How to buy property in Senegal from abroad

Last checked 2026-10-03

In Senegal only a land title, the titre foncier, gives full and incontestable ownership, and most land in the country has none: it is in the national domain. Fake titles, contested inheritances and double sales are common traps for buyers abroad, so insist on a titre foncier checked at the land registry.

The steps

  1. Ask for the titre foncier number and have it checked at the land registry (Conservation Foncière) for the owner and any mortgages.
  2. Be careful with land held only on a lease (bail) or a deliberation from a local council: these are weaker rights than a titre foncier.
  3. Choose a notary. The sale must be signed before one.
  4. Sign the preliminary agreement, then the final deed. Notary fees and registration duties come to roughly 4% to 7% of the price.
  5. The notary registers the transfer in the Land Book.

Acting from abroad

If you cannot travel, give an authentic power of attorney drafted by a Senegalese notary and signed at the Senegalese consulate where you live, which legalises it with its stamp and seal.

Selling or letting from abroad

Many people abroad own property in Senegal: 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 Senegal 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 Senegal, 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.

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Common questions

What is a titre foncier in Senegal?

It is the only definitive, incontestable title to land in Senegal. It is registered in the Land Book, where mortgages and other rights are also recorded.

Can I buy land in Senegal from abroad?

Yes, through an authentic power of attorney drafted by a Senegalese notary and signed at a Senegalese consulate. Always check the titre foncier at the land registry first.

How much are notary fees in Senegal?

Notary fees and registration duties together are roughly 4% to 7% of the purchase price.

Can I sell my property in Senegal 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 Senegal how that power of attorney must be signed and registered.

Do I pay tax when I sell property in Senegal?

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 Senegal 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.