Land registration and title in Seychelles

In Seychelles, buying land and owning land are two different moments. What turns the first into the second is registration.

01 The Land Registration Act

The Land Registration Act of 1965 is the foundation of land title in Seychelles, most recently amended in 2022. It governs how interests in land. Ownership, leases, mortgages, servitudes. Are recorded, and binds the Republic as well as private parties. The register is the official record of who holds what.

02 Why every deed needs a notary

The Act requires that an instrument disposing of land be executed in the presence of an authorised officer, a notary, barrister, attorney, magistrate, Justice of the Peace, an authorised Government representative, or the Registrar, who attests the execution in the prescribed form. In practice this means your transfer, lease or mortgage is signed before a notary, who then lodges it for registration. Remember that the buyer may choose their own notary.

03 What the register proves

Registration is what makes your title good against the world. Until a deed is registered, your position is weaker. Once it is, the register is the authoritative record of your interest, any charges over the land, and the parcel it attaches to. Before completing, your notary searches the register to confirm the seller's title and reveal any mortgage or encumbrance.

04 Where to go

More offices and roles are listed in the directory.