The certificate of ownership in Morocco: what it says, how to get it, how to read it

What the certificate of ownership is

Registered land or a registered apartment has a land title (titre foncier, الرسم العقاري) kept by the land registry (conservation foncière, المحافظة العقارية), a department of the National Agency for Land Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (ANCFCC). The title is a living register: every sale, mortgage, seizure or inheritance is entered on it on its date.

The certificate of ownership is an extract from it. Its legal basis is Article 61 of the dahir of 12 August 1913 on land registration, amended by Law No. 14-07: when requested, the registrar issues a general or special statement of the entries recorded on the land title. The tariff of land registry fees refers to « ordinary certificates and special certificates ».

Its strength comes from the title. Under Article 62 of the dahir, the land title is final and unassailable. Under Article 66, a real right over registered property exists with regard to third parties only by virtue of, and from the day of, its entry on the land title. The Real Rights Code (Law No. 39-08, Article 2) adds that the entries prove, with regard to third parties, that the person named actually holds the rights stated.

In practice: what is not entered is in principle not enforceable against a buyer acting in good faith, and what is entered binds them. The certificate is therefore the document that tells you what you are actually buying, and with which encumbrances.

The certificate is a snapshot. It describes the title on the day and at the time it was issued; an entry filed the next day does not appear on it.

What it contains and how to read it

The layout varies by registry and depending on whether the certificate is on paper or electronic. It always shows the title references and the entries recorded on it. Read it in this order:

1. The references: land registry, title number and index. Compare them with the deed you are shown: a wrong index points to another property. Also check the date and time of issue.
2. The description of the property: name of the property, location and, generally, composition and area. These describe the property as it was registered or updated; they do not prove its current state on the ground.
3. The owner or owners: name, identity document and, in the case of joint ownership (indivision), each person's share (for example as fractions). The name must match the seller's identity document exactly; if there are several owners, all of them must sign to sell the whole property.
4. Real rights and encumbrances: the Real Rights Code distinguishes principal real rights (ownership, easements and land charges, usufruct, right of use, surface right, long lease, habous, zina, houa…) and accessory rights that secure a debt (liens, pledge, mortgage) (Articles 9 and 10). Each recorded right appears with its beneficiary and its date.
5. Provisional entries and court measures: provisional entry (prénotation, التقييد الاحتياطي), seizure (الحجز), order to pay prior to seizure, prohibition on transfer under a set of specifications. These are the most important entries for a buyer.

A certificate showing no encumbrance and no provisional entry is described as « free of encumbrances ». Conversely, a single line at the end of the document can block a sale: do not stop at the owner's name.

What it is used for

The certificate is requested at almost every stage in the life of titled property:

• Buying: checking that the seller is the registered owner, for what share, and that no mortgage, seizure or provisional entry burdens the property. For all the checks, see our guide Checking land before buying.
• Getting a loan: the bank checks the status of the title before entering its mortgage on it. Once the mortgage is entered, the creditor can obtain a special certificate of entry (Article 58 of the dahir), which has the force of an enforceable instrument (Article 214 of the Real Rights Code).
• Inheriting or dividing: heirs must have their rights entered on the title, with the documents setting each person's share (Article 82 of the dahir). The certificate shows whether the inheritance has already been entered and which encumbrances will follow the lots. See our guide to dividing inherited land.
• Building: joint order No. 337-20, which sets the documents for a building permit, requires a certificate of ownership or, failing that, any title proving ownership or the right to build, together with the ANCFCC plan for registered land. See our guide to building permits.
• Bringing in a professional: notaries, lawyers, experts and surveying engineers (ingénieurs géomètres-topographes) start with a recent certificate to know who is registered and what they are working on.

The scale of its use shows in the figures: according to the business press (FNH, July 2026), the ANCFCC issued 2.5 million certificates of ownership in 2025.

Not to be confused with…

Several documents have similar names. They differ in origin and in legal value:

• The melkia, or « chahada melkia adlia » (رسم الملكية / شهادة الملكية العدلية): a deed drawn up by two adoul for unregistered property, in which witnesses attest peaceful and continuous possession. It is proof that can be challenged (Article 3 of the Real Rights Code), not an extract from a register. Only registration turns it into a title: see melkia or land title and land registration.
• The duplicate land title (duplicata, نظير الرسم العقاري): a copy of the title and its plan that only the owner can obtain; in joint ownership, a single duplicate is given to the co-owner appointed for that purpose (Article 58 of the dahir). It is reliable only if it has been brought into line with the title; the certificate, by contrast, is drawn up from the title itself.
• The special certificate of entry: issued to holders of other real rights, typically the lending bank (Article 58).
• The land registry or cadastral plan: it shows the shape, boundaries and area. The certificate does not replace the plan, and vice versa. See our guide to the cadastral plan.
• Mohafadati: an alert service that notifies you when a formality affects your title. It does not issue certificates; it is a useful complement after a purchase. See our guide to Mohafadati.
• « Attestation of ownership », « property title »: everyday expressions, not separate land registry documents. For titled property, the enforceable proof of ownership is the entry on the land title, which the certificate reproduces.

Who can request it, and how

The dahir reserves the duplicate for the owner, but Article 61 does not limit the issue of statements of entries to owners. In practice, the online form asks for the applicant's identity and the title references, without requiring proof of any right over the property: a buyer can therefore order the certificate for the property they are considering.

You need the land registry responsible for the property, the title number and its index (and, where applicable, the special index). These references appear on an earlier certificate, on the duplicate, and in the purchase or division deed. For an apartment, each co-ownership unit normally has its own title: ask for that number, not just the number of the parent title.

There are two ways:

• At the counter of the relevant land registry: request and payment of fees on site.
• Online, through the E-Certificat service on the ANCFCC's official website ([ancfcc.gov.ma/CertificatPropriete](https://www.ancfcc.gov.ma/CertificatPropriete/)): form, phone confirmation by SMS, card payment, tracking code by SMS, then download. The detailed steps are in our guide ANCFCC online services.

An electronic certificate has the same legal value as a paper one (Article 4 of Decree No. 2-18-181 of 10 December 2018). Under Article 15 of the same decree, every certificate extracted from the land database carries a special code that allows any interested person to check its conformity on the platform. If a seller or an intermediary hands you a certificate, check it yourself: according to the ANCFCC, this check is possible for three months from the date of signature.

Land being registered. There is no title yet, so no certificate of ownership in the strict sense. The ANCFCC's documentation mentions a « certificate on a registration application » (certificat sur réquisition d'immatriculation), to be requested from the registry; the publicity of the application can also be consulted online (see land registration).

Cost, processing time and validity

Cost. The tariff of land registry fees (Decree No. 2-16-375 of 18 July 2016, as amended), published by the ANCFCC, sets a fixed fee of MAD 100 per certificate for « ordinary certificates and special certificates ». The exact amount is displayed when you order online or given at the counter; that is the figure that counts if the tariff changes.

Processing time. None of the texts consulted sets a legal deadline for issue. For the electronic route, the ANCFCC only states that requests are processed during working hours; the tracking code shows where yours stands.

Validity. No text sets a period of validity for the certificate. It is evidence of the status of the title on its date, and only on its date. The bodies that request it (bank, notary, administration) decide for themselves how old a certificate they accept: ask before ordering it.

Practical tip: order a first certificate to make your decision, then a new one just before signing or paying. In between, a mortgage or a provisional entry may have been recorded.

Entries that cause problems

These are the entries you need to be able to spot, and what they mean:

• Provisional entry (prénotation): someone claims a right over the property and has asked for it to be provisionally preserved (Article 85 of the dahir). Its date sets the rank of the future entry. The law limits its duration: ten days for a provisional entry based on a deed, one month on a copy of a court claim, three months on an order of the president of the court of first instance, extendable if proceedings on the merits are brought (Article 86). While it is in force, do not buy without legal advice.
• Seizure or order to pay prior to seizure of real property: from its entry, no new entry can be made on the property during the forced-sale proceedings (Article 87). A « private » sale therefore cannot be entered.
• Mortgage: the property secures a debt. A sale remains possible, but the mortgage follows the property; release and cancellation (Article 91) must be arranged before or at the time of payment, with the notary.
• Joint ownership: several registered owners. A co-owner can only sell their share, and the other co-owners have a right of pre-emption (chefaa, الشفعة) (Article 292 of the Real Rights Code); any co-owner can request division (Article 27).
• Deceased owner: if the title is still in the deceased's name, the heirs must have the inheritance entered before selling (Article 82 of the dahir). Do not delay: for deeds subject to entry, the dahir sets a three-month time limit, with penalties (Article 65 bis).
• Discrepancy in name, identity or area between the certificate, the deed and reality: clear it up before signing, with the person drafting the deed and, for area or boundaries, a surveying engineer.

Nor does the certificate say whether the boundary markers are in place, whether a neighbour encroaches or whether the property can be built on. Example: a buyer in Fez obtains a certificate free of encumbrances for a plot of land; the on-site check then shows that a neighbouring wall encroaches by one metre. The title was flawless; the physical boundary was not. Ellipsoide can carry out this boundary check, while the legal interpretation remains a matter for the notary, the adoul or the lawyer: see Buying land.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Dahir of 9 Ramadan 1331 (12 August 1913) on land registration, amended by Law No. 14-07 (Articles 58, 61, 62, 65 bis, 66, 82, 85 to 87, 91), in the Collection of legal texts on the land registration system — ANCFCC (FAOLEX copy)
• Law No. 39-08 on the Real Rights Code (Articles 2, 3, 9, 10, 27, 214, 292), Official Bulletin No. 7158 of 5 January 2023 (French translation) — Official Bulletin (FAOLEX copy)
• Tariff of land registry fees: Decree No. 2-16-375 of 18 July 2016 as amended (section « Certificats et copies ») — ANCFCC
• E-Certificat service: request, tracking and authenticity check of the certificate of ownership — ANCFCC
• Decree No. 2-18-181 of 10 December 2018 on the electronic management of land registration operations, amended by Decree No. 2-21-604 (Articles 4, 14 and 15) — ANCFCC (Collection of legal texts, 2023 edition)
• Documents required, processing times and fees for the main land registration formalities (leaflet, in French) — ANCFCC
• Decree No. 2-18-577 of 12 June 2019 approving the general building regulations and joint order No. 337-20 setting the required documents (Official Bulletin No. 6874 of 16 April 2020) — Official Bulletin (copy from the Settat Urban Agency)
• ANCFCC: record turnover of nearly MAD 11 billion and 7.5 billion paid to the State in 2025, 1 July 2026 (in French) — FNH

This guide provides general information, up to date as of the date shown. It does not replace the official texts or a professional review of your file. Ask us about your situation.