Registering Property in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This topic examines the steps, time, and cost involved in registering property in Congo, Dem. Rep..

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Standardized property

Property Value: CDF 4,527,644
City: Kinshasa

Registration Requirements Summary:


  Procedure Time to complete: Cost to complete:
1 An order of payment for state taxes is issued by the Accounting Department of the local government (‘Collectivité territoriale’) 2 days no cost
2 The payment order is signed by the Registrar (Conservateur) 7 days no cost
3 The order payment is sent to the Direction Générale des Recettes Administratives et Judiciares (DGRAJ) 3 days no cost
4 The state fees are paid at a commercial bank 1 day 6% of property value
5 The sale deed is authenticated by the Registrar of Property (Conservateur des Titres Fonciers) and application made for replacement of the registration certificate 7 days 2-3 % of the value of the property for the Registration fee + FF 66
6 An expert from the Cadastre inspects and values the property and prepares the cadastral plan 15 days USD 34
7 Conclusion of contract for Ordinary occupancy 5 days no cost
8 New title deed in the name of the buyer is issued 15 – 18 days no cost

Registration Requirement Details

Procedure 1.
An order of payment for state taxes is issued by the Accounting Department of the local government (‘Collectivité territoriale’)
Time to complete:
2 days
Cost to complete:
no cost
Name of Agency:
Local government
Comment:
The accounting department of the local government (‘Collectivité territoriale’) issues a payment order for the state fees on the transfer of property (6% of the property value, to be paid in procedure 4).
Procedure 2.
The payment order is signed by the Registrar (Conservateur)
Time to complete:
7 days
Cost to complete:
no cost
Name of Agency:
Registrar (Conservateur)
Comment:
The payment order must be signed by the Conservateur (Registrar).
Procedure 3.
The order payment is sent to the Direction Générale des Recettes Administratives et Judiciares (DGRAJ)
Time to complete:
3 days
Cost to complete:
no cost
Name of Agency:
General Direction of Administrative and Judicial Revenues (Direction générale des recettes administratives, judiciaires, domaniales et de participations, DGRAD)
Comment:
The payment order is then sent to the Direction Générale des Recettes Administratives et Judiciares (DGRAJ, General Direction of Administrative and Judicial Revenues) that will prepare the appropriate payment order in order to pay the state rights in a commercial bank.
Procedure 4.
The state fees are paid at a commercial bank
Time to complete:
1 day
Cost to complete:
6% of property value
Name of Agency:
Commercial Bank
Comment:
Parties pay of the state fees related to the transfer at a commercial bank (State Taxes + Notary fees). A receipt is obtained.
Concerning the transfer fee: In Congo, precisely in the capital Kinshasa, the city is subdivided in communes.
In the land, each commune has an index of reference seen in annex 1: Arrêté interministériel n° 044/CAB/MIN/AFF.F/2005 et n° 067 CAB/MIN/FINANCES/2005 du 30/05/05 fixant les prix de référence, loyers et redevances des parcelles domaniales situées dans les circonscriptions foncières de la Ville de Kinshasa
Art. 4. — 14 février 1956. – DÉCRET abrogeant et remplaçant le décret du 31 mars 1926 sur les droits d’enregistrement en matière foncière." The transfer taxe is 6% of the property value.
Procedure 5.
The sale deed is authenticated by the Registrar of Property (Conservateur des Titres Fonciers) and application made for replacement of the registration certificate
Time to complete:
7 days
Cost to complete:
2-3 % of the value of the property for the Registration fee + FF 66 as follows:
16 FF: preparation of the document
12 FF: Tax on each registrar's act
22 FF: Notarization of the document by the Registrar
3 FF: extra cost per page for n
Name of Agency:
Registrar of Property (Conservateur des Titres Fonciers)
Comment:
Since 1973, the law has allowed for the Registrar to act as notary for the specific purpose of registering property titles. This is standard practice.
The registration fee can vary from 0.5 to 3% of property value for commercial property and is established by the "Article 11 - 14 février 1956. – DÉCRET abrogeant et remplaçant le décret du 31 mars 1926 sur les droits d’enregistrement en matière foncière. Mise à jour avec - Décr. du 12 septembre 1956.- Décr. du 24 février 1958, - L. du 17 mai 1962 - l' O.-L. 70-082 du 30 novembre 1970".
Other registration fees are established by "annexe à l’arrêté interministériel n° 042/CAB/MIN/AFF.F./2005 et n° 068/ CAB/MIN/FINANCES/2005 du 26/05/2005 portant fixation des taux des droits, taxes et redevances à percevoir à l’initiative du ministère des Affaires Foncières".

The parties present the sale agreement to the Registrar (Conservateur) acting as a notary, for its authentication. Simultaneously the parties apply for replacement of the registration certificate at the Registry Office. The buyer submits both the registration certificate and the concession certificate to the Conservateur des Titres Immobiliers (Registry Office) to check their validity.
The old record on the registration book is voided with a stamp, adding a comment indicating the reasons of the voidance as well as the date and number of the new certificate.
Procedure 6.
An expert from the Cadastre inspects and values the property and prepares the cadastral plan
Time to complete:
15 days
Cost to complete:
USD 34
Name of Agency:
Cadastre - Registry Office (Conservateur)
Comment:
The Cadastre is a department within the Registry Office (Conservateur). After the department known as the ‘Service de l’Enregistrement’, also within the Registry Office, checks that all taxes are paid, it transfers the file to the Cadastre. The Cadastre designates an expert to inspect and value the property. The geometric engineers from the cadastre produce the cadastral extracts by verifying the property value, measuring its limits and preparing the cadastral map. The Cadastre checks that the parcel is correctly described and taxes have been paid on the correct value of the property. After this process, the Cadastre sends the file back to the ‘Service de l’Enregistrement.’
Procedure 7.
Conclusion of contract for Ordinary occupancy
Time to complete:
5 days
Cost to complete:
no cost
Name of Agency:
Comment:
Before delivery of the new title deed (Certificat d’Enregistrement), a new contract for occupancy (contrat de concession ordinaire) must be concluded between the DRC (who is technically owner of all land) and the buyer. This contract allows the buyer to occupy the land indefinitely. (Article 1 of Arrete 90/0012 du 31 mars 1990 fixant les modalites de conversion des titres de concession perpetuelle ou ordinaire)
Procedure 8.
New title deed in the name of the buyer is issued
Time to complete:
15 – 18 days
Cost to complete:
no cost
Name of Agency:
Registrar of Property (Conservateur des Titres Fonciers)
Comment:
The Registrar (Conservateur), acting as notary, will notarize the sale contract, in accordance with the article 231 of La loi du 20 juillet 1973, that no transfer of property is valid unless the sale contract is notarized. The Registrar can act as a notary in case the property was previously registered at the Land Registry (dispose d'un titre de propriété). The Registrar will ask for payment of any additional taxes, if applicable. Once these are paid, the Registrar nullifies the old title deed (Certificat d’Enregistrement) in the name of the seller and issues a new title deed in the name of the buyer. This serves as the buyer’s new ownership entitlement. The law also stipulates that the Sale Agreement can be notarized by the Conservateur just before the transfer.