Land registries in the Member States offer a wide range of services, which may vary from one country to another.
However, the core services provided by all registries are to register, examine and store land and property information, such as location and ownership, and to make this information available to the public and professional customers.
Please select the relevant country's flag to obtain detailed national information.
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Information about immovable property in Belgium can be found in the documentation held by offices of three kinds: the land register properly so called (kadaster/cadastre), the registration offices (registratiekantoren/bureaux de l’enregistrement) and the mortgage depositories (hypotheekbewaringen/conservations d’hypothèques). These three sources of information have been grouped together in the Federal Ministry of Finance’s national property documentation centre (Algemene Administratie van de Patrimoniumdocumentatie/Administration Générale de la Documentation Patrimoniale).
The tasks of the land register proper and of the registration offices are mainly, but not exclusively, tax-related. The mortgage depositories are responsible for registering property rights in rem: the creation and transfer inter vivos of rights in rem in immovable property must be recorded in the mortgage depository in order to be enforceable against third parties acting in good faith.
No, there is a fee for obtaining information from the documentation in the land register, the registration offices and the mortgage depositories. The amount varies according to the type of documentation consulted and the information requested.
In general, information about immovable property and/or the holders of the rights in rem in immovable property can be found either by identifying the property (address and/or land register identification number) or by identifying the holder of the rights in rem (name and/or identity number).
The national property documentation centre has concluded agreements with certain professional groups (such as notaries, surveyors and estate agents) on the online consultation of certain data in the documentation of the land register.
The documentation held by the land register, the registration offices and the mortgage depositories has been kept since before the foundation of the Belgian state.
History does not stand still: a plan to integrate the three data sources into a single one is currently nearing completion and should be implemented in the near future.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The Bulgarian property register is owned and managed by the Registry Agency, within the framework of what is called the ‘personal entry system’. Information is based on the personal files of the transacting parties, namely individuals and legal persons. Only transactions and legal documents are entered in the register.
Since the development and roll-out of the Integrated Information System for Cadastre and Property Registration (IKAR), all entries are publicly available on the website of the Land Registry Agency.
The IKAR system consists of two modules:
The IKAR system offers both semantic and graphic information, especially in cases where digitised cadastral maps are available.
The website of the Bulgarian property register provides:
It also offers the following types of public service:
The above-mentioned services give you information about:
Copies of legal transactions and documents are presented to the registry office.
Every document is registered in the entry registry of the IKAR system, where it receives a number showing the exact date and time of the entry.
Documents are then presented to the entry judges for verification and resolution.
After approval by an entry judge, registry officials manually enter information on the system.
All documents are then scanned and saved on the system.
The procedure for registering, verifying and entering the information takes an average of one working day.
Access to the Bulgarian property register is free and open to all. However, only registered users can obtain information from the website.
A fee is payable for online verification, in line with legal criteria.
You can search the property register by: personal identification number (PIN) of legal or natural persons; by name of owner; by detailed description of the property; by property lot number; by registration number.
The first electronic system was created in 1990. Since then, several electronic systems have been introduced.
The main reform of the property registry took place when it was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Registry Agency, which was created in July 2004. The Registry Agency managed and improved the existing information data systems until the creation of the IKAR system on the 8th September 2008.
The implementation of IKAR took place in phases. The old data was migrated into the new IKAR system. The system became fully functional (covering the entire territory of Bulgaria) on the 26th January 2009, and is fully integrated with the Geodesy Cartography and Cadastre Agency’s registry.
The principles of publicity, transparency and security of procedures are guaranteed.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of the Czech Republic's cadastre (property) register.
The Czech cadastre register contains both factual and legal information on property. On the register you can find cadastral maps and information on property owners.
Browsing and searching the maps and basic information on property on the internet, including the names and addresses of owners, is free of charge.
Fees are payable for an official listing, either on paper or electronically by remote access, containing all information on legal relationships concerning property; fees may vary depending on the scope of the listing, but are normally CZK 100.
The Czech cadastre register provides you with an advanced search engine for online searches
The electronic information system has been in use since 2001.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of Denmark's land register.
The Danish Land Register is available online (only available in Danish). Please consult the register's website for details regarding access, payment and searching.
The Danish Land register can be contacted via email at: tinglysning@domstol.dk
Please see the Register's website.
Please see the Register's website.
Please see the Register's website.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of Germany's land register.
The German land register provides information on the civil law legal relationships concerning real estate, such as ownership and third party rights in rem. The land register is kept primarily in electronic format.
The land register may be accessed only by persons who can show a legitimate interest in consulting it (in particular for legal or economic reasons). To do so, they must first contact the land registry office in the judicial district in which the real estate is located. Persons authorised to access the land register may also apply for excerpts from the land register.
A restricted group of users may consult land register data via an electronic portal for the respective federal states. These users include in particular German courts, public authorities, notaries, credit institutions and utility companies. The judicial authorities of the federal states are responsible for regulating these access rights.
The notaries may communicate the content of the land register to persons who can demonstrate a legitimate interest. The information from the land register may also be communicated in printed form.
Consulting the German land register at the land registry office is free of charge. A simple excerpt from the land register costs EUR 10, a certified copy EUR 20. If a file is requested instead of an excerpt, a simple file costs EUR 5, a certified file EUR 10. There is also a charge for accessing or consulting the land register electronically.
In the German land register, you can search using the following criteria:
Using the land register, you can usually trace the ownership history of real estate back to the start of the 20th century.
From the mid 1990s, the paper version of the German land register has been gradually replaced by an electronic version. This migration is now largely complete.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with a brief overview of Estonia’s land register.
The Estonian Land Register is a record of proprietary interests and restricted rights, providing third parties with information about registered immovable property.
The land register focuses on both legal and factual circumstances. All property is entered into the land register, unless otherwise provided for by law. Each individual property has an independent entry and is given a unique number (registered property number).
The register has four parts.
Part 1 contains the following information on each registered property:
Part 2 contains the following information on each registered property:
Part 3 contains the following information on each registered property:
Part 4 contains the following information on each registered property:
The various parts of the land register are publicly available and can be accessed by anyone. Where there is a legitimate interest, the file for a given registered property can be consulted. Property owners, notaries, bailiffs, the courts and supervisory authorities do not need to prove the existence of a legitimate interest.
The land register is kept electronically.
The various parts of the land register and files for registered properties can be consulted at a notary’s office or via the search engine. There is a charge for consulting the land register at a notary's office or via the search engine.
The following may consult the electronic land register free of charge:
The information contained in the land register can be accessed via the online search engine provided by the Centre of Registers and Information Systems. Use of the search engine is free of charge. The search result displays all the information entered in Part 1 of the land register (land-register reference, specific purpose, area and address). A fee is charged for access to more specific information in the land register.
The charge is €1 for each search of a search item and €3 for access to view the whole part of the register.
A search item is any of the following information in a land register part opened for any registered property:
The search fee includes access to opened property files and issuing the documentation they contain.
Detailed information for register parts can be consulted in line with the service fees listed here. These fees are not subject to VAT.
You can search the database using the following search criteria:
It is also possible to search for information on non-valid owners and authorised persons.
The electronic version of the land register contains information dating back to 1994. The change-over to the electronic version began in the summer of 2010. Since 1 January 2015, all land files have been electronic.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section offers you an overview of Ireland's land register.
The Irish Land Register is operated and maintained by the Property Registration Authority of Ireland, the statutory body responsible for land registration in Ireland.
You can find both legal and factual details in the Irish land register.
Each title record is divided into three parts.
The Irish land register is an ‘open’ register. There is thus no restriction on using the service and the Property Registration Authority (PRA) charges no subscription fee for access.
However, fees are charged for actual usage of the service – at rates set out in the prevailing statutory fees order. Fees may be paid electronically or manually.
The Irish Land Register subscription service requires:
At present, you can take out a subscription to the Irish Land Register service directly from the Property Registration Authority.
There are currently over 15,000 subscribed users of the Irish Land Registry, and over 3 million transactions are conducted through the online service annually.
Since 2011, access to the Land Registry map and folio databases is also provided on a non-subscription basis and payment of fees by credit card is supported.
The Irish land register may be searched by a variety of means, including:
The current system of land registration in operation in Ireland was established in 1892. Based on an ‘open’ register underpinned by a state-guarantee, the system was designed to replace gradually a registration of deeds system that had been in operation since 1707.
European Land Information Service, Portal for Irish Government websites, Property Registration Authority of Ireland, Online services from Irish land register
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
Greece has an electronic land register known as the Cadastre (κτηματολόγιο) in areas where land registration has been completed. Local mortgage registries (υποθηκοφυλακεία) are also operating provisionally as land registries (κτηματολογικά γραφεία).
In the areas of the country where the Greek land registrer has been operating since 2003, replacing the pre-existing system of registration of property transfers and mortgages, land registrer data must be kept and updated only electronically under Law 2664/1998 on the national land registrer. The land registrer database is kept centrally for all of Greece by KTIMATOLOGIO AE. (the national land registry or Cadastre) and updated locally by the local land registries based on their transactions.
Law 4512/2018 established a legal entity governed by public law called the Hellenic Cadastre, the universal successor to KTIMATOLOGIO AE.
One or more registries operate within the jurisdiction of each district civil court (ειρηνοδικείο) and offer the following services by law:
There are 15 stipendiary and 258 gratis mortgage registries. The number is changing as the process of phasing out and including the abolished mortgage registries in the Hellenic Cadastre is ongoing.
Stipendiary mortgage registries are offices of the Ministry of Justice.
In Rhodes and Kos, the Rhodes and Kos-Leros local land registries are offices of the Ministry of Justice, where the registration system is centralised.
Gratis mortgage registries (άμισθα υποθηκοφυλακεία) are either:
You can find the contact details of mortgage registries on the website of the Ministry of Justice.
The Hellenic Cadastre is a unified system that records the legal, technical and other additional information on immovable property and property rights, guaranteed by the State and under its responsibility.
In particular, the Hellenic Cadastre:
Basic information about the Hellenic Cadastre may be found on its website.
In areas where land registries are operating provisionally, computers available free of charge at the relevant offices may be used to search for data electronically.
A system of land registration was first provided for in Law 41/1836. The authorities referred to above have kept land records ever since land registration began.
In areas where land registration is being completed, local mortgage registries have been operating as provisional land registries ever since the Mapping and Cadastral Organisation of Greece (Οργανισμός Κτηματολογίου και Χαρτογραφήσεων Ελλάδος – ΟΚΧΕ) decided to create the Cadastre. Since that time, transactions in land register records have been recorded solely by electronic means.
The electronic land registration system allows searches by: (a) personal data, (b) the Hellenic Cadastre code, and/or (c) property address.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The Registro de la Propiedad (Land Register) is a register which comes under the Ministry of Justice, with its affairs coming under the responsibility of the Dirección General de los Registros y del Notariado (directorate general of registers and notaries). The Register is used to record and publish ownership of property and rights attached to property and any court or administrative decisions which may affect them.
Legal and economic security. And in the majority of cases this security is irrefutible.
Some of the most typical aspects of the Spanish Land Register system are described below.
The purpose of the Land Register is to register ownership and other rights in rem in respect of immovable property.
1.1. Rights in rem which can be registered
The rights in rem which can be registered are: ownership, usufruct, rights of use and abode, encumbrances, leases, mortgages, right of redemption, and other rights in rem.
The Spanish Land Register is not a closed list of rights in rem., but a "numerus opertus" system in which rem rights can be created. Nevertheless, in practice it is difficult to create new types of rights since they would have to meet the structural requirements of rights in rem such as immediacy and absoluteness.
1.2. Other rights which can be registered
It is possible to enter other rights on the Land Register, although their true nature is not always clear. The following can be registered in this way: co-ownership statutes, leases, sub‑leases, transfers and subrogations of leases concerning immovable property, recovery of rented property, administrative concessions and mortgages on them, acts related to compulsory purchase or administrative proceedings, bans on access allowed by law, or reasons for the termination of registered rights, among others.
And in the area of town planning: final planning implementing measures affecting existing buildings, sales to municipal authorities, transfer of urban land use rights, conditions for planning permission, proceedings instituted in the area of town planning, and appeals lodged and the court's decisions, among others.
1.3. Other measures
Court decisions affecting the capacity of natural or legal persons and those arising from an arrangement with creditors can also be registered whenever they concern the ownership of real estate or rights in rem thereof.
In addition, through provisional registration the Register can record provisional situations that affect rights in rem related to real estate. For example, proceedings concerning rights that can be registered, confiscation, non-final decisions, court orders banning access to property, inheritance law and similar measures.
The Spanish Register system is definitely one of the safest in the world.
It is a Register of rights. The rights entered in the Register are protected by the courts, which means that no-one can be deprived of these rights unless legal proceedings involving the registered owner decide the contrary.
In addition, the legal system ascribes a series of legal presumptions to the registered rights that are based on the principle of the authority of the Register.
In cases of conflict between the actual situation and that contained in the Register, the declarations in the Register are regarded as reliable because of the principle of publication.
The principle of publication has two core elements:
The procedural element whereby registered owners can defend their registered rights in the courts before which the matter is being challenged by means of a certificate from the Registrar attesting the validity of the relevant matter without contradiction. The burden of proof therefore falls on the person challenging the registered right.
The substantive element to which there are two distinct dimensions:
The general principle is that public certification is required to make entries in the Land Register. Documents may be validated by notaries, the courts or administrative authorities. Private documents are admitted in exceptional cases, e.g. application to register the inheritance of a sole heir, to correct certain defects, or to provisionally register loans to construct or repair fixed assets.
The procedure must be requested. This means, other than in exceptional circumstances, it is initiated by the person who wishes to make the entry.
The document must be submitted to the Register and a presentation entry made in the journal, which is valid for sixty working days.
The document can be presented in one of five ways: electronically, in person, by post, by fax or through another Land Register. In the last two cases, the document must be presented in person within 10 working days.
The Registrar classifies the document, under his responsibility, within fifteen working days.
If he decides to register it, the entry is made. The document is then returned to the person submitting it, with a footnote, signed by the Registrar, stating that it has been processed.
If the Registrar notes any defect in the document he will decide not to register it. The Registrar’s decision should indicate, in the Facts and Legal Principles, the reasons for not registering the document. The decision must be notified to the person submitting the document and the notary who authorised the deed, or the courts or administrative authority which issued the document. The presentation entry is automatically extended by the Registrar for sixty days from the last date of the above-mentioned notifications.
If the Registrar decides not to register a document, the person concerned can either correct the defect, if possible, or appeal against the Registrar’s decision. Three different kinds of appeal are possible:
Access to the Business Register in Spain is not free of charge. This is laid down in the following legislative acts: third additional provision of Law 8/1989 on Fees; Article 294 of the Mortgage Law and Articles 589-619 of the Mortgage Regulation.
The Fees of Land Registrars were approved by Royal Decree 1427/1989. These fees are public, i.e. they are contained in an official legislative act published in the Official State Gazette. A complete copy of the fees is also available to the public in all Land Registers. Fees of Land Registrars.
The Land Registers are public for those with a legitimate interest in investigating the state of recorded property or rights in rem.
Any authority, employee or public servant acting by reason of his office is presumed to have a legitimate interest.An abbreviated extract from the register ('nota simple') is of a purely informative nature and is not an authentic representation of the content of the entry, without prejudice to the Registrar’s responsibility.
How to obtain an abbreviated extract. There are two methods:
A certificate is a copy, transcription or transfer, either in full or in summary form, of the contents of the information held in the Register which, once it is processed by the Registrar, conveys the authentic nature of the mortgage situation of the properties and rights.
How to obtain a certificate?
Certificates can only be obtained by written request. You can make this request in person at the relevant Land Register. Cost: €30.01 plus VAT for each property.
However, the possibility is currently being introduced in some (but not all) Land Registers of applying for a certificate electronically, using an electronic signature recognised by the Registrar.
The procedure is very simple - just follow the instructions on the web page below:
Link: https://www.registradores.org/registroVirtual/init.do
Historical antecedents of current mortgage legislation in Spain are:
Economic changes in the 19th century made it urgently necessary to create a system that could provide certainty with regard to ownership and transfers of immovable property, promote regional reliability and prevent usury and lawsuits.
1861 Mortgage Law. This Law was passed as a special urgent legislative measure as a result of the failure of unitary codes. It was intended to be integrated in the future Civil Code. However, the 1888 Civil Code respected the substantive aspect of property law, much of which is still contained in the Mortgage Law.
Comprehensive reforms.- There were comprehensive reforms of the Mortgage Law in 1869, 1909 and 1944-46, in addition to several partial reforms.
Implementing provisions
In Spain the Land Registers come under the Ministry of Justice. All matters relating to them are referred to the Directorate-General of Registers and Notary Services.
Spain is divided into areas called mortgage districts (Distritos Hipotecarios). Each Mortgage District has a corresponding Land Register kept by a Land Registrar.
All Registrars in Spain are members of the Association of Land, Business and Movable Property Registrars of Spain.
The Registrars keep the following registers:
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
For historical reasons, France has two systems of land registration (publicité foncière): the general law system and that in place in the departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle.
In these three departments, land is registered in the land register (livre foncier) held by the land registry offices (bureaux fonciers) whereas, in the rest of France, the land registration authorities (services de publicité foncière (SPF)) are responsible for registering land in the land registry index (fichier immobilier).
The land registry index publishes legal instruments and decisions.
These include, by way of illustration, instruments transferring ownership of real estate property (immeuble) such as deeds of sale (acte de vente) or partition (acte de partage), even if they are conditional, instruments transferring or creating a right in rem (droit réel) such as gifts or transfers of usufruct (donation ou cession d’usufruit) over real estate property, court decisions affecting real estate property, decisions by administrative authorities limiting the right to dispose of real estate property (droit de disposer), long-term leases (baux de longue durée), clauses limiting ownership rights such as inalienability clauses (clause d’inaliénabilité) or security taken over real estate property (suretés) such as mortgages (hypothèques) and most preferential claims (privilèges).
The Alsace-Moselle land register publishes documents evidencing rights.
Ownership rights over real estate property resulting from a legal instrument or a factual situation (acquisition of ownership rights by enjoyment (usucapion) or accession (accession)) are recorded in the land register. Building owner’s rights (droit de superficie) and all other in rem rights arising from a lease (bail), usufruct (usufruit), right of user (droit d’usage), right of occupation (droit d’habitation), easement (servitudes), preferential claim (privilège), mortgage (hypothèque), tenants’ and farmers’ rights (droits des locataires et du fermier) in respect of a 12-year lease and rights arising from certain court decisions, etc. are also recorded.
In France, with the exception of the departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle, the land registry index is managed by the land registration authorities. These authorities are independent from each other. France is gradually reducing the number of land registration authorities. Whereas until recently there were 354, there are currently only 120.
Anyone wishing to obtain information on the legal situation of a property must make a request to the land registration authority of the place where the property is situated. You can obtain the names of successive owners and the prices obtained upon sales of the property for information purposes. Each authority provides information and copies of the legal instruments (copies des actes) from the land registry index relating to a property or to a person in possession of a property within its jurisdiction, upon request. This information is not free of charge. The cost varies according to the type and number of requests. The information is not currently centralised. Consequently, in order to obtain information on properties situated in different jurisdictions, you must make a separate request to each relevant land registration authority.
This information is now fully digitised and computerised. Some French notaries (notaires) simultaneously have access to the data held by all the land registry authorities in France via a server managed by the High Council of Notaries (Conseil supérieur du notariat), because a new IT tool is currently being implemented. This direct access to the land registry index is not available to other legal professionals or individuals.
In the departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle, the land register has been fully computerised since 2008. The land register and the mortgage registry (registre des dépôts) can be freely consulted in person or remotely. Anyone who consults these data may obtain a copy issued by the relevant registry (greffe) or public institution (établissement public). Copies are issued by public institutions for information purposes only. These services are not free of charge.
Consultation rights differ according to the requester's status. Certain professionals, such as notaries, have broader consultation rights (they can carry out searches of all land register data concerning people as well as properties). Consultation on the basis of a person's name is open to other professionals, such as lawyers, or to any person with an enforceable instrument (titre exécutoire) or authorisation from a judge. Consultation on the basis of a property is open to everyone.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
Croatia’s system for registering real estate and associated titles is based on two registers – the land register managed by municipal courts (općinski sudovi) (ordinary courts), and the cadastre managed by the State Geodetic Administration (Državna geodetska uprava). In the case of the region of the City of Zagreb, however, the cadastre is managed by the City Office for the Cadastre and Geodetic Activities (Gradski ured za katastar i geodetske poslove). In the cadastre, real estate is described in terms of its technical characteristics, whereas in land registers, data on cadastral parcels are combined with data on the holders of ownership rights and other rights in rem. Land registers are also used to record other rights and facts pertinent to real estate transactions, as provided for in specific legislation.
Croatia’s system for registering real estate and associated titles has multiple objectives, the most important of which are to ensure the security of real estate transactions and to protect the titles recorded in the registers. As such, the cadastre and land register are fundamental pillars underpinning the rule of law.
The Government of the Republic of Croatia has been implementing the national programme for improving the organisation of land registers and the cadastre (referred to as ‘Organised Land’ (Uređena zemlja) for short) through the Ministry of Justice (Ministarstvo pravosuđa) and the State Geodetic Administration since 2003.
This programme encompasses all activities undertaken by the ministry responsible for judicial matters and the State Geodetic Administration to modernise and improve the way in which the registration of real estate is organised in Croatia. Apart from regular activities and numerous bilateral projects, one of the key components of the reform is a project for improving the organisation of land registers and cadastres.
The project was launched with the primary aim of establishing an effective system of land administration to contribute towards the development of a well-functioning real estate market.
The land registration reform has created the preconditions for the implementation of an efficacious real estate registration system. Under this, a Joint Information System on Land Registers and the Cadastre (Zajednički informacijski sustav zemljišnih knjiga i katastra – ZIS) has been developed. The aim of this information system is to establish a single database and applications for the management and maintenance of cadastral and land register data. The ZIS has been fully operational in all of Croatia’s 107 land registry offices and 112 cadastral offices and in the City Office for the Cadastre and Geodetic Activities of the City of Zagreb since 21 November 2016.
Many results of the reform are already apparent. The modernisation of both systems (the cadastre and the land registers) has sped up and simplified the process of registering real estate and associated titles. Information can be obtained from the cadastre and land registers immediately; all cadastral and land register data have been digitalised and can be consulted on the internet 24 hours a day.
The ‘One Stop Shop’ provides better, faster and simpler access to cadastral and land register data, leading in turn to an improvement in the level of quality and more rapid service provision, in other words, faster registration of real estate transactions thanks to greater involvement of key external users, and facilitates access to data, which is available in one place.
This system makes it possible for extracts from land registers to be issued electronically (via the e-Citizens (eGrađani) platform, lawyers and notaries) and for electronic requests to be made to authorised users (lawyers, notaries and prosecutors) for entry in a land register.
This system is one of the key levers for establishing paperless government in Croatia (e-Hrvatska), and for securing public trust in Croatia’s registers.
the Land Registry Act (Zakon o zemljišnim knjigama) (Narodne Novine (NN; Official Gazette of the Republic of Croatia) No 63/19);
the Rules on the internal structure and operation of land registers and the performance of other tasks in land registration courts (Rules of Procedure for Land Registration) (Pravilnik o unutarnjem ustroju, vođenju zemljišne knjige i obavljanju drugih poslova u zemljišnoknjižnim sudovima (Zemljišnoknjižni poslovnik)) (NN Nos 81/97, 109/92, 123/02, 153/02, 14/05 and 60/10) and other regulations.
An extract from a land register is evidence of ownership or some other title which may be subject to registration in a land register. Extracts, i.e. print-outs and transcripts from land registers, are objects of public trust and have the probative value of public documents.
Since 2 November 2015, notaries, lawyers and public prosecutors, as authorised users, and other natural and legal persons, as users, have been able to obtain extracts from land registers electronically via the e-Citizens platform.
The land registry offices of municipal courts hear proceedings solely on the basis of a motion by a person authorised to make a proposal or on the basis of a submission for land registration by a competent authority (e.g. an office of a state administration body, such as the cadastre, other court, or similar).
Since 15 March 2017, it has been possible, on the basis of a motion by a person or competent authority, for such a proposal or submission to be lodged electronically by a notary, lawyer or public prosecutor.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The Italian Land Registers are maintained by Agenzia delle Entrate, a non-economic public body that operates under the control of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and also performs cadastral (property) functions.
The registers provide information on deeds of transfer of ownership and other land rights, as well as the raising and writing-off of mortgages.
In addition, the autonomous Provinces of Trento, Bolzano, Trieste and Gorizia maintain its own register. This provides mainly cadastral (property) information.
Access to the registers is subject to the payment of a tax through the pagoPA system (the Italian system for electronic payments to public administrations).
The register of the Province of Trento and Bolzano is accessible only to registered users.
Information maintained in the land registers is organised by subject (natural or juridical person). You can search for information by person, by estate or by deed.
Computerisation of the registered information began in 1986. Following a major reorganisation of the Ministry of Finance, the Italian cadastre and land registers were integrated into a single administration, and electronic transfer began in 1995. In 1999 a comprehensive reform of the finance administration created four autonomous tax agencies (including Agenzia del Territorio, which operated from the 1st January 2001). The computerisation of services increased, resulting in the current electronic information system, which was launched at the beginning of 2007. As from the 1st December 2012, Agenzia del Territorio was incorporated in Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Agency), that currently manages the Italian cadastre and land registers.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
Administration of the land registers is the responsibility of the Department of Lands and Surveys (Τμήμα Κτηματολογίου και Χωρομετρίας) of the Ministry of Interior (Υπουργείο Εσωτερικών). Large parts of the land registers were computerised during the development of the Land Information System (LIS) (Σύστημα Πληροφοριών Γης (ΣΠΓ), which started in September 1995. The LIS comprises four databases: legal database (κτηματολογική βάση), fiscal database (εκτιμητική βάση), digital/cadastral database (γεωγραφική/κτηματική βάση) and survey database (χωρομετρική βάση).
The Cyprus Land Register contains information on the identity of every registered plot of land or unit of immovable property. More importantly, it contains the survey reference of the plot or unit, the location, a description, the surface area, the fiscal value and any charges in rem, encumbrances, deeds of sale, easements, tenancies, restrictive covenants or other related information. It also contains details of the owner or owners, each owner’s share and how and when the property was acquired.
On 14 July 2009, a total of 1,082,660,000 properties in free and occupied Cyprus (i.e. 85.25%) had been recorded in the legal database.
There is no public access to the land register and Land Information System. Only interested parties can request information on property in which they have a legitimate interest.
The fees paid in order to obtain a search certificate from the Department of Lands and Surveys vary depending on the information requested.
Search certificate
(a) for property registered to a named person, for each village or parish | € 1.71 |
(b) for property recorded to a named person, for each village or parish | € 0.85 |
(c) for the name of the registered owner of a specified registered property, for each property | € 0.85 |
(d) for the history of or charges in rem on a specified property or for any other information for which there is no prescribed fee, for every hour’s search | € 8.54 |
Under current legislation in Cyprus, only interested parties have access to the land registers. Information is provided in the form of a certificate called a ‘search certificate’ (πιστοποιητικό έρευνας). A search certificate is only issued once an application has been filed and the prescribed fee has been paid to the Department of Lands and Surveys. Applications are filed using form Ν.50 and can be filed with any Lands Office (Κτηματολογικό Γραφείο) by any interested party or their agent or attorney. Under section 51A in Chapter 224 of the Immovable Property (Tenure, Registration and Valuation) Law (O περί Ακίνητης Ιδιοκτησίας (Διακατοχή, Εγγραφή και Εκτίμηση) Νόμος), ‘interested party’ means the owner, his universal or specific successors in title, the owner of any trees, buildings or other objects on land which belongs to another and vice versa, a person with any right or interest in the immovable property, a person who satisfies the Director that he is a prospective purchaser or mortgagor, the plaintiff in any action against the owner of the property, a professional valuer who requires certain information for the purpose of valuing certain immovable property in connection with a compulsory purchase and any person not already specified to whom the Director orders that information be furnished.
A search certificate is issued on form Ν.51 by the Lands Office responsible for the register or book in which the information is recorded, signed and stamped with the Department’s seal and handed over or mailed to the applicant.
The database which was the precursor to the current land register was started in the final years of the Ottoman Empire on 21 April 1858, with the adoption of the Ottoman Land Code (Οθωμανικός Κώδικας περί Γαιών). The main purpose of the land registry at the time was to register land, especially state-owned land provided to tenant farmers, and to record sales and transfers of and mortgages on immovable property.
This gave rise to the first registers, in which all daily acts started to be recorded.
New legislation was passed in 1860 requiring mandatory and systematic valuation and registration of all forms of property and the provision of the relevant title deeds (‘Γιοκλάμα’). The land in every village was roughly surveyed and entered in separate registers and interested persons had to pay registration fees in order to obtain a title deed. Persons who failed to pay were not given a title deed and the corresponding entries in the registers were left undated and lapsed from 1943 onwards.
On 4 June 1878, when the Turks ceded their rights over Cyprus to Britain, the British retained the system in force unchanged and they in turn used the ‘land register’ as a means of levying and collecting taxes.
However, in 1890, because of the difficulties caused by having so many different registers, it was decided that they urgently needed to be translated into English and consolidated into one new register. All entries in the old registers were transferred exactly as they stood on the date of transfer to this register, which was prepared for each village separately.
In 1904, a survey of Cyprus was commenced on the basis of the provisions of the Survey for the Purpose of Revenue Law (Ο περί Χωρομετρήσεως για σκοπούς προσόδων Νόμος) No.5 of 1890, in order to make the registration system more reliable and efficient.
While the surveying and mapping of Cyprus (as started in 1904) was under way, the Registration and Valuation of Immovable Property Law (Ο περί Εγγραφής και Εκτιμήσεως Ακινήτου Ιδιοκτησίας Νόμος) No.12 of 1907 was passed for the purpose of registering and surveying all immovable property up to 1929.
Once surveying and mapping had been completed, the immovable property in the land register was valued and registered. The register contained all the information which defined each separate immovable property and the name and interest of every owner. Following registration, the State issued the owner with an official title deed.
Registration of immovable property in Cyprus was completed in 1929. This procedure gave rise to three registers, which are still in use:
When the Immovable Property (Tenure, Registration and Valuation) Law Chap. 224 was passed and entered the statute book on 1 September 1946, the Ottoman laws and many of the later colonial laws were repealed, including Law No. 12 of 1907 (which was still on the statute book), and a new, modern basis was introduced for the registration, tenure and valuation of immovable property.
Computerisation of the land register started in 1995 and is progressing well.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides an overview of the Latvian State Unified Computerised Land Register (Zemesgrāmata) and the cadastral information system (Kadastrs).
There are two registers in Latvia:
The Court Administration is the manager and holder of the State Unified Computerised Land Register.
Immovable properties are entered in Land Registers, and the rights related thereto are corroborated therein. Land Registers are available to the public, and the entries thereof are publicly reliable. The Land Registers are under the jurisdiction of the district (city) courts (rajona (pilsētas) tiesas).
The State Unified Computerised Land Register is an electronic data base in which Land Registers, corroboration journals and alphabetic indices are stored on a long-term basis without changes in the content thereof, ensuring the representation of these data on a computer screen and in computer printouts.
The State Unified Computerised Land Register contains information on immovable property, including information on:
The Land Registers consist of portfolios divided into four parts.
The first part is used to register information on:
The second part is used to register information on
The third part is used to register information on
The fourth part is used to register information on
The search function for registered immovable property in the State Unified Computerised Land Register is free. However, there is a charge of EUR 5.00 for viewing a portfolio.
The monthly contractual subscription charge is EUR 55.00, and to view a portfolio the charge is EUR 3.50.
You can search for information on registered immovable property in the State Unified Computerised Land Register by:
Information on immovable property is available from the Court Administration which maintains the State Unified Computerised Land Register, from district (city) courts and on the internet.
The national authorities and officials to whom the Court Administration provides information from the computerised record books, immovable property cases and the index of persons are stipulated by Cabinet Regulation.
A significant period in the operational development of the Land Registers was the concerted move to the computerised Land Register and creation of the State Unified Computerised Land Register. There was a gradual, targeted transition to a modern electronic Land Register. It took place from the acquisition of the first computers, which were used as typewriters, to the creation of the immovable property registration system, the conversion of all Land Register information from paper to electronic format, and the unification of the data bases of all 27 district (city) court Land Registry Offices into the Unified State Land Register data base, which is the only one to contain legally recognised information.
As for the computerisation process, the year 1998 was significant, with amendments resulting in the addition of a new chapter on the “Computerised Land Register” to the Land Register Law. Following these changes, a substantial amount of work was required until, in the first half of 2001, all branch offices had gradually been incorporated into the State Unified Computerised Land Register. Parallel to the introduction of the Land Register registration system, work was undertaken to develop dissemination and improve the website.
The Computerised Land Register is maintained with the objective of storing all Land Register in a single central data base, known under the law as the State Unified Computerised Land Register. Only data contained in this unified data base have legal force, and only staff of the Land Registry Offices have access to these data. The principles by which Land Registers are organised have remained unaltered during computerisation – territorial jurisdiction has been retained and, as before, the Land Registry Offices accept requests to enter records and adopt decisions on the registration of property and on the recording of related property rights in the Land Register.
The launch date of the Computerised Land Register was 5 July 2001. It was on this day that the State Unified Computerised Land Register entered into operation and the website https://www.zemesgramata.lv/ was made available to the general public. The website gives access to information on the statistics of the Land Registry Offices, news and publications regarding Land Registry work, the opening hours and addresses of the Offices, fees, the most important documents required when visiting the Land Registry Office, and most importantly of all, information on each property entered in the Land Register, its owner, encumbrances and mortgages.
The Court Administration has been fully responsible for the organisational and technical maintenance of the State Unified Computerised Land Register since 1 April 2004.
As of 2022, the number of immovable property portfolios opened in in the Land Registers was more than 1.3 million. In 2021 there were 216 000 electronic requests for access to the State Unified Computerised Land Register database per month on average .
The cadastral information system is a unified accounting system that provides, maintains and applies official up‑to‑date textual and spatial data on immovable properties located in the Republic of Latvia, their constituent cadastral components – land units, buildings (structures), groups of premises, parts of land units and their characteristic details, as well as on their owners, holders, users and lessees.
It is maintained by the State Land Service.
Property in Latvia is composed of the following four types:
As a category of immovable property land covers immovable property in the broadest sense, i.e. land together with the structures belonging to the , as well as property consisting only of undeveloped land. Property in the form of a structure is immovable properties incorporating only a structure situated on land belonging to a different owner. Property in the form of an apartment in a building consisting of a number of dwellings belonging to several owners is the property of each owner individually, together with a notional part of the respective common property.
Cadastral information consists of:
It indicates the cadastral designation of the cadastral component and displays the following spatial data:
Cadastral data is used for the following purposes:
The Public Part and the Authorised Part are available on the SLS portal for data publication and e-services https://www.kadastrs.lv/.
In the Public Part, the following information from the cadastral information system is available free of charge to any interested party:
More detailed browsing of cadastral data in the Public Part of the SLS portal for data publication and e-services https://www.kadastrs.lv/ is a paid-for service, whereas the use of the authorised version requires credentials obtainable through cooperation agreements with the SLS. More detailed cadastral textual data, geospatial cadastral data, National Address Register geospatial data and highly detailed topographic information are accessible in the Authorised Part.
On the kadastrs.lv portal, it is possible to access online the data on the historical cadastral value of immovable property, select and print basic textual data on cadastral components and use several available map layers and thematic maps created by the SLS. On the portal, it is possible to apply for the SLS e-services and make use of the “My Account” section, i.e. manage all on-site and electronic orders, pay invoices and receive service materials without having to visit the customer service centre in person.
Paid-for e-services on the portal:
Other paid services:
The cadastral information system can be used to find property, land units, structures and groups of premises. Further information on using the search function is available here.
Information on any immovable property, land unit, structure or apartment can be obtained via the mobile application; search for an existing or former address; browse free cadastral textual and spatial data, use e-services to access more data upon payment.
In addition to browsing the cadastral information, the application allows users to log in and access the virtual customer service centre via “My Account”, to browse own properties, as well as to save, send and share the PDF files received within provided services. It also allows users to determine their location and browse through its cadastral and address details.
The mobile application is available for free on smart devices with Android, Windows Phone and iOS operating systems.
The recent history of Latvia's cadastral information systems dates back to 1992, following the restoration of Latvia’s independence in 1992, along with the land reform and transition to a market economy. The rights of individuals to own land were officially restored in 1993. The Latvian cadastral information system has been added to in various stages. In its first four years only land units, land holdings and land use were registered, from 1996 data on structures also began to be registered and, from 2000, the registration of apartments began.
The content of the Latvian cadastral information system has gradually increased: If only land units, land holdings and land use were registered in the first four years following its re-establishment in the early 1990s, data on structures also began to be registered in 1996 and from 2000 the full-scale registration of apartments began.
100% of national territory is registered in the cadastral information system and registrations are managed in digital form.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of Lithuania's land register.
You can find Immovable property – including land, buildings and separate premises – in the register of real property of Lithuania (Lietuvos nekilnojamojo turto registras). Both factual and legal data are available.
Factual data on property consists of the following types of information:
Legal data on property includes:
The register is maintained by the state enterprise centre of registers (Registrų centras) and is supervised by the Ministry of Justice.
You can find further information on the websites of the Administrator of the real property register of Lithuania (Nekilnojamojo turto registro tvarkytojas) and the real property register (Nekilnojamojo turto registras).
Data on the real property register is available by payment only.
You can search the register for the following fields:
The register itself was established in 1998, whereas data since 1958 is collected in the register.
State enterprise Centre of registers (valstybės įmonė Registrų centras)
European Land Information (Europos žemės informacijos tarnyba)
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
Luxembourg's land register is owned and maintained by the Land register and Topography Authority of the State of Luxembourg.
The register provides the following types of information:
Information is available in Luxembourgish, French, and German.
Firstly, an electronic version of the land register does not yet exist. Secondly a fee is payable for access to the paper version.
The land register was established in 1820.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides a brief overview of Hungary’s land register.
The Hungarian Land Register is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture (Földművelésügyi Minisztérium) and the Land Offices (Földhivatal) of Hungary.
The official website of the Land Offices of Hungary (magyarországi földhivatalok) provides information on the countrywide network of Hungarian land offices, and gives access to the entire network of land administration institutions, with details on:
You can download administrative forms and read about our electronic services and the conditions for accessing the system on the website. The relevant legislation can also be found here.
Registered users (public administrative bodies, banks, lawyers, public notaries, municipal authorities, real estate agents, etc.) have had access to the online services (TAKARNET) of the Land Offices of Hungary since 2003. Data is provided for a fee, in line with relevant legislation.
Launched in June 2011, the Online Land Office (Földhivatal Online) service can be accessed directly by citizens through the Government Portal, by entering their central ‘client gateway’ (ügyfélkapu) ID. The site provides citizens and registered users alike with online services for a fee.
Users of the Online Land Office can access a limited range of data free of charge. The free service covers only descriptive data on the properties (the first section of the property sheet (tulajdoni lap)). The database can be searched by topographical lot number (helyrajzi szám) or the address of the property. Registered users and citizens alike can access these services online 24 hours a day.
In general, you can do a search based on:
Users with special rights (police, investigating authorities, court executors, public notaries in inheritance cases) can do a search based on the name and personal data of the owner and/or authorised person.
History of the Hungarian Land Register
The official name of the legal and administrative system managing the register of real estate in Hungary is the ‘unified land registration system’ (egységes ingatlan-nyilvántartási rendszer). It is considered ‘unified’ because cadastral mapping data and legal data (telekkönyv, Grundbuch) have been recorded in an integrated format both legally and institutionally since 1971. A single institutional network covering all land offices is responsible for registering legal transactions and changes in land register maps, providing data and performing other tasks related to land and property. Hungary’s unified, title-based land registration system was the first of its kind in Europe.
The Hungarian system serves multiple purposes, since besides its activities covering the full spectrum of land registration activities, it also carries out a number of other tasks, such as creating and maintaining the geodesic control point network, topographic mapping, land conservation, land lease registration, or maintaining administrative boundaries.
This comprehensive public database containing information on agricultural land and property – some of the most important components of economic life, agriculture and lending – is managed by the land administration in an integrated way and covers the entire administrative territory of Hungary. The aim of the system is to help enforce the right to property, a healthy environment, and freedom of enterprise and competition, and to officially register natural and artificial landmarks by providing a unified, publicly authenticated land registration system and spatial data infrastructure.
The general aim is to officially register and manage data on all land and other property, while ensuring the security of ownership rights and other property-related entitlements by providing a uniform and publicly authenticated land registration system and infrastructure.
In addition, the unified land registration system has two specific objectives. The land register’s legal objective is to protect property-related rights and official documents, while at the same time providing certainty for bona fide owners and holders and promoting the beneficial use of property. The register’s economic objective is to provide a uniform basis for planning and for establishing financial obligations, to facilitate governance and property investment by supplying statistical data, and to provide services to society as a whole.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of Malta's land register.
The electronic register of the Maltese Land Registry Department is only accessible to Land Registry employees and members of two other government departments who have read-only rights.
The information contained in the register does not yet cover the whole of the Maltese Islands and is still being compiled, with the possibility of being provided online in the future. However, clients may request searches of the register by completing the relevant form. General queries can also be addressed to the Director of the Malta Land Registry, Casa Bolino, 116 West Street, Valletta VLT 1535.
You can also call on +35621239777 or send an e-mail to: land.registry@gov.mt
No access to the Maltese land register is subject to a payment. Each search costs €4.66.
Clients may request searches of the register by completing the relevant form.
The register was created pursuant to the Land Registration Act, Cap. 296 of the Laws of Malta in 1982.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The Dutch Land Register is owned and maintained by the Kadaster (Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency), a public authority responsible for registering rights and interests affecting any real estate (including land and buildings) and the specifications of these (e.g. size).
No, a fee is charged. For more information, please visit the website of the Kadaster.
Professionals in the Netherlands who have subscribed to the Dutch Land Register can search it using the following search parameters:
All information is displayed in Dutch and billing is done on a monthly basis.
Subscribed professional users in countries participating to EULIS (the European Land Information Service) can search the Dutch Land Register using the following parameters:
All information is displayed in English; billing is done through the national land registry concerned.
Individuals can search the Dutch Land Register using the following parameters:
All information (though less than that provided to professional users) is displayed in Dutch and payment may be made by Mastercard, Visa Electron, Visa, American Express, Diners Club, iDEAL or internet cheque.
Information is available on all property from the date of the foundation of the Dutch Kadaster (1832).
During the period 1981 – 1985 the Dutch Kadaster placed all information then held into computerised systems. Information dating from 1985 onwards is available online. Historical information (1832-1985) can be accessed in digital archives by the Kadaster's employees.
European Land Information Service, Cadastre (Land Registry and Mapping Agency)
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This page provides you with an overview of the land register in Austria.
The land register (Grundbuch) provides answers to both legal and factual questions. It contains documented information on all legally binding property transactions in Austria.
The land register and its electronic document archive can be consulted via courts, notaries, lawyers and certain designated firms known as Verrechnungsstellen.
For access a small fee has to be paid to the court, notary, lawyer or one of the Verrechnungsstellen. The Verrechnungsstellen are listed on the Austrian Justice homepage under Service -> Datenbanken -> Grundbuch -> Grundstücksdatenbank.
By entering the number of the cadastral municipality (Katastralgemeinde) and the entry number (the Einlagezahl or ‘EZ’) or the plot number (Grundstücksnummer), the following information may be obtained from the database:
This information includes all valid records. Data that have been deleted may also be obtained on request, provided that it was entered after the conversion to the electronic register. Older data is available on paper only.
The main register, the collection of records and the auxiliary indexes are public. There are tight restrictions on accessing information by searching solely for individual owners. If you can prove that you have a legal interest, you may carry out such a search via the land register department of the district court (Bezirksgericht).
From about 1870 until 1992, the land registers were kept on paper. Between 1980 and 1992, the records were transferred to the land register database. The land register was migrated to a new program on 7 May 2012 and since then it has been further developed and automated.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The Polish land register (rejestr ksiąg wieczystych) is kept in accordance with the Land Registers and Mortgages Act.
Under the Act, land registers are kept with a view to establishing the legal status of real estate. They contain the following information:
Land registers are public documents and anyone may consult them. As of June 2010 a land register can be accessed electronically by entering its number.
In addition, anyone may obtain a copy of a land register or a certificate indicating that a land register has been closed.
Is access to the Polish land register free of charge?
There is no charge for consulting land registers.
A charge is made for issuing a copy of a land register or a certificate indicating that a land register has been closed.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The land register is kept by the Land Registry Offices, under the direction of the Land Registrars, which are part of the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (Institute of Records and Notaries). These offices are spread across Portugal, in each municipality but their competence is not limited according to their geographical location and they can perform acts relating to any immovable property in Portugal.
The main purpose of the land register is to provide information on a property's legal status and guarantee the security of the property transaction. As a rule, it is compulsory for all matters relating to titles since 21 July 2008.
The final register constitutes a presumption of the existence of a right to the property that belongs to the registered holder under the precise terms set out in the register.
a) legal facts giving rise to the establishment, recognition, acquisition or modification of rights of ownership, usufruct, use and habitation, superficies or easement;
b) legal facts giving rise to the establishment or the modification of apartment ownership (propriedade horizontal) and the right of periodic residence;
c) legal facts which annul (convenções anuláveis) or cancel (convenções resolúveis) the rights referred to in paragraph a);
d) land alteration resulting from parcelling out, setting up of co-ownership and re-parcelling out, as well as related changes;
e) mere possession;
d) promise of disposal (alienação) or encumbrance (oneração), preference agreements (pactos de preferência) and testamentary dispositions, where these have come into force, as well as the assignment of contractual status resulting from these situations;
g) transfer (cessão) of property to creditors:
h) a mortgage, transfer or modification thereof, transfer of the ranking of the respective entry and rent assignation (consignação de rendimentos);
i) the transfer of credits guaranteed by mortgage or rent assignation, where it is necessary to transfer the guarantee;
j) assignment of real estate as the guarantee of insurance companies' technical reserves, as well as the guarantee of employers' responsibility;
l) financial leasing and conveyancing thereof;
m) leasing lasting more than six years and conveyancing thereof or sublets, except for agricultural leases;
n) seizure and declaration of insolvency;
o) pledge, seizure, attachment and inventory of assets guaranteed by mortgage or rent assignation and any other acts or measures that affect these assets;
p) establishment of 'appanage' (apanágio) and its modifications;
q) encumbrance (ónus) of any reduction of donations subject to restoration;
r) encumbrance of a rent-controlled house (casa de renda limitada) or of economic revenue on buildings thus categorised;
s) encumbrance of payment of annuities provided for in cases of agricultural support;
t) renouncement of the indemnity, in the event of expropriation, for the increase in value resulting from work carried out on immovable property situated in areas near national roads or covered by municipal improvement plans;
u) any other restrictions on the right of ownership, any other burdens and any other situations legally requiring an entry in the register;
v) concession of property to the public domain and conveyancing thereof, where a mortgage on the right conceded is to be registered;
x) legal facts which affect the termination of recorded rights, encumbrances or burdens.
z) title establishing a tourism undertaking and its modifications.
The following actions also require an entry in the land register, as well as final decisions following the issue of a final judgment, the principal or alternative object of which is:
a) recognition, establishment, modification or termination of some of the rights referred to in the previous paragraph, as well as revocatory actions;
b) reorganisation, declaration of nullity or invalidation of an entry or of its cancellation;
c) procedures of which the object is to decree the attachment and the inventory, as well as any other measures which affect the free disposal of property, and the respective measures decreed.
Facts requiring an entry in the register, even if not registered, may be cited between the parties or their heirs, with the exception of the establishment of a mortgage, of which the effectiveness between the parties depends on an entry being registered.
However, situations requiring an entry only become effective vis-à-vis third parties from the date of the respective entry.
The right first registered prevails over subsequent entries relating to the same property, in the order of the dates of the entries, and, on a same date, of the time of the corresponding submissions.
The viability of the request for an entry is assessed against applicable legal provisions, the documents submitted and previous entries. Special attention is paid to checking the identity of the building, the legitimacy of the interested parties, the formal regularity of the titles and the validity of the acts contained therein.
The final entry of establishment of burdens by legal acts depends on the previous registration of the properties in the name of whom the burden applies.
In the event that there is an entry concerning the property for acquisition or recognition of a right which may be transferred or for mere possession, the respective title holder must intervene in order for the new final entry to be drawn up, unless the situation is a consequence of another previous entry.
As a rule, the entry must be requested within 30 days from the date on which the facts have been registered or from the date of payment of the tax obligations where such payment has to take place after the establishment of the title (titulação) (in cases of distribution or donations).
The principle of legitimate interest (princípio da instância) applies to the land register, i.e. the entry is made at the request of someone who is in a legitimate position to do so. The following have a legitimate interest in requesting an entry in the register: active and passive subjects of the related legal relationship, and, in general, whoever has an interest therein or has an obligation to promote such an interest.
The request may be made in person, electronically, by fax or by post.
Entries will only be made in the register where they are substantiated by documents. The facts relating to buildings are, as a rule, recorded in a deed certified by a public official (escritura pública) or by a specific authenticated document (document authenticated by a notary, lawyer, solicitor or land registrar and uploaded to the Predial Online website).
A compulsory mechanism is in place to provide missing information, or, if the entry cannot be made as required, the registrar contacts the person requesting the entry to collect all the necessary documents, in order to avoid the entry being rejected or being given a provisional nature.
The registrar makes the entry within 10 days from the date of the submission.
Should the entry be rejected or made provisionally due to some remaining doubts, the requester is informed by reasoned order and may lodge an administrative contentious appeal to the registrar's hierarchical superior or appeal through the courts.
The Regulation on fees for records and notaries (Regulamento Emolumentar dos Registos e do Notariado - Decree-Law No 322-A/2001 of 14 December 2001) sets outs fees for the land register.
Further to paper copies of certificates, the information can easily be accessed online at http://www.predialonline.pt/ by means of an electronic certificate. There is up-to-date information on the legal situation of buildings and on pending applications for registration. Access is based on a yearly subscription plan and costs €15. The application must be made on the basis of the building's description number or its tax number. Following payment, a certification code provides access to the information.
Other services
In Portugal two services are available in relation to land registers: Predial Online and Casa Pronta.
On this site, privately owned authenticated documents evidencing legal acts and mortgage cancellation documents may be uploaded. Notices about the transfer of buildings to entities with a legal right of preference (so that they can announce their intention to exercise such rights or not) are also accepted. It is also possible to consult notifications published in respect of buildings under the special procedures for justification and correction.
Entries may also be requested, which will require that the interested parties authenticate themselves by means of a digital certificate.
Much of the Predial Online website is available free of charge. However, Regulamento Emolumentar dos Registos e do Notariado (Decree-Law No 322-A/2001 of 14 December 2001) lays down charges for access to some sections of the website, which are reserved for use by authenticated users. Authentication is done by means of a digital certificate, and relates particularly to online registers (application and consultation of the status of the application) and document deposit (deposit and consultation).
The website provides access to information and certificates relating to immovable property recorded in the Portuguese land register.
The Casa Pronta service provides an one-stop service, making it possible to carry out all the necessary formalities relating to the purchase and sale, donation, exchange, dation in payment (dação pagamento), of urban, mixed or rural buildings, with or without a bank credit, to the transfer of a home purchase bank loan from one bank to another or to the taking out of a loan against the mortgage on a house. It is also possible to use the Casa Pronta service to establishment apartment ownership (propriedade horizontal).
The first step of the procedures are with the land registry (conservatória) or a bank, which can access the website using a username and password. This process can be followed at any time.
The website offers any individual the opportunity to give notice of the transfer of a building, so that entities with legal rights of preference can announce their intention to exercise these.
Regulamento Emolumentar dos Registos e do Notariado (Decree-Law No 322-A/2001 of 14 December 2001) lays down charges for access to the procedure.
For a fee of €15, the Web Casa Pronta website offers any individual the opportunity to give notice of the transfer of a building.
This allows entities with the legal right of preference to announce their intention to exercise this. However, in the latter case, access to the site is restricted.
Furthermore, only the following entities have access to the Web Casa Pronta:
Access is obtained by entering a username and password.
No access restrictions apply to announcements to exercise legal rights of preference, which may be done free of charge.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
There is no electronic national land registry currently available in Romania.
Information on land registration however is available from the website of the National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of Slovenia's land register.
The Slovenian Land Register contains the legal facts relating to properties, such as owners, mortgages, and easements.
A Land Cadastre is also available, which focuses on the factual circumstances of properties.
The Land Register is owned and managed by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Slovenia.
Public electronic access to the Land Register is available on the e-Sodstvo portalhttps://evlozisce.sodisce.si/esodstvo/index.html . Access to data is free of charge but it is necessary to register beforehand.
Public access to the Land Register is also available at all local courts in Slovenia, notaries and administrative units, where individuals may obtain a certified copy of an extract from the Land Register. A charge is made for certified extracts from the Land Register.
Searching the Slovenian Land Register
You can access data by entering the following search criteria:
History of the Slovenian Land Register
The new electronic portal has been available since 2011. Before that, information was accessible in the old ‘land book’.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The Slovak Land Register portal (Slovenský katastrálny portál) is hosted by the Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Authority of the Slovak Republic (Úrad geodésie, kartografie a katastra Slovenskej republiky), and a central government authority for land registers. The portal is operated and maintained by Geographic and Cartographic Institute Bratislava (Geodetický a kartografický ústav Bratislava).
The Portal provides legal and factual information about real estate ownership. It is updated once a week using data supplied by the respective land register offices. Search is available in Slovak and in English. The portal provides:
An ownership document (list vlastníctva) provides information about the property, its owners and the rights attaching to the property, as well as additional information on property-related rights. More specifically, it contains:
It consists of 3 parts:
Part A – Physical assets, which lists all the properties subject to property rights, detailing:
Part B – Owners or other entitled persons, detailing:
Part C – Encumbrances, detailing:
Part C does not include data on debt amounts.
Information available at the Land Register portal is provided free of charge for everybody.
The Land Register portal has been in service since 2004. Since September 2007, information provided by the portal is free of charge by law.
website of Land Register portal, website of the Slovak Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Authority
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of the Finnish land register.
The Finnish land register is owned and maintained by the National Land Survey.
The register focuses both on the legal circumstances of a property, such as the legal regime, and on the factual circumstances, such as the property owner's name. The National Land Information System contains all the information entered in the Finnish cadastral register and the land register, which records titles, mortgages and other encumbrances.
Cadastral map data is provided by the National Land Survey of Finland, and 86 municipalities maintain cadastral map registers for the areas covered by their town plans. Maintaining the land register will be the responsibility of the district courts until 31st December 2009 and, from 1st January 2010, of the National Land Survey of Finland. The system is used by all who need up-to-date cadastral data on a regular basis, such as banks, various authorities, real estate agents and notaries.
No, access is not free.
Search by map, by register unit identifier or name, address, administrative unit (municipal, suburb/village) and enterprise identifier.
You can find information on the:
Attributed data of register unit, registered owner and owner’s address, and possible restrictions of tenure as well as owners of registered part transfers; mortgages, easements and encumbrances on registered unit, registered leasehold.
Information is provided on how users can search the register (e.g. property address).
The register has been maintained since 1700.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of the Swedish land register, which has five integrated parts.
The land register, which consists of several different parts, is a national register used for several purposes. It provides information on:
The land register is managed by Lantmäteriet (the Swedish Land Survey)
There is no charge for information supplied during personal visits or by phone. Information can also be requested under the principle of access to public documents. There is a charge for electronic access to the register, apart from the Min fastighet (My property) service, which is free.
A number of electronic search services are directly available via the Land Survey's website or via Lantmäteriets återförsäljare (the Land Survey’s agents – listed on its website). Most services require prior subscription. Access is via online and direct services or by selection and processing. The Land Survey’s website also offers the service
Establishment of the electronic register started in the 1970s, and full information storage was completed in 1995. The technical environment and, to a certain extent, the content of the land register have gradually evolved, as have the means of accessing it. There are plans to introduce a brand new technological platform for the land register. This work has begun and will continue over the coming years.
Swedish Land Survey website (in English)
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an introduction to the land register of England and Wales.
We register the ownership of land and property in England and Wales. Our vision is ‘Your land and property rights: guaranteed and protected.’
Our values are:
Land Registry provides the vital function of giving assurance and confidence to the property market, with the Register underpinning property ownership worth over £4 trillion across England and Wales including over £1 trillion of mortgages. Land Registry has over 150 years’ experience of maintaining the Register and has evolved to become increasingly efficient, with 99% of our information and 73% of our registration services being submitted online. We are on a transformational journey to create a fully digitised Register building a contemporary digital platform for land and property to support the Register and provide a modern, efficient service for customers.
A statutory fee is payable for each service. There is no sign up fee for online access and most online services cost less than services by post.
Business e-Services allow business users to submit applications to register land and property, or to request a search of the index map online. Business e-services users can also use our free MapSearch to instantly:
Business e-service customers must fulfil conditions of use, register as a user and have a variable direct debit account with a UK bank or building society. Login to business e-services.
Find a Property service is designed for members of the public and also used by small businesses. They can search by address to find the land or property owner, how far its general boundaries extend and whether it’s at risk of flooding. They must register as users and pay by credit or debit card. Login to Find a Property.
Copies of registers and title plans obtained through Business e-Services are ‘official copies’ and so are admissible as evidence in a court of law. MapSearch does not provide indemnity provisions for information supplied.
Copies of registers and title plans obtained through the Find a Property service are not official copies.
You can apply for official copies of the register and title plan by post using forms OC1 (for the register) and OC2 (for documents). These forms are available free of charge by post or online from Land Registry. Official copies are admissible as evidence in a court of law.
If you are unable to find property information online, you can also send a ‘search of the index map’ (form SIM) by post to discover if the land is registered, and if so to obtain a title number. A fee set by the current Land Registry Fee Order is payable.
The Land Charge registers can be searched by post, or online through business e-services using Form K15 or (to search for bankruptcy entries only) K16
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of the land register of Northern Ireland.
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/land-property-services-lps provides content on the rules, regulations and guidance that govern the operation of the various registers.
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/articles/landweb-direct-access
The service provides:
Yes, access to LandWeb is free of charge for authorised users. Users who wish to access search facilities must register for the service and are, in most instances, required to pay fees to access and download data.
Search facilities include access to maps of title, title extent and title documentation. This database includes owner names and any charges affecting property. Full instructions are contained within the LandWeb Direct web pages. https://www.landwebni.gov.uk/help/WebHelp/LWD
E-registration facilities allow registered users to fill out various registration forms, calculate fees and submit information electronically. Full instructions are contained within the E-Registration pages. https://www.landwebni.gov.uk/Downloads/ERegistrationUserGuide.pdf
The land registry came into existance in 1891, prior to that date ownership of land was recorded in the Registry of Deeds, which was established in 1706. Land and Protpery Services administers three registires: the land registry, deeds registry and statutory charge registry.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
This section provides you with an overview of the land register of Scotland.
What does the Land Register of Scotland offer?
The Land Register of Scotland is one of 20 public registers held and maintained by the Registers of Scotland (RoS). The primary aim of RoS is to ensure the integrity of the registers under its control and provide public access to them. The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland is responsible for leading the organisation and delivering the strategic objectives agreed by the Board. The strategic objectives are aligned to the Scottish Government's purpose, national outcomes, programme for government, and economic and digital strategies.
The Land Register of Scotland is a digital, map-based public register of rights in land, backed by a state guarantee. It provides a once and for all examination of title deeds to a plot of land, consolidating various pieces of information and resulting in the production of a title sheet.
A title sheet contains the following information:
The Land Register is gradually replacing the General Register of Sasines (the Sasine Register), another register maintained by RoS. The Sasine Register was established in the early 17th century, and is a chronological register of deeds relating to property.
To date, 68% of land and property titles in Scotland have been registered in the Land Register. This represents approximately 39% of Scottish land. RoS is working towards completing the Land Register by 2024. Completion of the Land Register is being achieved via three mechanisms:
KIR was introduced by the Land Registration etc (Scotland) Act 2012 (the 2012 Act) and provides RoS with the power to move titles from the Sasine Register to the Land Register without an application being made by the owner. The completion of the Land Register will allow for easier, faster and cheaper property transactions.
RoS also administers three smaller registers relating to specific types of interest in land: the Crofting Register, the Register of Community Interests in Land (RCIL), and the Register of Applications by Community Bodies to Buy Land (RoACBL).
Crofting is a form of agricultural land tenure particular to Scotland, governed by specific statute and, since November 2012, capable of registration in the Crofting Register.
The Register of Community Interests in Land was established by statute in 2003, and contains statutory pre-emptive rights to buy land.
The Register of Applications by Community Bodies to Buy Land is a register in two parts, which contains applications by community bodies to buy (1) abandoned, neglected or detrimental land and (2) land to further sustainable development, in order to bring it back into productive use for the benefit of the local community. It was established by statute in 2016 and brought into force in June 2018 and April 2020.
Is access to the Land Register of Scotland free of charge?
Free online access is available for a certain amount of information held on the Land Register, including a snapshot of the cadastral map. A fee is applied to purchase property documents, the title sheet and title plan. Copies of title sheets or deeds from these registers may also be obtained for a fee.
How to search the land register of Scotland
Regardless of the format of the request, searches of the Land Register may be conducted through:
Searches of the Sasine Register, Crofting Register, RCIL and RoACBL may also be conducted against a number of searchable fields.
ScotLIS
Scotland's Land and Information Service (ScotLIS) is provided by RoS and allows everyone to access publically available data about land and property directly from the Land Register. ScotLIS offers information about:
ScotLIS continues to evolve, including a search by map feature introduced in 2019 enabling members of the public to find property information without the need for an address or title number.
History of the Registers of Scotland
Scotland has maintained public registers for approximately seven hundred years, with registers relating to land being kept in Edinburgh Castle from the 13th century onwards. The Sasine Register is the world's first national public register of property ownership rights, established by an Act of the (old) Parliament of Scotland in 1617, and has provided a public record of rights in property since that time.
The shift from a register of deeds to a register of titles began some eighty years before the Land Register itself was established by statute in 1979. The Land Register was introduced gradually, starting in 1981, and encompassed the whole of Scotland by 2003. The introduction of the Land Register along with a system of state guaranteed title to land removed significant risks and uncertainties inherent to property transactions prior to establishment of this register.
The 2012 Act commenced in December 2014. The main purpose of the Act was to reform and restate the law on the registration of rights to land in Scotland, realigning registration law with property law.
Related Links
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.