Completion Time Frame: 5 days (simultaneous with procedure 2)
Completion Costs: 2% of property value
Points to Note:
The parties contract the services of a notary to draft the sale agreement. The sale agreement can also be done sous Seign Privé.

Step 2: Check with the Land Registry that the seller is providing a clear and non-encumbered title

Completion Time Frame: 7 days (Simultaneous with procedure 1)
Completion Costs: no cost
Points to Note:
The notary will contact a surveyor (géomètre au niveau du chef de service de la conservation foncière). The surveyor will identify the property; verify in the archives of the Cadastre that the seller is the real owner of the property.
The certificate summarizes the property’s characteristics. It confirms the identity of the owner, indicates its extent and boundaries, states whether it is encumbered with a mortgage or other liens, and shows whether any tax relating to the property is still unpaid or outstanding.

Step 3: Publish the Sale Agreement at the Municipality

Completion Time Frame: 45 days
Completion Costs: no cost
Points to Note:
By law, it is mandatory to publish the sale agreement to avoid future dispute. This can be done by posting at the local Municipality.

Step 4: Register the Sale Contract with the Fiscal Authorities

Completion Time Frame: 2 days
Completion Costs: 15% of purchase price + FCFA 10,000 (Stamp Duty)
Points to Note:
The notary files the original of the sale contract “the minute” and pays the Stamp Duty 4000 FCFA (1000 FCFA/page, 4 pages in general) + three copies of the sale contract (“expeditions” and 6000 stamp duty) to the Tax department (Service des Impots).
Note: if payment is not made within the deadlines, there is 100% of penalty. The deadline is one month (1 month) if the sale agreement is prepared by a notary and of three (3 months) if the sale is under private signature

Step 5: File for name change at the Land Registry “Conservation Foncière”

Completion Time Frame: 21 days
Completion Costs: 1% of purchase price (Taxe de publicite Fonciere) + 0.4% purchase price (Salary of the Registrar ‘Conservateur’) + 5000 (Deposit Tax)
Points to Note:
The employees of the Land Registry take all due diligence steps to avoid any mistake regarding the property file. When satisfied, the owner name is changed on the property files and the new owner is issued a new title.