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

What is an ACD in Ivory Coast?

The ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive, or 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. The ACD and the land title are therefore not two different titles: it is the same ownership right, captured at two moments of the same procedure. The administrative calendar moves, the ownership right stays the same.

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.

There are two simple ways to check that a lotissement really 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, which brings the MCLU orders together 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 it does not confer a definitive ownership right.

What is a Land Title (Titre Foncier)?

The Land Title is the legal document that proves, definitively and incontestably, that you own 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 (ACP), conditional on developing the land within a set timeframe. The actual Land Title came only 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 Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire).

What is the Livre Foncier (Land Register)?

The Livre Foncier is the official register in which all Land Titles in Ivory Coast are recorded. Kept by the Land Conservation and Mortgage Office, it is the authority on 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.

Allow 6 to 12 months for the whole journey. In practice it often stretches further, depending on how complex the file is and on administrative delays.

What is the ADU (formerly the village attestation)?

The former village attestation has been replaced by the ADU (Customary Use Right Attestation) as of 1 July 2024, pursuant to Decree No. 2021-784 of 8 December 2021. Since 1 January 2025, the ADU has been the only document accepted to open an ACD application, and it is issued free of charge. It is a secured document: it requires a triple signature (village chief, CVGFR president, developer) and it is registered in the SIGFU with a unique IDUFCI identifier (Decree No. 2021-862).

The ADU recognises customary rights on a provisional basis and serves as a gateway to the ACD, but it 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 counts in land procedures, in particular 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 the seller to the buyer. It must be drawn up before a notary to carry real legal value.

If you live outside Ivory Coast, see our Ultimate guide: 10 steps to buy land safely and our 2026 diaspora tax guide.