Registering Property in Guinea-Bissau

This topic examines the steps, time, and cost involved in registering property in Guinea-Bissau.

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Property Value: XOF 6,410,883
City: Bissau

	Procedure	Time to complete:	Cost to complete:
1	Verify the signature of the the seller at the notary	1 day	CFA 231 for one signature
2	Obtain property title from the property registry (certidão de registro predial)	12 days	CFA 2,000
3	Pay property transfer tax and obtain tax clearance from tax authority	1 - 2 days	2% of property value
4	Parties request the notary to prepare and execute the sale purchase agreement	180 days	CFA 150,000 for the public deed (according to scale) + stamp duty (CFA 2000 per page+ 0.5% of half of property value)
5	Obtain copy of the public deed (certidão de escritura) from the notary	1 day	included in previous procedure
6	Pick up Form at the property registry	1 day	250 CFA for the Form
7	Verify signatures at notary	1 day	CFA 231 for one signature
8	Obtain the new property title (certidão predial)	12 days	Total cost approximately CFA 90, 111
9	Submit a copy of the property title to municipality	1 day	No cost

Procedure 1.: Verify the signature of the the seller at the notary
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: CFA 231 for one signature
Name of Agency:
Comment:: The seller must complete and sign a form to request a search of the property title. His signature must be verified at the notary. In practice this is done in the same day as the request given that both agencies are in the same building.

Procedure 2.: Obtain property title from the property registry (certidão de registro predial)
Time to complete:: 12 days
Cost to complete:: CFA 2,000
Name of Agency:: Property Registry
Comment:: Once the signature of the seller has been verified by the notary, then this form is deposited at the Property Registry

Procedure 3.: Pay property transfer tax and obtain tax clearance from tax authority
Time to complete:: 1 - 2 days
Cost to complete:: 2% of property value
Name of Agency:: Tax Authority
Comment:: The tax clearance states that no taxes are owed on the property prior to its transfer (CISA). The transfer tax is paid at the same time.

Procedure 4.: Parties request the notary to prepare and execute the sale purchase agreement
Time to complete:: 180 days
Cost to complete:: CFA 150,000 for the public deed (according to scale) + stamp duty (CFA 2000 per page+ 0.5% of half of property value)
Name of Agency:
Comment:: The public deed is handwritten and only the notary can write it in the notary books where all contracts are registered. There is only one notary is the whole country. The seller must present the property title and the proof of tax payment. Both the seller and the buyer must present their identification documents. Time may be reduced to 2 or 3 days if bribes are paid, but a reasonable time for a public deed with no bribes being paid is 6 months. CFA 150,000 for the public deed (according to scale) + stamp duty (CFA 2000 per page+ 0.5% of half of property value. It is assumed that the contract is approximately 4 pages.

Procedure 5.: Obtain copy of the public deed (certidão de escritura) from the notary
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: included in previous procedure
Name of Agency:
Comment:: After the public deed is handwritten in the books, the contract is typed and a copy is given to the parties.

Procedure 6.: Pick up Form at the property registry
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: 250 CFA for the Form
Name of Agency:: Property Registry
Comment:: In order to be registered as the new owner of the property, the buyer must first complete a form to request this registration. The request must be submitted along with the certidão de escritura. The registry makes a note of the new owner in their books.

Procedure 7.: Verify signatures at notary
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: CFA 231 for one signature
Name of Agency:
Comment:: The notary must once again verify that the signature of the buyer is authentic.

Procedure 8.: Obtain the new property title (certidão predial)
Time to complete:: 12 days
Cost to complete:: Description, Inscription and Certificate: 15 000 FCFA (=5000 FCFA x 3)
Determined value: 8 900 FCFA for every 1 million
Participation fees ("da participação emolumental"): 20 % of (15 000 FCFA+ 8 900 FCFA)
“Construção prisional” : 1 % of (
Name of Agency:: Property Registry
Comment:: The buyer obtains new property title. After the registration in the books is done, a copy of that registration is typed and given to the buyer.
The fee scale is as follows:
Description, Inscription and Certificate: 15 000 FCFA (5000 * 3)
Determined value: 8 900 FCFA for everyone 1 million
Participation fees (da participação emolumental): 20 % of (15000 + 8900)
“construção prisional” : 1 % of (15000 + 8900)
Reimbursement tax: 822 FCFA
Print Cost: 250 FCFA
Certificate: 5000 FCFA

Procedure 9.: Submit a copy of the property title to municipality
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: No cost
Name of Agency:: Municipality
Comment:: The buyer must submit a copy of the property title to the municipality to inform about the property transfer, for tax purposes. In Bissau, the municipality acts as the cadastre, but outside of the capital there are separate cadastres in which to perform this procedure. Note that land is leased and buildings are owned. At the first registration of land and building, the certificate is unified and contains both sets of details on lease and ownership of building. The procedures here describe the process of transferring that unified title.