Gabon

Registering Property in

Gabon

Listed below is a detailed summary of the steps, time and cost involved in registering property, assuming a standardized case of an entrepreneur who wants to purchase land and a building that is already registered and free of title dispute.

The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

  • Standard Property Transfer

  • Property Value: XAF 189,153,567.29
  • City: Libreville

About This Topic

To see indicator data for all economies, see the Registering Property page. To see how economies rank, see the Rankings page.

No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Buyer and seller contract the notary

It is standard practice for the buyer and the seller, as companies, to contract a notary to conduct all procedures. They pay his fees and the transfer taxes/fees to be incurred at the time of contracting him.
1 day 10.5% property value (notary fees plus other taxes and fees)
2 Search the title at the property registry (Conservation Fonciere)

One obtains an official copy of the title from the registry. The title includes all relevant information on the property, such as its history of ownership, delimitations of the property and the building.

Agency: Property Registry (Conservation Fonciere) 		7 - 14 days (included in procedure 1)
3 Check for unpaid utilities bills at the SEEG (Service de l’Eau et de l’Electricite de Gabon)

It is standard practice to check for any unpaid utilities bills associated with the property prior to the transfer. The parties or the notary can do this.

Agency: Utility company (SEEG, Service de l’Eau et de l’Electricite de Gabon) 		1 day no cost
4 Notary drafts and parties execute the sale-purchase agreement

It is standard practice for a notary to draft the sale-purchase agreement for the parties, which they then sign. The notary then notarizes the signed agreement.
1 day (included in procedure 1)
5 Register the sale purchase agreement at the land administration (Service des Domaines)

The sale purchase agreement is registered at the Direction General des Impots, Service de l’Enregistrement et timbres, or the administrative authority that keeps the technical records on lands. The notary draws a check equivalent to 8% of the property value to the order of the Service de l'enregistrement. A receipt is obtained as proof of payment. The notary will then prepare all the necessary documents to request a change of name on the property title at the Conservation Foncière.
Note: If there is a mortgage on the property, there is an additional 0.3% property value fee.

Agency: Direction General des Impots, Service de l’Enregistrement et timbres 		10 days 8% of the property value (paid in procedure 1)
6 Register the sale-purchase agreement at the property registry (Conservation Fonciere)

The registrar transcribes the transfer and publishes it in the registry books under the name of the new owner. Two copies of the sales contract are submitted: one without stamps, for the Conservation Fonciere, and one with stamps,which the buyer will get back. The original sales contract stays with the notary.

Agency: Property Registry (Conservation Fonciere) 		14 days 0.6% property value (registration fees–included in procedure 1)
7 Collect the new title from the property registry (Conservation Fonciere)

The registrar issues the buyer a copy of the land title. After publication, the land title is prepared and issued to the new owner in his name.

Agency: Property Registry (Conservation Fonciere) 		1 day (included in procedure 1)
Explore Economy Data