and lists the certificate among the documents for it. The mortgage itself is a private loan contract between the client and the bank.

How does the energy class reach the bank's decision?

Energy certification places a building in an energy class. It rests on a calculation of the building's energy need (Act 555/2005 Z. z., § 5 ods. 1). The certificate is the document that shows the class, so a bank that prices by class can ask for it. Decree 364/2012 Z. z. sets the boundaries of the classes. The table below lists the terms that appear most often in a green mortgage file.

Term	What it means	Basis
Energy class A0 to G	The scale on which the building's global indicator is placed.	Decree 364/2012 Z. z., § 4 ods. 8 and 13
Class A1	Upper limit of the ultra-low-energy level of construction.	Decree 364/2012 Z. z., § 4 ods. 15
Class A0	Upper limit for buildings with a nearly zero-energy need. A0 is the best class on the scale.	Decree 364/2012 Z. z., § 4 ods. 10
Sub-class A0+	An A0 building that delivers or stores energy.	Decree 364/2012 Z. z., § 4 ods. 11

Which energy class and fee terms do Slovak banks offer?

The SLSP mortgage page, checked on 13 November 2026, states that submitting an energy certificate gives a 50% discount on the fee for granting the loan. It does not name an energy class, does not state a rate discount tied to the class, and gives no campaign dates. A green benefit can therefore be a fee discount, a rate discount, or both. It may depend on a class or only on holding a certificate.

Other banks set their own rules, and this article has not checked them. Ask for the current written terms before you budget, and read the validity date of each campaign.

When is an energy performance certificate mandatory?

Act 555/2005 Z. z. makes the certificate compulsory in three cases (§ 5 ods. 2). The first is the sale of a building or a separate part of it, or its lease to a new tenant. The second is a building with more than 250 square metres of floor area that a public authority uses and the public often visits. The third is the completion of a new building or a major renovation of an existing one. Outside these cases the certificate is voluntary.

The owner must hold a valid certificate on the day of the application for final inspection (kolaudácia) of a new building, unless the building office decides otherwise (§ 8 ods. 1 písm. a). The owner must also hold one on the day of the sale or lease contract (písm. c). The application for final inspection lists the certificate among its attachments if the building needs certification (Building Act § 66 ods. 2 písm. j).

What are the common misconceptions about green mortgages?

Three misunderstandings come up often. Each one is easy to correct from the rules above.

• A certificate lasts for good. It is valid for at most ten years. It loses validity earlier after alterations that change the building's energy performance. The owner then needs a new certificate within two months (§ 8 ods. 1 písm. b).
• A new house needs no certificate. A certificate is compulsory when a new building is completed, and the owner must hold one on the day of the application for final inspection.
• Every bank uses the same class rule. The SLSP page asks only for a certificate, while other banks may name a class. The rule belongs to the bank and to its current campaign.

What should a buyer check before applying for a green mortgage?

1. Ask the bank in writing which energy classes qualify, and whether the benefit is a fee discount, a rate discount, or both.
2. Confirm the class, the issue date and the address on the certificate, and check that it covers the house being financed.
3. Check that the certificate is still valid on the day you apply, using the rules in the table below.
4. Compare the total cost of the loan with the benefit, not the headline rate alone.
5. Keep the certificate with the loan file, because the owner must hand it over on a later sale.

Rule	Where it sits	What it means for the file
Maximum validity of ten years	Act 555/2005 Z. z., § 7 ods. 7	Check the issue date before you apply.
Early expiry after energy-relevant alterations	Act 555/2005 Z. z., § 7 ods. 7 and § 8 ods. 1 písm. b	A renovation can end the certificate before its date. The owner needs a new one within two months.
Certificate held on the day of the application for final inspection	Act 555/2005 Z. z., § 8 ods. 1 písm. a	A new building needs a valid certificate on that day.
Valid certificate handed over on sale	Act 555/2005 Z. z., § 8 ods. 2 písm. c bod 1	The owner keeps the certificate during its validity and gives it to the new owner.

For the label that shows the class, see the entry on energy label.