Obtain a copy of the property deed at the Land Registry
Agency: Land Registry (Conservation foncière du Wouri)
The buyer should perform due diligence before entering into a sale agreement with the owner of the property by requesting a copy of the property deed from the Land Registry. The copy will include all useful information regarding the property and its history since its registration with the Land Registry. The party will see whether the seller is indeed the owner of the property and whether the property is encumbered with mortgages or liens.
Time and cost: 14 days, XAF 7,000 (XAF 5,000 for the certificate + 1,000 for the stamp attached to the request + 1,000 for the stamp attached to the copy of the property deed)
A notary drafts and notarizes the sale agreement
Agency: Notary’s Office
The law requires that the sale agreement is notarized. It is the practice that parties ask the notary to draft the sale agreement himself. The Notary will prepare a preliminary sale agreement and will take the parties’ final observations. The notary finally asks the parties to sign the agreement, and the notary will register the agreement with the tax authorities.
Time and cost: 3 days, XAF 694,431.58 (Notary fees is fixed by Decree No. 95/038 of 28/02/95 (article 188) on a sliding scale:
Percentage rate fees based on the property value:
- 1 to 3 million francs: 4.5%
- 3 to 10 million francs: 3.0%
- 10 to 25 million francs: 1.5%
- 25 to 50 million francs: 0.75%
- 50 million francs and above: 0.5%)
The notary submits the tax declaration with the Tax Authority
Agency: Tax authority (Direction générale des impôts)
Following the last reform established by the Tax Authority (Direction générale des impôts), Notaries now have the option of making the tax declaration of the sale agreement online. Notaries should first create an account on the Tax Authority website www.impots.cm to be able to fill the information concerning the sale agreement. Once all details are entered, the data are sent directly to the Tax Authority. The notary will receive a slip with the amount of the property transaction fee that should be printed and paid at the commercial bank. The property transaction fees are 10% of the property value since all properties located in a peri-urban commercial zone in Douala fall within the category of “mercuriale administrative”.
The online service is currently available only in Yaounde (Mfoundi), and Douala (Wouri) and just notaries have access to it.
Time and cost: 2 days, XAF 4,159,087.68 (10% of the Property Value)
Finalize sale registration with the Tax Authority
Agency: Tax authority (Centre Spécialisé des lmpôts des Professions Libérales etude l’lmmobilier)
To complete the formal sale registration at the Tax Authorities, the taxpayer must go personally to the specialized tax center (Centre Spécialisé des lmpôts des Professions Libérales etude l’lmmobilier) and deposit a folder with the following documents:
- (1) copy of the sale agreement notarized with annexes
- (3) copies of the stamped minutes
- (1) tax payment slip
- (1) Bank transfer attestation
Following the submission of documents, the property transfer will be formally registered in a maximum deadline of 48 hours (2 days).
Time and cost: 2 days, Included in procedure 3
Final transfer of the property title with the Land Registry
Agency: Land Registry (Conservation foncière du Wouri)
A request for the final transfer is submitted to the land registry (Conservation Foncière). It may take up to two months for the land registry to issue the title in the name of the new owner.
Time and cost: 60 days, XAF 831,817.54 (2% of the property value)
