Establishing nursing care facilities in Austria and SEE: new CMS guide provides overview of investment climate and legal framework

Europe's population is ageing dramatically. This development has - for quite some time now - not been affecting only Western Europe but Southeast Europe as well. As a result, the demand for retirement and nursing care facilities is increasing and thereby becoming more interesting for investors. The new CMS guide "Senior Housing in SEE" provides an initial overview of the investment climate in Austria and in the countries of Southeast Europe (SEE).

The life expectancy is rising, and the birth rates are low. All European countries have to deal with the same demographic trend: the population is ageing, and the group of the oldest seniors is growing rapidly. The trend has also hit Southeast Europe: many regions are threatened by severe ageing, a problem aggravated by the rising number of young people choosing to emigrate.

Living as independently as possible in old age, but still being well provided for - the demand for needs-based retirement and nursing care facilities is also increasing in the countries of Southeast Europe. However, investors have increasingly shifted their attention to this area of investment, and they are wondering, which of the countries of Southeast Europe, alongside Austria, offer particularly favourable investment climates.

"As challenging as this issue is in socio-political terms, it is also interesting for investors. We are pleased to have created a guide that offers valuable help with regard to the legal frameworks for investments in the respective countries," says Gregor Famira, Partner and Head of the CMS offices in Croatia and Slovenia.

Overview of the respective national legal frameworks in Southeast Europe

The new CMS guide provides answers to these questions. It contains an overview of the respective national legal frameworks in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkiye and Ukraine - jurisdictions in which CMS has been providing legal services for many years. In addition to an overview of currently applicable law, the guide contains information on the legal structure required to operate a nursing care facility, the necessary licenses and permits as well as profit restrictions in the various countries. It also contains an overview of possible subsidies as well as supervisory authorities in Southeast Europe.

You can download a free version of the guide "Senior Housing in SEE" here.