Buying a plot of land in Côte d'Ivoire from abroad
The six checks to make before you pay, in order, with the professional who handles each step.
At a glance
- No ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive, the final concession order) is possible if the plot does not come from an approved lotissement (approved subdivision): that is the first thing to check.
- An attestation villageoise (village certificate) is no longer accepted to apply for an ACD since 1 January 2025: the ADU has replaced it.
- You sign and pay at the notary's office, never cash in hand to the seller.
- 1
Check that the plot comes from an approved lotissement
This is the check that rules out the most scams. An ACD can only be issued on a plot that comes from a lotissement (subdivision) approved by the authorities1.
You can check it yourself, free and without an account, on the government portal sigfu.gouv.ci, in the “Parcelles” (plots) section: search for the lotissement, then the block (îlot) and the plot number (lot). The references must match the seller's papers exactly.
- Where
- sigfu.gouv.ci › Parcelles
- Cost
- Free, no account needed
Watch out
The lotissement that is “awaiting approval”. Subdividing land without approval carries 2 months to 2 years in prison, and a surveyor who takes part is an accomplice3. The portal tells you that a plot exists in an approved lotissement: it does not tell you who owns it, or whether there is a dispute. Hence the next steps.
- 2
Identify the document the seller holds
Not all papers are worth the same. The ADU (attestation de droit d'usage coutumier, certificate of customary use rights) proves that the customary rights over the plot have been cleared: it carries a QR code that can be checked and the unique identifier of the plot6. It is not a title to property.
The ACD, on the other hand, transfers ownership and is published in the Livre foncier (the land register)1. The certificat de mutation de propriété foncière (certificate of transfer of land ownership) proves that a property already under an ACD has changed owner2.
Watch out
The seller only has an attestation villageoise. Since 1 January 2025, it is no longer accepted for a new ACD application5. And in towns, customary rights cannot be transferred: “nul ne peut se porter cessionnaire desdits droits” (no one may acquire those rights by transfer)4.
Ask your notary
What exactly is the seller's document worth, and can they sell me the plot as it stands?
See licensed notaries - 3
Have the plot inspected on site
From abroad, you cannot see the plot. A chartered surveyor (géomètre-expert) listed on the roll of their professional body checks that the plot you are shown is the one on the plan, and that its boundaries match. Together with the planning services, only they are authorised to set out a subdivision plan on the ground3.
- Who handles it
- A chartered surveyor
- Good to know
- Moving a boundary marker is an offence
- 4
Check the rights that weigh on the property
If the plot already has an ACD or a title, have the notary request an état foncier (land status report): it shows the rights in rem that encumber the property on the day of the request, such as a mortgage. The état historique (history report), for its part, traces every transfer already recorded7.
Watch out
The multiple sale: the same plot sold to several buyers. Selling property you know belongs to someone else is called stellionat, and carries 1 to 5 years in prison4.
- 5
Sign and pay at the notary's office
A property under an ACD is sold by authentic instrument (acte authentique), meaning before a notary1. Pay through the notary: a notary must pay the funds received into a dedicated bank account, keep separate accounts for each client, and is covered by a collective guarantee fund9.
Can't travel? Give power of attorney to someone you trust. At the Embassy of Côte d'Ivoire in Paris, a power of attorney costs €15 for an Ivorian, €30 otherwise10. As Côte d'Ivoire is not a party to the Apostille Convention, a French document has to go through legalisation11.
- Who handles it
- A notary
- Registration duty
- 4% of the price12
Ask your notary
A breakdown of their fees and of all costs, in writing, before signing. The scale is set by decree9: no percentage you read elsewhere replaces their quote.
See licensed notaries - 6
Get the document in your name
First purchase of a plot: what you need is an ACD in your name. Buying a property that already has an ACD: the land registrar (conservateur) issues a certificat de mutation de propriété foncière, which since 2024 the law describes as “définitif et inattaquable” (final and unchallengeable)2.
Until this document is issued in your name, you are not the owner: you cannot rely on a promise to sell or a deed of transfer that predates publication in the Livre foncier1.
This process involves a notary and a chartered surveyor
Sources
Texts in force as of the update date, read on the Official Gazette or on Ivorian government websites.
- 1. Official GazetteDécret n° 2021-785 of 8 December 2021, procedure for issuing the ACD, art. 2, 7 and 8 — lexterra.ci
- 2. Official GazetteLoi n° 2024-351 of 6 June 2024 amending the Code de l'urbanisme (Urban Planning Code), new art. 106, 223 and 272 — lexterra.ci
- 3. Official GazetteLoi n° 2020-624 of 14 August 2020, Code de l'urbanisme et du domaine foncier urbain (Urban Planning and Urban Land Code), art. 96 and 281; loi n° 2024-351, new art. 282 — lexterra.ci
- 4. Official GazetteLoi n° 2020-624, art. 168 (customary rights cannot be transferred) and 278 (stellionat) — lexterra.ci
- 5. OfficialPress release from the ministry in charge of Urban Planning, 23 August 2024, transitional measures for the ADU — lexterra.ci
- 6. Official“L'attestation de droit d'usage coutumier : pertinence de la réforme” (The certificate of customary use rights: why the reform), Direction du Domaine urbain, 1 July 2024 — alertefoncier.org
- 7. Officialservicepublic.gouv.ci: “Demander un état foncier / état historique” (Requesting a land status report or history report; 3,000 FCFA, 2 days) — servicepublic.gouv.ci
- 8. OfficialDGI (tax authority): list of documents issued by the Conservation de la propriété foncière et des hypothèques (land and mortgage registry) — dgi.gouv.ci
- 9. Official GazetteLoi n° 2018-897 of 30 November 2018 portant statut du notariat (on the status of notaries), art. 10-13 and 21-23 — droitci.info
- 10. OfficialEmbassy of Côte d'Ivoire in France: power of attorney and legalisation (€15 / €30) — france.diplomatie.gouv.ci
- 11. OfficialHCCH: status table of the 1961 Apostille Convention; Côte d'Ivoire is not listed — hcch.net
- 12. OfficialDGI: “Impôts et taxes en Côte d'Ivoire” (Taxes in Côte d'Ivoire), June 2025: 4% registration duty on property sales — dgi.gouv.ci
This guide explains the process; it doesn’t replace a notary’s advice on your case. Spotted a mistake, or a text that has changed? Let us know.
A project in Côte d'Ivoire? Get it checked before you pay.
Notaries, chartered surveyors and architects verified by LNA-CI, contacted directly, no commission.
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