Completion Time Frame: 14 days
Completion Costs: GNF 309,495
Points to Note:
The seller must obtain and provide the buyer with the map indicating the extent and boundaries of the property.

Step 2: Write to the director of the Land Registry (“Bureau de la Conservation Foncière”) to confirm the identity of the land owner and to confirm clear title

Completion Time Frame: 14 days
Completion Costs: no cost
Points to Note:
The buyer writes to the director of the land registry to confirm that the seller of the property is indeed the true owner and that the title is clear and free of encumbrances. The director’s duty is to answer back and always comply with this requirement. In the rare case where the director does not answer the inquiry, the buyer can write for the tax authorities to check whether the property is encumbered by a lien or a mortgage, or write to other financial institutions.

Step 3: Obtain tax clearance from tax authorities (Direction National des Impots)

Completion Time Frame: 10 days
Completion Costs: no cost
Points to Note:

Step 4: Sign the sale contract as written and witnessed by the notary

Completion Time Frame: 1 day
Completion Costs: From 1 to 10,000,000 of FG : 4.50%
From 10,000,000 to 50,000,000 of FG: 3%
From 50,000,001 to 150,000,000 of FG :2%
From 150,000,001 to 300,000,000 of FG: 1%
Above 300,000,000: 0.75%
Points to Note:
The law does not require that the contract be written or witnessed by a lawyer or a notary. It is however common for the director of the land registry to request that the sale contract be witnessed by a notary.

Step 5: Register the sale contract with the National Tax Authorities “Service des Impôts”

Completion Time Frame: 5 days
Completion Costs: 10% of the property value
Points to Note:
The parties should register the sale contract with the National Tax Authorities and pay their due tax (10% of the value of the property). There is no internal Step or requirements to prove that the stated value of the land is indeed genuine or authentic.

Step 6: Transfer the final ownership with the Land Registry (“Bureau de la Conservation Foncière”)

Completion Time Frame: 60 days
Completion Costs: 1% of the property value
Points to Note:
The Director of the Land Registry will only ask to see the notarized sale agreement and the map stating the boundaries of the property. It is a requirement by law that the director effectively transfers the property to the seller after a 10 days maximum since the demand was presented. The law considers the silence of the administration after this delay as a tacit consent.