Completion Time Frame: 21 days
Completion Costs: XAF 10,000
Points to Note:
The buyer should perform due diligence before entering into a sale agreement with the owner of the property by requesting a copy of the property deed from the Land Registry. The copy will include all useful information regarding the property and its history since its registration with the Land Registry. The party will see whether the seller is indeed the owner of the property and whether the property is encumbered with mortgages or liens.

Step 2: A notary drafts the sale agreement

Completion Time Frame: 3 days
Completion Costs: 0.75% of the Property Value
Points to Note:
The law requires that the sale agreement be notarized. It is the practice that parties ask the notary to draft the sale agreement himself. The Notary will draft a preliminary sale agreement and will take the parties’ final observations. The notary finally asks the parties to sign the agreement and to register it with the tax authorities. Notary fees are on the following scale, according to the annex of Decree No. 95/038 of 28/02/95 fixing the notary fees for such acts:

Property value Percentage rate fees
1 to 3 million francs 4.50%
3 to 10 million francs 3%
10 to 25 million francs 1.50%
25 to 50 million francs 0.75%
50 million francs and above 0.50%

Step 3: Register the sale agreement with the Tax Authorities “Centre divisionnaire des Impôts”

Completion Time Frame: 7 days
Completion Costs: 15% of the Property Value
Points to Note:
The sale agreement should be registered with the tax authorities. The sale agreement registration fees would amount to 15% of the sale value.

Step 4: Notarize the registered Sale Agreement

Completion Time Frame: 2 days
Completion Costs: (included in procedure 2)
Points to Note:
The parties take back the sale agreement after it is duly registered with the tax authorities to the notary who will notarize it and sign the transfer form. The parties already paid the notary’s fee in their first encounter. The transfer form is addressed to the director of the Land Registry “conservateur du titre foncier” and states that the two parties (buyer and seller) appeared before the notary at the place and time mentioned and unequivocally agreed to the final sale. The Promissory Sale Agreement and a copy of the property deed are attached to the transfer form.

Step 5: Final transfer of the property title with the Land Registry “Service des Domaines”

Completion Time Frame: 60 days
Completion Costs: 2% of the property value
Points to Note:
The form can now be taken to the Land Registry and file a request of transfer of property. It can take up to 2 months before the title is effectively transferred to the buyer.