Buying property in Somalia from abroad

Last checked 2026-10-03

Somalia has no functioning national land registry. Many title deeds were lost in the civil war, properties are often occupied by others, and ownership documents from local authorities can be unreliable. As diaspora Somalis invest again, land disputes have surged; in 2014 an estimated 80% of cases in Mogadishu's Supreme Court were about land. In Somaliland, most official land records in Hargeisa were destroyed in the war.

Reducing the risk

  1. Hire a lawyer you choose yourself, and ask the municipality what records it holds for the plot.
  2. Trace the property's history and who lived there before the war; heirs of earlier owners may have claims.
  3. Confirm with neighbours and local elders who owns the land, and that nobody is occupying it.
  4. Get the sale witnessed and documented, and keep copies outside the country.
  5. Pay in stages, never in full, until you hold documents your lawyer is satisfied with.

Selling or letting from abroad

Many people abroad own property in Somalia: 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 Somalia are for a lawyer there to confirm. In Somalia, land registries and courts may not be working normally, so expect every check to take longer, and read the risks above before you agree anything.

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 Somalia, 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

Is there a land registry in Somalia?

There is no functioning national land registry. Records are held unevenly by municipalities and many title deeds were lost in the civil war.

Why are there so many land disputes in Mogadishu?

Lost deeds, occupied properties, returning owners and unreliable documents. In 2014 an estimated 80% of cases in Mogadishu's Supreme Court were about land.

Is buying land in Somaliland different?

Somaliland has its own administration, but most official land records in Hargeisa were destroyed in the war, so the same checks on history and neighbours apply.

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

Do I pay tax when I sell property in Somalia?

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 Somalia 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.