Registering Property in Fiji

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Standardized property

Registration Requirements Summary:

Registration Requirement Details

Procedure 1.

Present transfer documents for stamping at the Stamp Duty Office and pay stamp duty

Time to complete:

7 days

Cost to complete:

2% of property value (Stamp duty)

Name of Agency:

Stamp Duty Office

Comment:

The transfer documents can be prepared by the parties or by their solicitors. Once completed, they are submitted for stamping and payment of transfer tax at the Stamp Duties Office. The tax agency FIRCA has an officer working in the registry to verify that companies pay the appropriate land transfer taxes. The Stamp Duty is waived for first time residential house purchases.
For properties held for less than 5 years, the Transfer Tax is paid at the same time and is between 5 and 15% of the property value.

Procedure 2.

Settlement takes place at the Registrar of Titles Office

Time to complete:

1 day

Cost to complete:

FJD 10

Name of Agency:

Registrar of Titles Office

Comment:

Parties meet at the Registrar of Titles Office for settlement. They first double check encumbrances on the property and then exchange the titles for the payment. Then, they submit the transfer documents for registration. The registration fee (FDJ 10 for properties over FDJ 100,000 + VAT of 12.5%) is paid. It is possible that some new mortgages might still be in "the pipeline" and are not yet recorded on the property at the settlement (the mortgage has been submitted in the registry, but it has not been inscribed yet). To avoid finding later about a mortgage on the property, it is possible to request a "guaranteed search" (under section 30, 31 and 32 of the Land Transfer act) where the registry checks and certifies that there are no other mortgages registered. The buyer would have to pay for the overtime work of the employees from the registry, which amounts to around FJD 150-200.

Procedure 3.

Buyer receives the title with his name

Time to complete:

60 days

Cost to complete:

Already paid

Name of Agency:

Comment:

After submitting the transfer documents for registration, the new title, with the name of the buyer, will be issued.

The Land registry is managed on paper and is based on a Torrens system of land registration. There is only one office in Suva for the whole country.
There is a Native Lands Trust Board (NLTB) that needs to be consulted if the land transfer concerns native land, which would generally not be the case with the DB business property. The NLTB office is in the same building as the Land Registry.