FAQ on Land: Answers to Your Questions About ACD, Land Titles, and Subdivisions

What is an ACD in Côte d'Ivoire?

The ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive — Definitive Concession Order) is the official document issued by the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urbanism (MCLU). It grants you a definitive ownership right over urban land.

During the ACD procedure, the land administration (the Land Conservation and Mortgage Office, CPFH) creates your land title in its register before the minister even signs. In other words, the ACD and the land title are not two different titles: it's the same ownership right, captured at two moments of the same procedure.

To understand recent changes (transition from village attestation to ADU, digitalisation), read our article on the 2025 land reform.

What is a lotissement (subdivision)?

A lotissement is an urban planning operation that divides a parcel of land into several lots for construction. To be legal and enforceable, it must be approved by the competent authorities.

What is an approved lotissement?

An approved lotissement is a subdivision whose plan has been validated by ministerial order from the Minister of Urbanism. Approval certifies that it complies with planning standards and that the lots meet regulatory requirements.

You have two simple ways to verify that a lotissement is approved:

• On the official website of the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urbanism (MCLU), where approval orders are published.
• Directly on capital-foncier.com, via our lotissement verification tool — it aggregates MCLU orders with an interactive map and geocoding.

What is a letter of attribution?

The letter of attribution is a document issued by the administrative authority that allocates a lot to a beneficiary within an approved lotissement. It is the first step toward obtaining an ACD, but on its own does not confer a definitive ownership right.

What is a Land Title (Titre Foncier)?

The Land Title is the legal document that definitively and incontestably proves your ownership of a piece of land. It is registered in the Livre Foncier (Land Register) by the Land Conservation and Mortgage Office.

Before the 2013 reform: you first obtained a temporary title (the Arrêté de Concession Provisoire, or ACP), conditional on developing the land within a set timeframe. The actual Land Title only came afterwards, through a second and often lengthy procedure.

Since Ordinance No. 2013-481: everything is unified into a single procedure. When you obtain an ACD today, your Land Title has already been created in parallel by the land administration in its register. Publication in the Land Register makes this title enforceable against all, incontestable and imprescriptible. In plain terms: a published ACD = a published Land Title. Same ownership right, two names.

Beware of forged documents. To buy safely, follow our Ultimate Guide — 10 steps to buy land in Côte d'Ivoire.

What is the Livre Foncier (Land Register)?

The Livre Foncier is the official register in which all Land Titles in Côte d'Ivoire are recorded. Maintained by the Land Conservation and Mortgage Office, it is the absolute reference for land ownership: publication of a title in the Livre Foncier makes it enforceable against all.

How does an ACD application actually work?

Here is the typical journey:

• You submit your file at the Single Land and Housing Window (GUFH).
• The administration verifies your documents (prior titles, ADU, plans, etc.) and conducts a technical review of the land.
• In parallel, the Land Conservation Office creates your land title in its register.
• The Directorate of Urbanism processes your file in detail.
• The Minister signs the ACD (in Abidjan), or the Prefect (outside Abidjan, for lots from an approved lotissement under 1 ha).
• The ACD is delivered to you.
• Finally, your title is published in the Land Register — it becomes enforceable against all.

The official timeframe is 6 to 12 months. In practice, it often takes longer, depending on file complexity and administrative delays.

What is the ADU (formerly the village attestation)?

Since 1 January 2025, the former village attestation has been replaced by the ADU (Customary Use Right Attestation), established by Decree No. 2021-784 of 8 December 2021. The ADU is a secure document requiring a triple signature (village chief, CVGFR president, developer) and is registered in the SIGFU with a unique IDUFCI identifier (Decree No. 2021-862).

The ADU is a provisional recognition of customary rights and a gateway to the ACD, but does not confer full ownership. To understand the transition, read our article on the 2025 reform.

What is a bailiff's certified statement (compulsoire d'huissier)?

A compulsoire d'huissier is a bailiff's deed that officially records the state of occupation of a piece of land. It is an important document in land procedures, particularly to establish the chronology of rights claimed on a parcel.

What is a transfer certificate (attestation de cession)?

The attestation de cession is the document that formalises the transfer of ownership of a piece of land from a seller to a buyer. It must be drawn up before a notary to have full legal value.

If you live outside Côte d'Ivoire, see our Ultimate Guide — 10 steps to buy land safely and our 2026 diaspora tax guide.