What is the mandatory land position request since 2025?
The land position request is a mandatory preliminary step since March 31, 2025, to be completed before any application for an Arrêté de Concession Définitive (ACD / Definitive Concession Decree). It allows the administration to verify the absence of conflict on the parcel.
Definition complete
A Preliminary Step Established in 2025
Since 31 March 2025, any application for an ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive / Definitive Concession Decree) in Ivory Coast must be preceded by a land position request. This requirement was documented by the Regional Directorate of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning (DRCLU) in Aboisso and relayed by the MCLU (Ministère de la Construction, du Logement et de l'Urbanisme / Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning) Newsletter of August 2025.
Why This Step?
The land position allows the administration to:
- Verify that the parcel is not already encumbered by a Land Title or prior ACD
- Check for the absence of conflict with an approved subdivision or public utility easement
- Ensure consistency with the local urban planning framework (SDUGA, PDU, POS)
- Prevent cases of stellionat (multiple sale of the same parcel)
Where and How to File?
The request is filed with the competent Regional Directorate (DRCLU) or, in Abidjan, at the One-Stop Land & Housing Office (GUF / Guichet Unique du Foncier et de l'Habitat). The standard file includes the provisional cadastral identifier (IDUFCI), the topographic plan, the Customary Right of Use Certificate (ADU / Attestation de Droit d'Usage coutumier) if applicable, and the requester's identity documents.
Impact on Total Timeline
This step is added to the official 180 calendar-day timeline of the ACD procedure. In practice, it can be significantly longer depending on the service's workload. Capital Foncier recommends systematically anticipating it when planning a land security project.
Exemple concret
Kouamé wishes to file an ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive / Definitive Concession Decree) application on a parcel in Bingerville. Since March 2025, he must first obtain a land position certificate from the DRCLU (Direction Régionale de la Construction, du Logement et de l'Urbanisme / Regional Directorate of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning) in Abidjan. Without this document, his ACD application will not be admissible at the GUF (Guichet Unique Foncier / One-Stop Land Office).
Sources juridiques
Newsletter MCLU août 2025 — Direction Régionale Aboisso (référence administrative)
Questions frequentes
Since when has land position documentation been mandatory?
What is the difference between land position and land status?
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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.