How to buy property in Côte d'Ivoire from abroad

Last checked 2026-10-03

In Côte d'Ivoire the key document for urban land is the Arrêté de Concession Définitive (ACD), the act that confers ownership. Without an ACD a plot is not secure and you cannot get a building permit. Since 1 January 2025 the Attestation de Droit d'Usage (ADU) replaces the old village attestations as the first step towards an ACD.

The steps

  1. Check with the Ministry of Construction's services that the plot is in an approved subdivision (lotissement approuvé).
  2. Confirm the seller is the true owner: ask for the ACD, or the ADU if the ACD is still being obtained.
  3. Have a notary prepare and receive the sale.
  4. Register the transfer so that the ACD, and later the title, is in your name.

Urban and rural land

Urban land is open to everyone, including foreigners. Rural land ownership is reserved for the State and Ivorian nationals; a non-Ivorian can hold rural land through a long lease (bail emphytéotique) of 18 to 99 years.

Selling or letting from abroad

Many people abroad own property in Côte d’Ivoire: a house they built, family land, or a home they inherited. You can usually sell it or let it out without travelling, but owners who live abroad are also a common target for fraud. These are the general steps. The rules, taxes and forms in Côte d’Ivoire are for a lawyer there to confirm.

Selling from abroad

  1. Confirm the property is registered in your name. If it belonged to a relative who has died, the estate usually has to be settled and the title transferred to the heirs before anyone can sell it.
  2. Hire your own lawyer in Côte d’Ivoire, not one introduced by the buyer or an agent.
  3. Get a current official search of the title, so you know what the buyer's lawyer will see.
  4. If someone will sign for you, give them a power of attorney limited to this one property and this one sale, with an end date. Ask your lawyer how it must be signed and authenticated (before a notary, by apostille or through the embassy) and whether it must be registered.
  5. Ask your lawyer which taxes and fees fall on the seller, such as tax on the gain and transfer or stamp duties, and whether any tax clearance is needed before the transfer.
  6. Have the buyer pay into your lawyer's client account or your own bank account, never to a relative or agent personally.
  7. Ask your bank and lawyer how to move the money abroad, and keep the paperwork that shows where it came from.

Letting it out from abroad

  • Use a written tenancy agreement and keep a copy yourself.
  • Choose a manager or agent you can check up on, and agree in writing what they collect, what they charge and when they pay you.
  • Ask about tax on rent. Many countries tax rent earned there even when the owner lives abroad, and some make tenants withhold tax from rent paid to owners abroad.
  • Have someone you trust visit regularly, and check the title register now and then. Forged sales of absent owners' property are common.

Warning signs for owners abroad

  • An agent or relative asking for a general power of attorney over everything you own.
  • A buyer who wants to pay in cash, or to pay someone other than you or your lawyer.
  • Pressure to sign before your own lawyer has seen the documents.
  • Someone else listing or showing your property without your knowledge.

Own a home in Côte d’Ivoire? List it for sale or rent yourself, free.

Common questions

What is an ACD in Côte d'Ivoire?

The Arrêté de Concession Définitive is the act that confers ownership of urban land. It is signed by the Minister of Construction for Abidjan, or by the prefect elsewhere for small residential plots.

What is the ADU?

Since 1 January 2025, the Attestation de Droit d'Usage replaces the old village attestations and is the document needed to start the process of getting an ACD.

Can foreigners buy land in Côte d'Ivoire?

Urban land, yes. Rural land ownership is reserved for the State and Ivorian nationals; foreigners can lease rural land for 18 to 99 years.

Can I sell my property in Côte d’Ivoire while living abroad?

Usually, yes. Most sales from abroad go through a local lawyer and a representative holding a power of attorney limited to the one sale. Ask a lawyer in Côte d’Ivoire how that power of attorney must be signed and registered.

Do I pay tax when I sell property in Côte d’Ivoire?

Often. Many countries tax the gain on a property sale and charge transfer or stamp duties, including for owners who live abroad. Ask a lawyer or tax adviser in Côte d’Ivoire what applies before you agree a price.

Can I list my own property on ResidentFinder?

Yes. Owners can list a home for sale or for rent themselves, without an agent, and listing is free. Buyers and renters contact you directly through ResidentFinder.

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Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice, and is not definitive. Laws, fees and procedures change; confirm every step with a licensed lawyer in the country before you pay anything.