What is Land Registry in Ivory Coast?
The Land and Mortgage Registry is the public institution responsible for maintaining the land register, recording property titles, and managing real estate mortgages in Ivory Coast.
Definition complete
Official Process in 11 Steps
Diagram of the administrative process: One-Stop Land & Housing Office (GUFH / Guichet Unique Foncier et de l'Habitat) → Urban Domain Directorate (DDU / Direction du Domaine Urbain) → Land Registry → Office of the MCLU (Ministère de la Construction, du Logement et de l'Urbanisme / Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning) → return to GUFH for collection. Source: Magazine BÂTIR (MCLU, 2019). Pre-2025 ADU reform procedure — before the replacement of the Village Certificate by the ADU (Attestation de Droit d'Usage coutumier / Customary Right of Use Certificate) for rural land.
The Institution Custodian of Land
The Land Registry is the public administration that centralizes all land information in the country. It is with this institution that Land Titles (Titres Fonciers), mortgages, and all property transfers are registered.
Services of the Land Registry
- Registration and transfer of Land Titles
- Issuance of property certificates and CMPF (Certificat de Mutation de Propriété Foncière / Land Ownership Transfer Certificate)
- Registration of mortgages
- Consultation of the land register
- Archiving of land documents
Where is the Land Registry Located?
The main Land Registry is located in Plateau in Abidjan. Satellite registries exist in the country's major cities (Bouaké, Yamoussoukro, San-Pédro, etc.).
Exemple concret
Koffi wishes to purchase land in Cocody. Before signing, he visits the Land Registry of Plateau to verify that the land is properly registered in the seller's name and that there is no outstanding mortgage.
Questions frequentes
How do I consult the land register at the Land Registry Office?
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Autres termes du glossaire
The ADU (Attestation de Droit d'Usage Coutumier / Customary Right of Use Certificate) is the single, secure document that replaces the former Village Certificate as of January 1, 2025. Established by Decree No. 2021-784 and secured by the SIGFU (Decree No. 2021-862), it requires a triple signature (village chief, CVGFR president, developer) and a unique IDUFCI. The ADU is not a property title: it constitutes a provisional recognition opening the path to the ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive / Definitive Concession Decree) — the ACD published in the Land Register IS the Land Title. In practice, the time between ACD signature and its publication in the Land Register is often longer than the official 180 calendar days (BÂTIR N°004, 2022). Published ACD = published Land Title — same legal deed, two stages.
The Rural Land Agency (AFOR — Agence Foncière Rurale) is the public institution responsible for implementing rural land policy in Ivory Coast. It oversees land certification, registration of rural properties, and coordination of boundary demarcation and surveying operations.
Legal document drafted by a notary that formalizes the transfer of land ownership between a seller and a buyer. The notarized deed of sale is mandatory and confers authenticity on the transaction.
Legal entity that must be established with a minimum share capital of 2 million FCFA held by Ivorian nationals, holding an approval from the Minister responsible for Housing and a financial guarantee from a bank or insurance company.
The alienation price is the sum that the buyer must pay to the State to obtain the Definitive Concession (ACD — Arrêté de Concession Définitive) of urban land. Calculated by an ad hoc commission, it corresponds to the market value of the parcel according to the official schedule.