Seychelles offers various investment opportunities, among which real estate represents a good idea for those interested in relocating or starting a business here. Seychelles has become quite appealing for foreign investors considering the purchase of properties here is allowed provided that certain conditions are met. Those who buy real estate in the insular state are required to register it with the Seychelles Land Register.
The Land Register is the main authority in charge of property registration, but it also keeps track of all real estate ownership in the country. Below, our local specialists explain the main activities of the Seychelles Land Register. Our legal services in Seychelles imply company formation, real estate acquisition and registration with the Land Register and assistance in obtaining a residence permit.
You can also rely on us if you are interested in setting up an offshore company in Seychelles.
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The departments of the Land Register in Seychelles
The Land Register in Seychelles falls under the supervision of the Ministry of Habitat, Infrastructure and Land Transportation and is made of several departments. These are the Land and Survey, the Project Implementation and the Housing and Loan Unit departments. The latest division added to the Land Register in Seychelles is the Geographic Information System which is used to centralize information about the division of land plots in the country.
With the help of our company formation consultants in Seychelles, foreign investors can start a business and acquire commercial or industrial real estate for their operations.
The main functions of the Seychelles Land Registry
Just like in any other country, the Land Register plays an important role, as it holds various functions, among which:
- that of maintaining updated information on all the land plots and properties in Seychelles;
- that of conducting land surveys and mapping activities through the Geographic Information System;
- that of offering access to information to those performing real estate purchases in Seychelles;
- that of registering new property titles for those acquiring various types of properties in this country;
- that of maintaining information on all the housing and loan schemes provided by the Ministry.
It is useful to know that in order to ease the search on properties in Seychelles, the Land Registrar provides for 3 sections on each property. These are the property section which contains a description of the real estate, the ownership section which provides for the name of the proprietor and the encumbrances section which provides for the debts registered at the specific address.
Foreign citizens who want to buy real estate in the insular state can rely on our lawyers in Seychelles for assistance with due diligence procedures and drafting the documents required when buying the property. We can also help with the registration of the property with the Land Registrar.
The powers of the Seychelles Land Registrar
The powers of the Land Register are comprised in the Land Registration Law which provides for the following:
- – the Land Register has the power of requesting any person or company to provide documents which attest ownership over land or properties;
- – it can also summon persons or company representatives for declarations related to property ownership, lease or other actions related to real estate;
- – it can establish the fees and costs associated to various actions related to real estate property.
Another important provision of the Land Registration Act provides for each document issued by the Land Registry to bear the seal of the Registrar.
Steps in buying a property in Seychelles
The purchase of real estate in Seychelles starts with the Land Register where a property title search must be completed. Even if this step is not mandatory, it is recommended to verify the property for any encumbrances and debts, as well, as for third-party rights over the respective property.
Property searches with the Land Register are usually conducted based on the parcel number assigned to the real estate. Our Seychelles lawyers can assist with this procedure.
Foreign investors who want to buy real estate through companies established in Seychelles will need to grant a power of attorney to one of the directors to represent the business during the transaction. However, the procedure can also be completed by our company registration specialists in Seychelles.
The purchase of a property in Seychelles implies the following procedures and costs associated with it:
- – the title search which can be completed in 1 day and costs around 10 RPS;
- – the notarization of the documents related to the purchase which takes about 2 days and can cost up to 2% of the value of the property;
- – the deposit of the sale-purchase agreement with the Stamp Duty Commission which is free of charge but takes about 5 days to be registered by the Commission;
- – the registration of the property title with the Land Register which takes about 25 days to be completed.
For assistance in buying, selling or recording properties with the Seychelles Land Register, please contact us.